This trip is another route that I have wanted to go for a long time: "Nong Khiaw-Muang Ngoi" in Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR. The last time I went to the fireboat festival in Luang Prabang, the staff at the accommodation told me about it, which made me want to go. In addition, one of the people I follow on IG goes there very often. This trip happened because the Sob Mae trip was canceled, and I also had a friend who went with me on this trip.

Departing from Bangkok to Udon Thani with Nok Air

Upon arriving in Udon Thani, we took a van from the airport to the 1st Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai Province. The van fare was 200 baht per person.

Crossing the Border from Thailand to Laos

After arriving at the Thai side of the bridge, we stopped for lunch. We entered the immigration checkpoint around 1 pm, just after their lunch break, so we didn't have to pay any overtime fees on the Lao side. The Thai immigration checkpoint had an automated machine. After passing through, we started walking. The immigration officer sitting at that point immediately said, "You were so busy smiling that you didn't get your exit stamp. You'll have to come back again." I hadn't been to this checkpoint in a while, and the last time I was there, they didn't have this machine. So, I handed him my passport and he stamped my exit from the country. We took a ride across the bridge for 15 baht each.

Upon arriving at the Lao immigration checkpoint, we paid a 5 baht entrance fee. The taxi drivers told us to go to the side lane, which was faster and didn't have a long queue. There was only one person in line ahead of us, so we passed through quickly. When crossing the border at this checkpoint, make sure to exit through the one-way lane. After exiting, we exchanged 7,000 baht (for two people) at a rate of 266 kip. We bought a SIM card with a 3-day package for 20,000 kip. With everything settled, we walked to find bus number 114 (or 14) to the morning market for 8,000 kip. Then, we transferred to bus number 08 (or 108) to the northern bus station for 5,000 kip. Both buses were good.

We will soon arrive at the Northern Bus Terminal. I plan to take a sleeper bus to arrive in Luang Prabang early in the morning.

The bus schedule is approximately as follows, but there is no schedule for the sleeper bus. The price of the sleeper bus is 150,000 kip. The sleeper bus departs at 20:00.

Tickets secured, we inquired about luggage storage. The friendly seller allowed us to leave our bags in the ticket office. We returned to the city on a large shared taxi for 20,000 kip per person, disembarking at Center Points. While waiting for the shops to open, we took a stroll and visited a temple to seek solace. The serpent balustrade, beautifully crafted from oyster shells, particularly caught our eye.

It's time to walk the night market along the Mekong River, and luckily I arrived just in time for the sunset. Looking back at the Thai side.

A mobile grilled squid vendor walks around with their grill, ready to cook the squid upon receiving an order.

After exploring the black market, I searched for a Skylab car to return to the Northern Bus Station. The cheapest price I found was 60,000 kip. I arrived 40 minutes before the bus departure time. The area around the station was quiet in the evening.

It's time to board the sleeper train. Please remove your shoes and place them in the bags provided by the staff. This time, we have an upper bunk (last time we had a lower bunk).

We stopped by a restaurant at 1 am to eat pho. If you're not hungry, you can exchange it for something you want. The restaurant also has outlets to charge your phone.

After a 30-minute break, we continued our journey to Luang Prabang's Southern Bus Station, navigating the increasingly winding roads. Arriving at 9:00 AM, we were unsure how to reach the Northern Bus Station, as many reviews mentioned taking the Nong Khiaw bus from there. Fortunately, while our friend used the restroom, we spoke with the person collecting the entrance fee. They informed us that across the street, at the international bus stop for arrivals from Thailand, there were vans heading to Nong Khiaw. Although the fare was 55,000 kip, 15,000 kip more expensive than the Northern Bus Station, we wouldn't have to pay the additional 20,000 kip Skylab fee.

After being thrown for another 150 kilometers, it took about 3 hours to reach Nong Khieo Bus Station.

To reach Skylab, we crossed the Nong Kiew Bridge by car, paying 10,000 kip each. We followed a fellow traveler to Sunrise Guesthouse. The owner, an elderly gentleman, showed us several rooms, both air-conditioned and fan-cooled. We opted for a fan room for 50,000 kip, which offered a stunning view of the Nong Kiew Bridge and the Ou River.

We went out to find something to eat and ended up choosing a restaurant called "Nam Lin." The food was delicious, but it took a while to come out. The total cost of the meal was 80,000 kip, which included two smoothies, a Coke, and a bottle of water.

After feeling full, we walked to Pha Thok Cave. The entrance fee was 20,000 kip. The cave was very short, and we finished walking through it in no time. We were surprised at how short it was. We only saw bullet holes, a rock formation that resembled a human face, and a high-angle viewpoint.

Continuing on to a landmark of Nong Khiao, the Nong Khiao Bridge.

Sitting in the middle of the bridge (after checking that no cars are coming from either direction, ensuring safety).

Walk to the pier to go to Ngoi city. I want to see the time clearly again. The view from the pier is also beautiful.

Returning to the room, I sat down to capture the beautiful light after the sun had set behind the mountain.

After finishing my shower, I went out to find something to eat around 8 pm. The city was very quiet, and only one restaurant was still open. I ended up having khao soi for dinner.

Tonight, I need to sleep early. Tomorrow morning, I will climb the Red Cliff, a landmark that I must conquer. The colder the night, the more comfortable the sleep.

The next morning, we woke up at 5:30 AM and started walking at 5:45 AM. The entrance fee was 20,000 kip, but we didn't know how high or how far we had to walk. A sign indicated a 1.30-hour walk. We walked and rested intermittently until our friends told us to go ahead. When we saw the 200-meter sign, we sped up. We heard foreigners talking and started running. It took us exactly 1.30 hours to reach the top. The view from the Pha Daeng viewpoint was breathtaking. The pictures speak for themselves.

A group of German tourists invited everyone to take off their shirts for a photo. We agreed because everyone else had already taken theirs off. We wanted to have fun with them. Since our friend who went with us was a woman, she had to be the one to take the picture.

On the way down, I was able to take pictures because it was already very bright.

Before leaving, I took a picture of the sign and then went back to collect my luggage.

We need to hurry back to collect our belongings and head to the pier to travel to Muang Ngoy. The mail boat departs only once a day at 10:30 AM, and the fare is 50,000 kip. There are many tourists and locals alike, and two boats depart simultaneously.

The boat has departed. The air is cool and comfortable. The scenery on both sides is beautiful.

After nearly two hours, we arrived in Ngoy Town. We found accommodation on the right side of the pier called Sailom guesthouse for 60,000 kip per night, with a view of the Ou River.

The view from the balcony is excellent.

Let's pack our bags and explore the city of Ngoi first, and then find something to eat.

It's time to climb the small cliff. Today is like something clicked. In the morning, I climbed the red cliff, and in the afternoon, I climbed the small cliff. It cost 10,000 kip here. The grandmother was very kind and gave me a pomelo.

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After getting off work, I went to the same shop to find something to eat and support the young girl who works there. She is saving up money to continue her studies at university. She is currently in the 7th grade. In addition to what is shown in the picture, I also bought 5 more yen sweets (the white ones).

Darkness falls quickly. Hurry down to the harbor to capture the light before returning home.

Continue filming in front of the guest room.

We had dinner at the restaurant next door, but we had to walk around to get in the other way. The fried rice with pork and papaya salad was very large and delicious.

I went to bed early again tonight, telling my grandmother that I would try to climb the small mountain again in the morning. When I woke up, it was raining heavily. It's December and it's raining. I managed to capture a few moments of the morning atmosphere before the rain started.

The heavy rain subsided, allowing us to enjoy a cup of coffee before packing our bags for the return trip to Nong Khiaw. Fortunately, the rain stopped just before the boat departed, and we were treated to a scenic journey amidst the mist and cool air.

Upon arriving at Nong Khiaw pier, we took a Skylab to the bus station to return to Luang Prabang. On the way back, we got a minivan to the Southern Bus Station. There was a bus leaving at 11 am for 40,000 kip. The driver was kind enough to turn on the air conditioning for us on the way back.

(To avoid excessive length, we will conclude here.)

Read more at Another visit to Luang Prabang.

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