The Blond travels: Nong Kiaw - a chilled out town in the northern Laos

Nong Kiaw is a tiny, sleepy town in the North of Laos. I spend there a couple of days, trying to get some rest and chill out. After taking a small boat from Luang Prabang and sailing for 10 hours I thought I needed some peace and quiet, at least for a day or two.

Nong Kiaw is divided by a long bridge. If you arrive (like me) by a boat you will be dropped off in the old part of the town. There are a couple of hostels on that side, but the other side of the bridge is a little bit more modern and offers a little bit extra.

Kids coming back from school

The view from the bridge is really stunning. If you stay here one full day, make sure you walk through it a couple of times a day to observe how the light changes.

A view from the bridge

There is nothing much going on in Nong Kiaw. The few cafes and shops open early and serve typical food you find all over Laos: baguettes, soups and noodles. There is one Indian restaurant and the food is tasty and filling.

Quite a few of the bars offer massages and steam rooms - a good idea for a chilled out evening.

One of a few things you can do is hiking to Ban Hat Sao Village. You can explore by yourself as the paths are clearly marked.

On the Ban San Hain side (east) of the bridge turn towards River Side Resort and follow the road.

The trek is quite easy, but non-sporty people can find it difficult.

Ban Hat Sao is around 1 hour walk and if you walk further you will get to other villages - around 1 hour walk from each other.

In Ban Hat Sao you can visit a cave and a small waterfall. At one of the turns you will find people waiting to take you there (15,000K per person). But when you pass them, going straight into the village (ignore their nagging) there are small kids, who would do the same trek with you for the same price. However, for the kids to talk to you, you need to first get rid of the husslers.

If you don't want to go trekking with the kids, it is a good idea to bring something with you for them.

The village seems to be buzzying with children, and the little buggers are everywhere. They might like to try your sunglesses on and ask you to take photos of them. They sometimes ask tourists to play with them. They are really amusing.

A very stylish new friend

The kids really wanted to have their photos taken

The same trek can be done cycling. However, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, who is not fit, or doesn't cycle regularly. The walk itself is pretty challenging and goes through steep hills and dirt roads.