Day 157 – Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoy
Caves and Rivers
Today we checked out from Pho Sai Riverview Guesthouse and left our bags there as we bought boat tickets from Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoy for 25,000 LAK / $4.07 AUD per person. The boat was coming in the afternoon, so we decided to walk towards Pha Tok Cave (Karst Cave on Google Maps).
Once we arrived at Pha Tok Cave, we had to walk along a raised bamboo pathway to the ticket office. Here we purchased tickets to the caves for 10,000 LAK / $1.63 AUD per person. After purchasing the tickets, we kept walking along the path, towards the caves. There are some stairs into the cave.
Here a young boy, who was sitting around the ticket office, came and said hello. Another man around 18-20 years old, also came and introduced himself and started explaining details about the cave. He didn’t really have much information to share. The cave, has large cavities, and apparently housed a hospital during the Vietnam War. Ho Chi Minh also apparently stayed in the cave, shown by a few remaining bricks on the floor.
From the entrance of the cave, we probably walked 100 meters, towards the end, where the floor descended steeply. The boys said they can go down but tourists can’t, as its unsafe. After the 10 minute tour, the older guide asked for a fee of 50,000 LAK / $8.14 AUD. I ended up only giving 20,000 LAK / $3.26 AUD and telling them to split it. Just be wary of this at the cave if you decide to go.
Then we headed back into town to have lunch before waiting at the pier for the boat to arrive. Once the boat arrived, we thought we would be spread onto the two boats that arrived, but around 30 people were crowded onto a single boat that could only comfortably house half that number.
Muang Ngoy from the river
The journey took over an hour, but as our muscles cramped up, it felt like a lot more. When we arrived in Muang Ngoy we were approached by so many people with available rooms. We walked to three different guesthouses before deciding to go to Phetdavanh Guesthouse and Bungalows, which was the first place we looked at. Unfortunately, when we came back, the room they originally showed us was booked, so we went to a different room. The room was larger, but the toilets were stained. Not really dirty, but still not fun to use.
View from guest house
However, the guesthouse is run by a friendly family, and the views around sunset are beautiful. The owners made a point of getting the payment upfront, which I suspect is due to the fact that there is no ATM around the village. We had cashed out in Nong Khaiw before coming which is a must!