Short description:
Day 1: We depart at 8:30 from the Eco-Guide Service office. Transfer by pick-up or tok-tok to Ban Nam O, a traditional village of the Khmu Kwaen ethnic groups. This is where our first village-based guide joins the group. The first half of the day follows the meandering Nam O River and its lush valley. A Lao-style picnic lunch is taken on the way when hiking across several ridges offering panoramic views onto the forests of the Nam Ha National Protected Area (NPA). The well-worn Akha trail continues past a temporary settlement of the upland rice farmers of Ban Nam O.

The first lodge on the top of a mountain at the Akha Phouli village of Ban Nam Lo is reached by late afternoon. A traditional Akha dinner cooked by the villagers marks the end of an adventurous first day.

Day 2: Rising early, you may be able to hear the sounds of the Black-Cheeked Gibbons. Tour of the village before setting off to a second Akha and Khmu village, Ban Taleng, where you have lunch. During this day walk through the primary and secondary forests, and discover “Pa Mai Hok”, a bamboo forest area. After walking to the rough road following the Nam Mai River , the pick-up takes you to the Prasat Cave . The limestone cave is the final stop on this tour before returning to Vieng Phoukha in the mid-afternoon.

What to bring:1 change of clothes, sandals for village, good shoes for hiking, sarong for bathing (required for women), mosquito repellent, flashlight, sunscreen/hat, optional (camera, cotton sleeping sheet).

How villages benefit: Local and village guide fees, food sales & preparation, accommodation fees.

Important do's & don'ts: Do not give individual gifts of sweets or money to children. Ask before taking photos of people or spiritual items. Ask your guide before entering a house or a room inside a house. Help keep the villages clean by not littering. Please purchase handicrafts but do not purchase antiques. Do not use drugs in villages.

About The Price: More people cheaper than a few people