Nam Et-Phou Louey Exploration. Trek – The Nest

Nam Et-Phou Louey Exploration. Trek – The Nest

Be one of the few people in the world to sleep in a tree like a bird, in your very own "bird nest." Wake up to a gorgeous sunrise and singing birds.

Itinerary

Day 1: Luang Prabang – Muang Hiem

Stop At: Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang Province
Start your trip to The Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area (NEPL NPA) – located in the north-east of Lao PDR and is the second largest NPA in the country (420,000 hectares). The ecotourism projects at NEPL NPA have been designed to create a direct link between wildlife conservation and tourism so that the money that tourists pay has a positive impact on encouraging local people to protect endangered wildlife. En route, make some stops for photoshoting as frequent as you want.
Lunch and Dinner is at your own account.

Duration: 8 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at Dork Khoun Thong Guest House (basic accommodation)

Day 2: Muang Hiem – Nam Et-Phou Louey

Stop At: Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area, Road #1C Muang Hiem, Sam Neua 0700 Laos
Breakfast at local market before starting your trip to Nam Et-Phou Louey
After a 30-minute drive through gorgeous mountainous landscapes, you arrive at Ban Nam Poung Village, an ethnic Khmu village situated on the edge of the national protected area boundary.
Meet the village guide, porters and cooks at the village visitor center and have a brief orientation about the area and itinerary.
Get on a hand tractor (tok tok) – a tractor for plowing rice paddies that can be converted into a transportation vehicle and pass through this Khmu village. This is a good opportunity to see the daily village life and briefly learn about Khmu culture. The following 7km on the tok tok will continue through the village’s rice and corn fields with moderate climbs, learning along the way about upland rice cultivation and rural livelihoods.
Enjoy a local picnic lunch inside a farmer’s hut. The guides will explain the different management zones of the park and how local people coexist with nature.

After lunch, start trekking into the forest following a 7km trail built and maintained by the village which passes through a thick jungle and mixed deciduous forest. The local guide will show you medicinal plants and spot animal tracks and birds along the way. After approximately four hours of walking, you will arrive at The Nests campsite and will be shown to your accommodation – the hanging spherical “nest”. Enjoy free time to relax, bathe in the nearby river and enjoy the nature.

Enjoy traditional Khmu dinner prepared by the village cooking group at around 6-7pm – before it gets dark.

After dinner, you will receive a briefing about wildlife viewing at the Poung Nied Salt Lick – one of the largest salt licks in the protected area.
We will stay at the observation tower for a few hours (depending on your curiosity and patience) until no later than 11:30 pm.

Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in The Nests. Maximum two people per Nest for your safety and comfort

Day 3: Nam Et-Phou Louey – Muang Hiem

Stop At: Muang Ngoi Neua, Muang Ngoi Neua, Luang Prabang Province
Before breakfast, back to the salt lick to identify different wildlife tracks. You will also spend approximately an hour in the observation platform, as morning is a great time for bird watching.
Once back to the camp, enjoy breakfast and help your guide to sort photos of wildlife taken by the camera traps during the previous night.
Trek back through the forest to the village’s fields, and enjoy a farmer’s picnic before riding the tok tok (hand tractor) back to the village. You might be invited to try Khmu rice wine (lao hai), depending on the season and occasion.
You will be transferred back to Muang Hiem. Arrival in Muang Hiem for overnight.

Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at Dork Khoun Thong Guest House (basic accommodation)


Day 4: Muang Hiem – Luang Prabang/Phonsavan

Stop At: Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang Province
Breakfast.
Travel back to Luang Prabang. Enjoy beautiful scenery with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, offering numerous photo opportunities along the way
Tour ends in Luang Prabang

Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.