#hikinglaos

[laotravellinkso71]

Embark on thrilling Laos trekking tours and discover the stunning landscapes of this Southeast Asian gem. Experience lush jungles, remote villages, and scenic mountains on unforgettable hikes. Perfect for adventure enthusiasts seeking an authentic, off-the-beaten-path experience in Laos.

[bigadventure2016]

Laos - Muang Ngoy - Viewpoint / Phanai Caves Hike

May 7 - While exploring Muang Ngoy we came across a hand-painted sign on the road pointing in the direction of a cave, the Phanai Cave. We followed the signs through the forest and ended up at a locked gate which led up a steep incline to a viewpoint of Muang Ngoy and a holy Buddha cave. When we first discovered this it was late in the afternoon with less than an hour until sunset so we decided it wasn't the best time to go, especially when it was going to cost us 10 000 Kip [$1.67 CAD] per person (got to make sure we got our money's worth ;). We vowed to return and a few days later we came back early in the morning. Unfortunately, the gate keeper was no where to be found (we shouldn't have been that surprised, as it seemed to be a common experience for us thus far in Muang Ngoy). Being impatient Westerners and not knowing whether we would be waiting minutes or hours we decided to get around the locked gate and pay the fee once we were finished (hopefully the gate keeper would be back by then, otherwise we would either leave the money, or come back another time to pay). The gate and fence were made of bamboo and too rickety to climb without risking destroying it. Leah was able to squeeze through a hole in the fence and I, Mike, climbed over a large boulder which made up part of the fence and then pushed my way through a few metres of foliage to reach the path on the other side. We decided to go to the viewpoint at the top first since the sun was only going to get brighter and hotter and then explore the cave afterwards. However, after hiking and clambering up the path for around 10 minutes we came to a fork and found that in fact there were two caves. The sign at the fork only talked about the caves and not the viewpoint so we ended up taking the wrong path and instead reached the lower cave first. We did a quick exploration of the cave which wasn't too long, although the last portion required crawling through a tunnel on your belly. We then backtracked to the other path and proceeded for another 10 minutes to the top of the viewpoint which gave stunning views of Nam Ou River upstream as well as a bird's eye view of the village of Muang Ngoy. We descended back down the path to the upper cave and crawled inside. Once through the entrance the cave opened up with high ceilings and a spacious path. We were not expecting the cave to cut very far back into the mountain but as we walked further and further into the cave along a level floor it became apparent that this cave was substantial. It is hard to judge distance in a cave but we estimated we walked at least 200 metres before the cave began to narrow and then became passable only to those willing to worm and squirm. At this point we turned around as Leah is not a big fan of caves to begin with. In the cave we saw large long-legged centipedes, cave crickets with freakishly long legs, spiders and the occasional bat. The trip back down the mountain was uneventful and we found the gate open. We paid the gatekeeper, who didn't seem mad at us for proceeding up the mountain around the locked gate, and walked back to Muang Ngoy. I thought the excursion was quite fun and worth every penny of the small entrance fee.

While descending the mountain and then especially while walking back to Muang Ngoy I noticed that my right foot was feeling very sticky in my sandal. Upon taking off my right shoe I noticed that the front half of the bottom of my right foot was covered in dried caked blood. Apparently a land leech had found its way into my sandal and attached itself between my toes. The leech was no where to be found but my foot continued to bleed for a couple hours.

~ Mike

n.b. We discovered that many of the caves in Laos were used as bomb shelters during the Vietnam War. Some caves had schools, hospital or even a bank inside of them.

Walking through the forest to get to the start of the viewpoint hike

Upstream on the Nam Ou River

Hiking up the easier portion of the path

In the entrance chamber of the upper cave

Small Buddha artifacts at the back of the upper cave

Cave spider

Exiting the upper cave

The entrance to the lower cave

The tight tunnel requiring crawling on your belly

The final small chamber of the lower cave

Exiting the lower cave

Muang Ngoy and the Nam Ou River from the top of the viewpoint

The Nam Ou River just upstream of Muang Ngoy

A bridge near the top of the viewpoint

The steep descent at the top of the viewpoint

Descending back down the mountain