Muang Ngoi is a small village on the banks of the Nam Ou River in Northern Laos. It’s a one-street village with no motorized vehicles—the only way to get there is by a one-hour boat ride from Nong Khiaw.
It’s a peaceful place to spend a couple days. There’s only electricity from 6pm to 9pm. Most of your time will probably be spent reading in a hammock with a stellar view of the river and surrounding limestone mountains.
The walking is nice as well—there’s a nearby cave and some villages further out. One called Bana is a settlement of bamboo huts and wooden houses and lots of life about an hour away. It’s definitely worth exploring the area by foot.
Here are some of my photos from four days in Muang Ngoi:
View from the boat to Muang Ngoi
View of the Nam Ou from our bungalow
River Weed Drying
the mountains around Muang Ngoi
fields around the village of Bana
view from Bana village
in Bana village
A house in the Village of Bana
a handicraft in Bana village
on the path to Bana village
Stephen enjoying a Lao coffee at a riverside cafe in Muang Ngoi
Photos and text by Stephen Bugno
I remember this place! I remember sitting at the café in your last photo drinking tea, writing my journal and playing with the cats.