Photos: Life on the Ou River in Laos

A boat trip down the Nam Ou is an wonderful way to see remote, rural Laos. Here are ten photos from two slow boat trips, traveling from Muang Khoa to Luang Prabang — 11 hours of blissful sensory-overload.

The boat is more expensive and slower than just taking a bus — 2 trips cost me a total of $27 US. It was worth every penny — I enjoyed eleven hours of stunning scenery and innumerable views of rural families making their living off the river.

The boats are tiny and can be crowded. I was lucky enough to catch a ride with no more than a dozen other passengers both times. I’ve spoken to others who shared a boat with 18 people and they were crowded and uncomfortable. Boats only run once a day during the low season, and may not run at all if there are too few people, so a flexible schedule helps.

Tiny villages dot the hills and are often hidden by trees — sometimes, the only hint that they exist at all is a narrow path leading up from the river or a few chickens scratching around in the dirt.

Tagged as: photos, Laos

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