Your private AC minivan picks you up at your hotel in Thakhek at 8:00 AM for the drive east toward Khammouane Province's limestone interior.
Ban Pakphanang is the river gateway to Hin Nam No, in Bualapha district. From here a longtail boat carries you roughly 90 minutes upstream through sheer limestone gorges along the Xe Bang Fai to Nong Ping village, at the entrance to the cave.
One of the largest active river cave passages on Earth. The Xe Bang Fai River has carved a passage close to 12 kilometres long, reaching 200 metres wide and 120 metres high at its peak. The visit combines a boat journey through the flooded sections and walking the vast dry chambers, lit only by headlamps. First explored by a Frenchman on a bamboo raft in 1905, it now lies within Laos's newest UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A sandy river beach beside the entrance to Xe Bang Fai Cave, inside Laos's newest UNESCO World Heritage Site. The community-run campsite has equipped tents, simple bungalows, and a kitchen serving home-cooked Lao food, all run by a women's group from Nong Ping village. Swim in the river as the limestone cliffs catch the last light.
A white sand riverbank deep inside Hin Nam No National Park. The campsite has equipped tents with mattresses, bungalows, and electricity. Fall asleep to the sound of the river inside a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Nicknamed the Famous Sound Waterfall, this roughly 80-metre cascade between Nong Ping and Boualapha is reached by a 30-minute jungle trek from a riverside restaurant. Swim along the way and grab a meal at the restaurant before the drive back to Thakhek.
A final stop at Tha Falang on the drive back to Thakhek. Crystal-clear water, shaded banks, a calm current. A good place to wash off the cave and decompress before the city.
Return to your hotel in Thakhek. Estimated arrival late afternoon.
