Nam Xay Viewpoint Trek: Key Highlight of Vang Vieng

One key highlight of my trip in Vang Vieng, Laos, was the hike up to Nam Xay Viewpoint. The hike, per se, wasn’t tough, and it went beyond my expectations. And what awaits at the top fully redeemed the rather tricky business of getting up (and going down).

Thinking of visiting Nam Xay too? Well, read on to find out more about how you can enjoy Nam Xay as well as I too!

I visited Nam Xay and Vang Vieng in Nov 2023. This post contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog! It may also be updated periodically. Cheers!

What’s so special about this Nam Xay?

Vang Vieng sits on a pristine landscape filled with limestone cliffs and paddy fields. With that, you have a huge contrast of jutting mountains on flat green or gold paddies, which makes for a dramatic view at the top.

This, sort of, explains the appeal of marvelling at the Vang Vieng countryside from the air, through a hot air balloon or paramotoring.

The view gets even better at sunset when everything is painted gold.

But, if budget is of concern, the only way to enjoy the visage then, is by climbing to the top of those thorny rocks.

Nam Xay happens to be one of the most popular karsts out of several scattered west of Vang Vieng centre.

My guess is its location and also its difficulty. Nam Xay isn’t too far from the VV centre, yet close to Blue Lagoon 1 and Tham Phu Kham. It is only about 400m tall, with an elevation gain of 129 m under 600m for a return trip. As such, you don’t need to invest that much time for amazing views on this karst!

An hour or so is sufficient, including the wait for the photo-taking with the motorbike. Buffer more if you’re wary of your fitness on the mountains.

Other viewpoints like Pha Ngern feature a 3.5 km return, with an elevation gain of 351 m to reach the top (around 570 m). That will take you 2 hours at least.

Being popular also meant a well-oiled trail, presumably made safer from previous mishaps. The same cannot be said for other lesser-hiked karsts. 

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Best time to visit

Vang Vieng, situated north of Laos, the landlocked country, generally has three seasons to look out for.

The dry and cool months of November to January are generally the best period to travel in Laos. I visited Laos in November. Daytime temperatures are agreeable, though early mornings and late nights can be a little chilly. 

Expect heavy rainfall from June to October. Travelling during the peak rainy season can be hazardous or even impossible with road closures and floods. Even if you were to get to your destination, certain attractions may be closed. It is dangerous to hike up Nam Xay on a rainy day. The roads to the attraction would be atrociously muddy and slippery too.

The period between March and May coincided with the country’s slash-and-burn season. You’d have acrid smog everywhere that paints the sky a dusty orange, and fill your clothes and hair with particles and a lingering burnt smell. A friend of mine visited in April 2023, and her Nam Xay Viewpoint was just orange.

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Getting to Nam Xay Viewpoint

There are three ways to get there – yourself, on the tuk-tuk, or with tours. Cost varies.

I would have gotten to Nam Xay myself via a mountain bike or found a group in my hostel to tuk-tuk with.

But I met someone along my journey who knew how to ride a motorcycle, and that was how we travelled.

Tuk-tuk might have cost 200-300k kip for a full-day hire (since they can take 10 people, and each person pays 20-30k kip). A motorbike costs 120k kip for a full day rental, exclusive of petrol. Petrol was 25k kip/ L during our travels. Bicycles should cost less than half of that.

Alternatively, I’ve seen tours online for Nam Xay Viewpoint. Cost-wise, it could have been at least US$20, including attractions nearby.

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Entrance fee & Opening hours

It costs 20k kip per person to climb Nam Xay. Nam Xay Viewpoint is open everyday from 9 AM to 5.30 PM. Not recommended to climb up closer to 5.30 PM, as it can get very dark in the forest once the sun has set. Bring along a headlamp if that’s your intention.

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Attire

I saw people descending in flip flops, or none at all, as they’ve given up hope on their jandals, while we ascended Nam Xay.

Any attire that allows for a full range of movement works, but make sure you have shoes with sticky soles, as the limestone and roots are slippery.

Bright colours may look good in photos at the top of Nam Xay, where it’s mostly green and brown.

It can be a sweaty workout. Wear something airy. Note that Laos is a conservative country, so nothing too exposed.

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The hike to the top

And now we come to the ✨meat✨ of the post.

Compared to my hikes in other places with similar terrain – such as Mulu Pinnacles, which took almost a day – Nam Xay is comparatively easier because the trek is short. A sweet 20 mins to the top.

We started off at 4.15 PM. A gate with plenty of Lao writings and an old bike welcomed us as we climbed on big stone slabs.

The stone slabs turned into high stairs dug into the soil, which I can imagine would be a terrific mudfest if it rained.

We climbed over roughly made wooden ladders and then danced over huge rocks jutting out of the same sandy soil.

The rocks grew to become boulders, and soon, hands were needed to hoist the body up. It could be the rocks, it could be the roots, it could be the willowy branches.

There was a bit of a bottleneck just before the top, as those heading up waited for those coming down to pass through. This path was narrow and a lot more treacherous, so we took our time.

It didn’t take too long in retrospect. We were at the top by around 4.35 PM – 20 minutes!

Then it’s another 20 mins of waiting time to have that iconic shot with the motorbike.

I wonder who managed to string up a bike there.

Descending was easy when you used your arms.

We were back down by 5.10 PM.

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Other activities around Nam Xay

You could combine your trip to Nam Xay Viewpoint with a visit to the Blue Lagoon 1 and Tham Phu Kham for a comfortable full-day trip. Enjoy the soak and cave in the late morning/ afternoon. Have a picnic, and then climb Nam Xay for the sunset as the finale.

Entrance fees to Blue Lagoon 1 and Tham Phu Kham cost 20k kip per person.

For more travel pointers about Laos, check out this post where I explore the necessary from my travels.

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Pointers

• Dressed wisely. No flip-flops please, unless you’re very sure of them. Make sure your shoes have good grips.
• Bring hydration. It can get hot and sweaty towards the top.
• Check the weather. Don’t attempt if it looks like it may pour.
• Bring headlights. If you’re doing it closer to closing time. Once the sun sets, the forest turns dark very quickly.
• Parking. There’s free parking by the ticket booth. Judging by the traffic, parking your locked bikes there should be relatively safe.