The Namtha is one of the last remaining rivers of Southeast Asia where people depend upon the river as their sole route of transportation and communication. Take our two day trip up or down the river, respectively, with our experienced guide and see a part of Asia that may soon be gone forever. See how the boatmen ply the river. See remote rustic villages next to the river. Spend the night with a boatman’s family. This is a trip not to be missed.

Day 1: Houei Xai – Pak Tha - Ban Khonekham
At 8.30, we meet the guide and the boatmen in Houei Xai. We then sail down the Mekong for 1 hour to the old trading town of Pak Tha at the confluence of the Nam Tha and Mekong Rivers. The boat will turn and travel from this point for 7 hours up the Nam Tha, passing remote villages that can only be accessed by river or foot path. We stop on a sandbank for a Lao style picnic lunch.

Near the village of Ban Peng, we stop for a view of Buddhist cliff art. We stop again in the village of Ban Peng for a break and to see the small village temple. If fortunate, there will be a traders’ fair in Ban Peng on that day. Arrival in Ban Khone Kham is between 4 to 5 pm.

Accommodation for the night will be in the boatman’s home. His family will cook a delightful traditional Lao meal for you. Bathing can be done at the village tap or in the river. Some homes have a splash bath in their bathroom. Toilets are usually squat toilets. The sleeping arrangement will be dormitory style on the floor of the boatman’s home, with bedding and mosquito nets provided by the family.

Approximately: 15 minutes transfer/ 8 hours boat

Day 2: Ban Khonekham - Na La – Luang Nam Tha
We depart from Ban Khone Kham at 8:30. It will be a 3 hours trip to the district town of Nalè.

In the dry season (Mar-June), we change to a pick-up truck with benches for the onward 3 hours journey to Luang Namtha. Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant.

In the wet season (July-Feb), the boat will continue up river after a short stop to see the district market in Nalè. Lunch will be a Lao style picnic along the river. Going up river the boats will pass the Nam Ha National Proteced Area and experience several small but exciting rapids along the way. Arrive at the Luang Namtha Boat Landing at 4–5 pm.

The Green Discovery guide meets the group in Houei Xai and there is only one guide for the trip.

Approximately: 5 hours boat

Note:
• For reason of comfort and safety the passenger load on the boats is calculated at 6 persons per boat. In high water the boats may take as many as 8 persons. However, this may not be very comfortable. In the dry season due to low water it is recommended that there are not more than 4 persons per boat. In the event that a transfer from Nalè is required, no additional fees will be charged.

• This trip can be done going up- or downriver. The description below is for the upriver. Switch the days around and you will have the down river itinerary. From February to June the boat may only be able to go part way up river. Transport will be provided for the remainder of the trip.

1 day tours cannot be booked in advance by Email. Please visit our respective branch office directly.

* Maximum of 6 pax per tour; above 6 pax , two boats are needed | Booking »

..........................................................................................................................................................................................
Where does your money go?
From 6 people on the 2 Day Nam Tha Boat Trip 2009
Actual distribution may differ slightly from trip to trip due to exchange rates, changing costs and specific conditions of a particular tour

	: Green Discovery, overhead, equipment costs, marketing, product development, profit 26%
	: Villager 10%
	: Guides, drivers, restaurant, boat 45%
	: Community Based Tourism Development Fund 6%
	: Taxes 13%

Green Discovery recognizes that the welfare of our business depends on the welfare of the people, communities and environment around us. It is for that reason that we take extra effort to ensure that benefits from our trips are distributed broadly. Each trip is a bit different but all trips benefit the local economy and contribute to protecting the environment. The guides, drivers, the food and most of the villagers benefit from your presence. Most notably you’ll see that every village we visit not only receives some of the money that you paid for the tour, they also are active business partners in the tour. We also pay $2 per day per person to the National Protected Area and set aside 10% of the above expenses for training of guides, villagers and development of more community-based tourism programs.

Top