Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park

Aaron saw Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park on a map when we were still in Canada, just dreaming about the trip. Then, months later, we were figuring out how the heck to actually get to this place. It's off the beaten track, which in Laos, means the roads are abominable.

One very dusty and very long car ride later, we arrived in Muang Hiam for the night. We were exhausted after the previous night's very cold and broken sleep at the top of a mountain.

In the morning, they brought us to a very small town. We started the trip with some forms, a gift of Laos weaving for each of us, and a tour of the local village. They recently got indoor plumbing. A sacred animist place was moved from the forest during the upgrades, and is now situated behind a chain link fence so the kids don't play on it.

We piled into long, narrow boats with inboard engines that have a 2 or 3-meter long pole with a propeller mounted on the end. Very loud. And then, we began our journey UP river. The drivers were incredibly skilled, maneuvering around rocks and through currents, with the help of a younger man with a long bamboo pole. River cowboys.

Our bamboo cabins were very comfortable and lovely. Although, a forest rat decided to poop in the boys cabin. Luckily it seemed only to have eaten fruit.

Somlei introduced us to the park and its initiatives. The Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park is one of the most biodiverse places in Laos. It's named after the Nam Et River (“Nam” means “Water”) and Phou Louey Mountain (“Forever Mountain”).

To provide wildlife-friendly livelihood opportunities for local people, the National Park established an ecotourism program about 15 years ago. "All tours are designed to create a direct link between conservation and tourism, ensuring that visitor fees positively impact local efforts to protect endangered wildlife." That means that the local communities get paid each time a tourist sees an animal (we filled out a form after our trip). It's a direct incentive to the surrounding communities to stop all forms of hunting in and near the park.

On our first evening, we rode up river to have dinner on the riverbanks. A serow (antelope goat animal!) walked across the river at dusk, and all the guides got excited. At dark, we were handed strong headlamps and told to keep them off until the guide spotted something. We silently made our way down river, soaking in the stars, and occasionally seeing the shining eyes of deer and civets in trees. Night safari!Read more