ໂຄງການພັດທະນາການທ່ອງທ່ຽວແບບຍືນຍົງ

LAOS BRANDBOOKLogo on WhiteUse this version when it ’s inappropriate to use the blue background. ie. Letterheads and business cards

For further Information please visit the Vang Vieng Tourist Information Centre.

www.ecotourismlaos.comwww.tourismlaos.org

Getting thereFrom Route 13 passing through Vang Vieng town, take the road east of the highway (just north of the old Vang Vieng airstrip). This road leads you to Ban Naduang, situated about 4km along this road. From Ban Naduang, continue on for another 1,400m to a turn-off on the right-hand side. Turn up this track for about 900m to the car parking area. From here you can access the walking trail to the waterfalls. Kenlon Waterfall is about 400m walk, and Kaeng Nyui is another 400m walk along the stream from there.In Vang Vieng town, you can rent a bicycle or motorcycle to make your own way to the waterfall, or arrange a tuk-tuk or van to take you there.

Do the loopBan Naduang is located on a loop, and if you would like to explore the area a bit further and not take the same road back to Vang Vieng, you may be interested in this alternative. Head back to the turn-off point to the waterfall and, instead of turning left back to Ban Naduang, turn right. Continue north and turn left just after Ban Nakhae and meet Route 13 just north of the Nam Po bridge in Ban Pakpo, from where you can head south back to Vang Vieng town.

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Kaeng Nyui WaterfallVang Vieng

Vang Vieng- Stunning AdventureVientiane Province

Ban Naduang VillageFleeing from the Ho (Haw) invasions of Xam Neua in northern Laos, Tai Maen and Tai Pua ethnic groups settled in Ban Meuang Song and Ban Viengkeo in what is now known as Vang Vieng. From hunting trips up the Nam Lao stream, Pho Phaxai, a descendant of the people who had settled in the Vang Vieng area, found the Nam Lao valley a bountiful hunting ground and then moved in 1873 to establish a village of 18 households.

Disease forced them to move in 1906, and then again in 1910, when the village divided into three villages. These three

villages then amalgamated into one village in 1937, and was named Na Luang (“Na” meaning field and “Luang” meaning large; indicating the size of the combined villages, as well as it being the gateway village for others further up the valley). This was then renamed to the similar sounding Naduang because villagers thought that the new name sounded more pleasant.Ban Naduang is currently a village of about 750 people, comprising a mix of about 60% Kmhmu (who moved into the area from Luang Prabang), and 40% Tai. The village economy is overwhelmingly based on rice-farming, and some families practice textile weaving. Villagers are working together to use the Kaeng Nyui waterfall as an additional source of income through Community-based Tourism as a means of providing incentive to conserve the environment, as well as raising funds to develop irrigation and other initiatives for their village.

Nam

K

u ang

Houay Len

g

Nam Po

Nam Pat

Nam Xong

Waterfall

Cave

Gas Station

LEGENDVillage

Road number 1313

Vang Vieng Town

Kenglon Waterfall

Kaeng Nyui Waterfall

Tham Chang

To Kasi, Phoukhoun, Luang Prabang and Xieng Khouang

Tham Phou KhamTham Khan

Pha Ngeun

Tham Pha Pheung

B. Houay Sa Ngao

B. Nathong Neua

B. NabouaB. Nathong Tai

B. Phone Ngeun

B. Naduang

B. Phoudindeng

B. Vieng Samai

B. Nakhae

B. Phoxai

B. Pakpo

B. Pha Thao

Ban Nong Bua (Soksay)

B. Somsinxay(Nadao)

B. Nadao

B. Tham Xang (Nadao)

13

13

Layout and design: X-Eye Design

Kaeng Nyui WaterfallKaeng Nyui is a 30 meter waterfall situated on the eastern side of Vang Vieng town. Reaching the waterfall involves a walk along the Houay Nyui and Nam Lao streams past a number of cascades and a smaller waterfall called Kenlon falls. Kenlon has a drop of about 5 meters, into a lovely swimming pool about nine meters in diameter. Villagers from Ban Naduang are the traditional owners of

the site, and have constructed the paths following the stream to both waterfalls, small bridges and other facilities, as well as maintaining swimming holes, and a picnic area along the stream and in the surrounding nature reserve. They also manage the carparkand own the foodstalls. Pick up some local delicacies here for a picnic alongside the stream.Note that Kaeng Nyui Waterfall is very powerful in the wet season, but can change to a trickle in the driest months of April/May.

Villagers request that you respect the following regulations:1. Sunset closing time. 2. No overnight camping on the site.3. Dress modestly and cover up as this is a traditional village

site. 4. Strictly no nude bathing.5. Do not litter on land or water.6. Prevent potential downstream pollution by only using toilet

facilities provided.7. Please do not do drugs, it sets a poor example for our village

youth. 8. Please do not give gifts to our children. This will encourage

begging.

Village Guides: If you would like a village guide, you can enquire in Naduang Village. A village guide can show and explain the nature, as well as how they traditionally use some of the forest products encountered on the trails.

Community-operated attraction: A small entry fee is charged at the ticket booth to raise essential funds for the village to manage and maintain the site. Portions of these fees go into a management fund as well as a village development fund.

The story of Kaeng Nyui and Kenlon falls

Prior to 1960, Kaeng Nyui Waterfall tumbled 45m to a pool below. Villagers say that up till then there

used to be a distinct Hippo shape on the cliff face whose spirit they believed ruled the falls.

The water falling from this height caused a great mist to form around the cliff face, which gave the waterfall its name (Nyui-nyui is a word the villagers used to describe fine spray caused by splashing). At that time the pool below the falls was deep and wide, and there was no place to stand inside it. In about 1960, a landslide from the cliff face reduced the height of the falls to the current 34m. Since then, the hippo shape is no longer visible, and the pool at the base of the falls is shallow.

Some time later, water was drawn from the top of Kaeng Nyui and piped to provide town water for Vang Vieng, which has reduced the amount of water coming down the falls slightly.

Downstream from Kaeng Nyui, another waterfall was also affected by the avalanche of 1960. This waterfall was about 9m high, and there was a hole where the water was believed to have flowed underground to Tham Chang cave on the other side of Vang Vieng. At that time, the rock face behind the waterfall showed the golden coloured shapes of an array of cooking utensils such as a chopping block, and steaming basket. Supporting these shapes was what looked like a wooden plank of extreme hardness. This “hard wood” gave the waterfall its name “Kenlon”.

Nowadays, these features are buried under the rocks thrown down from the avalanche. However there is still an excellent rock pool below a 5m waterfall that provides for a refreshing swim.