Day Trip to Nong Kiaw Including Nam Ou River Cruise from Luang Prabang

The Nam Ou spans 450 kilometers, flowing south from mountains near the Lao-China border in Northern Laos to meet the waters of the mainstream Mekong River. Along the way, the river traverses through the provinces of Phongsaly, Oudomxay and Luang Prabang, past mountains, forested valleys and stunning limestone karsts. Yet, fundamental changes to the riparian ecosystems and surrounding communities are underway as the development of a seven-dam cascade by China’s Sinohydro Corporation moves forward. To date, thousands of affected people have received little information about the project or planned resettlement schemes. With limited information publicly available, there has been little opportunity for public scrutiny of this hydropower cascade.