Four peaks and a dip


After a day of taking it easy, I borrowed the bicycle again and went to visit some of the highlights of the area. Making sure I am on the proper path, I climbed four peaks, and also had a dip in a blue pond.

Nam Xay

It's a picturesque hill some 8 kms from Vang Vieng, offering great views on Pha Ngern, Pha Hon Khan and the area. There is a motorbike on top, as a decoration, and the spot is quite popular with tourists.


















Pha Hon Khan

It is the another hill with a viewpoint, on the other end of the same ridge that Nam Xay is part of, but nobody seems to visit it: this is the peak that you see behind the motorbike. But you get different views from here, and the one on Nam Xay is especially beautiful.

















Blue Lagoon 1

Located between Nam Xay and Pha Ngern, this is the most popular of the fresh water ponds found in the area. They are all called "Blue Lagoon" and distinguished by numbers. It is a very touristy spot, with most of the visitors being from Korea, China and Laos itself. I'm not too keen on splashing around, this is not my way of having fun, but a quick dip in the cold water was very refreshing in the mid-day heat.















Pha Ngern lower peak

Unlike Nam Xay and Pha Hon Khan, Pha Ngern - the Silver Cliff - is more of a real mountain. Even the lower peak is quite high up, and you get fantastic views on the area. You can buy ice-cold drinks at the viewpoint, sold by friendly locals, which shows the popularity of the spot.























Pha Ngern higher peak

 You have to descend from the lower peak to a junction to take the path to the higher peak. It takes about 40 minutes to get there from the lower peak. From here, however, you can only have a 180-degree view, which is quite similar to what you see from the lower peak. Nevertheless, it is worth a climb if someone likes to hike, the way up is quite scenic, and you get a different perspectiive on what you can see.













That's how much I could fit in a day, just getting back to the base of Pha Ngern at the time of the setting sun. It was a day very well spent!



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