The Nam Nern Night Safari
Opened in 2009, the Nam Nern Night Safari is a 24-hour boat-based wildlife spotting tour into the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park.
The trip highlight is night-time wildlife spotlighting: long-tail boats drift down the Nam Nern River looking for wildlife species, this include: Sambar Deer, multiple species of Civets, Spotted Linsang, Asian Golden Cat, Leopard Cat, Python and many more.
Day time boat trip upstream the river offers opportunities for birdwatching, including Blyth’s Kingfishers, Tawny Fish Owl, Oriental Bay Owl, Green-legged Partridge, Mountain Hawk Eagle. In addition, visitors are welcome to follow the National Park’s guide on a short optional short hike around the camp to learn about the medical plans and history of the area, as well as to visit the nearby ranger substation.
Visitors of the Night Safari stay overnight in bamboo bungalows inside the National Park, built and managed by the community.
This innovative and adventurous journey is not only one of the few opportunities in Laos to view wildlife, but the trip is designed to support alternative livelihoods for local people and generate community support for wildlife conservation.
The Night Safari has gained public recognition and international visibility as well as won the ‘World Responsible Tourism Award’ both in year 2013 and 2014. The project currently employs directly around 40 families and benefits 14 villages.
Highlights:
Easy 24 hour adventure. All year Long. All Age.
- Travel by Boat into the Total Protection Zone of the National Park
- Best for Nighttime Wildlife Spotting & Bird Watching
- Visit an old Buddhist Stupa covered by Jungle (Optional)
- Meet the Forest Rangers (Optional)
- Overnight in comfortable bamboo bungalows
- World Responsible Tourism Award in 2013 & 2014!
Itinerary
Day 1
Morning
A minivan driver will meet you at your guesthouse in Muang Hiem at around 8 am. After approximately 1.5 hour drive along a curvy road through gorgeous mountainous landscapes you will arrive at Ban Son Koua, a Khmu Village and the Nam Nern Night Safari tour start. If you are traveling from Phonesavan or Sam Neua, you can travel directly to Ban Son Khoua village (read more about “Getting to the Night Safari start“). All visitors should be in Ban Son Khoua village for 9.30 am for the tour start.
In Ban Son Khoua, meet your National Park’s English speaking guide who will be the key person sharing information about the National Park, and translating from Lao, Hmong, and Khmu languages information provided by the village wildlife spotters, the former poachers.
The tour begins by a village guide taking you on a short visit around the village to introduce the daily life and the animist traditions of appeasing the village spirits.
At around 11am visitors embark on a 1.5-2 hour journey on the Nam Nern River by long-tail boat to the National Park’s Total Protection Zone and the tourism camp located nearby the ranger substation. Along the way see the village upland agriculture and temporary farms. As closer we approach to the National Park boundary as more birdwatching opportunities will occur.
Afternoon
Once arrived at the tourism camp, enjoy Lao lunch prepared by the village cooking group. After lunch, National Park’s staff will share a presentation about the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park and the on-the-ground efforts in protecting wildlife.
You will then be shown to your jungle bamboo bungalows. Free time to relax at the camp.
Optional: The National Park’s guide will invite you on an optional jungle walk around the camp to learn about the use of medicinal plants and the history of the camp site, which was once a village. Depending on the ranger availability, the park substation can be visited to learn about the law enforcement work.
At late-afternoon, the group takes the boat again to continue the journey upriver deeper inside the National Park. Enjoy birdwatching and the village wildlife spotters / boatmen might point out evidence of wildlife, such as tracks or scat if spotted at the riverbanks.
Dinner
The boats continue upriver to the dinner site, a sandy, flat bank, where visitors can swim and enjoy relaxing around a campfire while team prepares the dinner. After dinner, with the help of the National Park’s English speaking guide discuss around a campfire with the wildlife spotters/former poachers. Great opportunity to ask all the questions that you might have! Afterwards, the village guide will introduce the species of animals that might be seen during the spotlighting and explain the rules and expectations for spotlighting.
Evening
The group departs for the night wildlife spotlighting once it is total dark, drifting silently down the river with the engines switched off. The wildlife guides and boatmen use their headlamp to spot wildlife. If they see something, they will give a clear sign. Then you can switch on your own flashlight to have a better look at the animal. Hence, tourists will have their flashlights switched off most of the time to avoid scaring animals. The wildlife spotter and boat drivers communicate via hand signals to avoid talking that might disturb the animals. Animals that can be seen include Sambar deer, Barking deer, various species of Civets, Spotted Linsang, Otters, Slow Loris, Porcupines, Owls. Seeing wild cats and beers is very rare, but not impossible! The latest cat sightings by Night Safari visitors include: Leopard Cat in Dec. 2019 and Asian Golden Cat in April 2019.
Night
Overnight in Lao style bungalows. Before falling asleep in your jungle bungalow, do not hesitate to spotlight around your bungalow as a Slow Loris, Civet or Sambar Deer can be just next to your jungle accommodation.
Day 2
Morning
Early wake up. If lucky, you can spot a Sambar Deer opposite the river from the camp.
Enjoy breakfast and morning tea and/or coffee. After breakfast, the boats will return back to the village. First boatmen will drift down silently the river with the engines switched off. Possibility to spot animals as otters, sambar deer, and bird life.
Optional: If the jungle walk around the camp was not done in the Day1, it can be done in the morning of the Day 2. National Park’s guide will make this decision based on the timing on Day1.
Return
Upon arrival in the village around 9.30AM, you are invited to fill out a wildlife monitoring form that is used to monitor wildlife abundance and indicate the amount of bonuses put into the 14 Night Safari ecotourism village development fund from the tour costs (there is no extra fee for any seen wildlife).
A minivan driver will return back to Muang Hiam at around 10 AM. After approximately 1.5 hour drive, you will arrive to Muang Hiam.
If you wish to continue to Phonsavanh or Sam Neua, transfer can be arranged to Kohing junction where local bus passes by at around noon. To arrange this transfer, please inform us and your guide before the tour start.
-End of the Tour-
When in Hiam, we recommend to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and to spend afternoon relaxing at the hotsprings or exploring around the town. You can catch the bus SamNeua-Muang Hiam-Nong Khiaw-Luang Prabang at 10pm or again take the Hiam-Nong Khiaw-Luang Prabang-Vientiane bus next morning at 8am. More details on Bus schedule.
What to bring?
We ask that you please bring just one small bag/backpack and leave large suitcases or long-‐haul backpacks in the village or your car.
Weather note – Weather can be both very hot during the daytime and very cold at night. It is recommended that you bring clothes for both extremes.
Please bring the following:
- light rain jacket
- fleece jacket (strongly recommended as the night safari can be very cold)
- both sun hat for daytime and wool hat for night
- long pants for walking in the forest
- shoes for short walking and sandals for bathing
- clothes for bathing (shorts and t-shirt). Please no nude/bikini bathing. Please cover the body from chest to knees.
- clothes for sleeping
- insect repellent
- snacks (Lao food is provided, but you might want to bring something to snack on)
- towel and toiletries
- reusable water bottle (help us to reduce waste)
- binoculars. Option: Possible to rent BERSKA Embark 10x42mm binoculars from National Park office. Check the box when filling in the tour inquiry form.
What is included:
- National Park’s Entrance Fee
- Village Ecotourism Benefit Fund Fee
- District Office of Information, Culture & Tourism Fee
- National Park’s English Speaking Guide
- Village team services: wildlife spotter, boatmen, cleaning, cooking, and handicraft group
- Boat service fee and petrol
- Food and water
- Sleeping equipment (Mattress, Mosquito net, Pillow and Blanket)
- Life jackets and helmets for the boat trip
- Flashlights
- 15-20L Dry bags for your important personal items
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