Extended Nam Nern River Safari
11 November 2024
Views & Nests Wildlife Tower
11 December 2024
The Nests Wildlife Tower
The Nests Wildlife Tower
This out-and-back trek with an overnight at The Nests camp offers great birdwatching opportunities and a chance to spot wildlife at night from an observation tower located above a salt lick and near a ranger station.
Difficulty
Elevation range
Rates 2024-2025 in LAK
This is the price per visitor per group size
| 1 Visitor | 2 Visitors | 3 Visitors | 4+ Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAK 7,000,000 | LAK 4,000,000 | LAK 3,500,000 | LAK 3,000,000 |
Join a group
- 22 February 2025
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3D2N CFC Trek( 2booked/4available)
21 February 2025 - 24 February 2025
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- 25 February 2025
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3D2N Cloud Forest Challege trek(2booked/4available
24 February 2025 - 27 February 2025
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- 2 March 2025
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3D2N Waterfall & Nests Trek(1booked/5available)
1 March 2025 - 4 March 2025
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- 21 March 2025
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4D3N (No home stay) (2booked/4available)
20 March 2025 - 24 March 2025
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- 31 March 2025
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2D1N Nest (2booked/4available)
30 March 2025 - 1 April 2025
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Highlights
- Wildlife observation tower
- Birdwatching
- Camera Trapping
- Overnight at The Nests
- Ranger station
Wildlife species
The Nests wildlife observation tower is located above a salt lick and offers excellent birdwatching opportunities. You may see Blyth’s paradise flycatcher, rufous-faced warbler, long-tailed and silver-breasted broadbills, pale-headed woodpecker, greater and lesser yellow napes, and many more. See what others have seen on E-bird.
You may also spot sambar deer, muntjac, various species of civets, lorises, and many others in the wildlife monitoring camera traps.
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- Long-tailed broadbill
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- Red Headed Trogon
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- Blyth’s paradise flycatcher
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- Silver breasted broadbill
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- Greater racket-tailed drongo
Itinerary
Please note that the itinerary below is approximate. Small change can occur as we are in remote and wild Laos and it is impossible to predict everything. However, please trust that the National Park guide will do the most to ensure you have the best possible wildlife experience.
Day 1: Enter the National Park. The Nests Wildlife Observation Tower
Distance: 5 km tok-tok & 7.5 km trek
Duration: 1h tok-tok and 4-hour trek
Elevation Gain/Loss: +460m / -420m
Meals: L/D
At 8am, meet your guide at the national park visitor center for a brief orientation. Then, travel for about 30 minutes to a small Khmu village, where you’ll meet the community ecotourism team.
For the first 5 km of the trail, ride a tok-tok (hand tractor) through rice fields to the park boundary, then trek 7 km through the park to the camp, identifying signs of wildlife along the way.
Once at The Nests camp, relax, and enjoy late afternoon birdwatching. After a campfire dinner, head to the observation tower located next to a salt lick for nighttime wildlife spotting. Overnight in The Nests.
Day 2: Return
Distance: 7.5 km trek & 5 km tok-tok.
Time estimation: 4h trek, 1h tok-tok.
Elevation Gain/Loss: +420m / -460m.
Meals: B/L
Start the day with birdwatching and verifying the wildlife camera traps. Twelve surrounding villages involved in the ecotourism program receive monetary bonuses through the ecotourism benefit fund that is based on the wildlife spotted on the tours and in the camera traps.
Trek out from the national park and enjoy birdwatching along the way, then ride a tok-tok (hand tractor) back to the village. Return to Muang Hiam in the mid-afternoon. Recommendation: spend the afternoon relaxing at the hot springs.
What is included
- National Park Entrance Fee
- Village Entrance Fee
- Village Ecotourism Benefit Fund
- District Tourism Fee
- English-speaking guide
- Community Services: wildlife spotter, porters, cooks, cleaning, handicraft group, etc.
- Transport from Muang Hiam to the tour
- Food and water (boiled)
- Sleeping equipment
- Leech Socks
Packing List
Bag note. Please pack light, bring only one backpack. You can leave large bags in the national park office, in the village or in your car.
Weather note. Weather can be both hot (30'c +) during the daytime and cold (below 10'c) at night. It is recommended that you bring clothes for both extremes.
Water note. Please note that we provide boiled stream water on the multiple day trekking tours. Please take your own water purification tablets.
Please pack the following items:
- Light rain jacket or poncho (strongly recommended)
- Warm fleece jacket
- Sun hat for daytime and Wool cap for night
- Long-sleeved shirts and trousers are most suitable
- Good walking shoes and sandals for bathing
- Warm clothes for sleeping (November to February can get very cold)
- Clothes for bathing (shorts and t-shirt). Please no nude/bikini bathing.
- At least 2L reusable water bottle
- Water purification tablets (water is boiled)
- Snacks (food is provided, but you might want to bring something to snack on)
- Towel and toiletries
- Insect repellent
- Flashlight
- Ear plugs. Forest sounds at night can be quite loud.
- Binoculars. We have a few binoculars available to borrow.
Other Tours
24H TOUR
The pioneer wildlife tour in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park. Travel by boat into the national park, spot wildlife, enjoy birdwatching and learn about the local history and culture. The highlight of this trip is a nighttime wildlife spotlighting: drift silently down the river looking for wildlife.
3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS
An extended version of the original Nam Nern Night Safari tour with additional morning river safari, a birdwatching hike and an opportunity to travel and overnight deeper inside the national park. More time for wildlife spotting, to enjoy the nature, and to relax.
2 days / 1 night
This out-and-back trek with an overnight at The Nests camp offers great birdwatching opportunities and a chance to spot wildlife at night from an observation tower located above a salt lick and near a ranger station.
3 days / 2 nights
A point-to-point version of The Nests tour. Trek higher, swim in pristine waterfalls and identify signs of wildlife along the trail with scenic views and a possibility to hear the critically endangered Northern White-Cheeked Gibbons at sunrise.
3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS
Trek up to the Phou Louey Mountain (elev.2257m) – the summit of the national park. No homestay experience. No Nest camp with wildlife observation tower.
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS
Experience a homestay in an ethnic Khmu village bordering the national park prior to trekking up to the Phou Louey Mountain – the summit of the national park. No Nest camp with wildlife observation tower.
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS
Immerse yourself fully in the wilderness by spending your entire time trekking through the national park, completing the full length of the trekking trail. No homestay experience.
5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS
Experience it all! Begin with a homestay in an ethnic Khmu village on the edge of the national park, then complete the full length of the national park's trekking trail.
FAQ
Answers to the Frequently Asked Questions. Should I book in advance? How to get to the park? Where to sleep in Muang Hiam? Where can I store my luggage? Who will be my guide? Do I need to be in good physical condition? Will I see wildilfe?
