For those planning to visit an ethnic village in Luang Prabang, start or end your trip at the Traditional Art's and Ethnology Center
Luang Prabang has also become a popular base for community-based ecotourism.
The Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area is the second largest protected area in Laos and has the greatest wildlife biodiversity in the country. The protected area contains large areas of intact primary forests, and supports an outstanding diversity of carnivores including the last wild tigers of Laos.
Ecotourism in NEPL NPA is supported by the NGO Wildlife Conservation Society and has been designed to create positive impacts by encouraging local people to protect endangered wildlife such as tigers and their prey. The economic benefits to local communities from ecotourism activities in NEPL NPA are directly linked to the continued existence of wildlife as each reported sighting of wildlife by tourist results in a financial reward for the local guides (all former hunters and fisherman) and other villagers involved in the ecotourism project.
The wildlife watching ecotours in NEPL NPA have won the prestigious “World Responsible Tourism Award" both in 2013 and 2014.
There are some good treks in Chomphet district located close to Luang Prabang Town. Kwangsi Waterfall, typically visited by car, now has an alternative walking route that follows a foot path through forests, fields and ethnic villages. Ngoi Kao Village is a new, relaxing destination reached by a trek operated by the villagers themselves. They offer bungalow accommodation on a peaceful, remote stretch of the Nam Ou River. From Ngoi Kao you can also take overnight excursions through mountainous terrain to nearby ethnic communities. For those looking for a scenic alternative to bus travel, boats can be taken downriver from Muang Ngoi to Luang Prabang.
There are many other areas of Luang Prabang Province that have yet to be traveled by tourists, including the Nam Et/Phou Louei National Protected Area and the province’s northeastern region near the border with Vietnam, a remote rural area with many traditional Hmong communities.
