LAOS – Hinboun – Kayaking on the Hinboun River

Description

Kayak peacefully down the Nam Hinboun River, surrounded by the stunning limestone landscape of the Phou Hinboun National Protected Area. Pass small local villages and see how people live in this untouched part of the world – villagers tending to their vegetable gardens along the riverbank, the buffaloes bathing in the shallow waters, children fishing and playing in the river, and the village ladies washing their clothes in the crystal clear waters of this stunning waterway.

• Level: 0. Accessible to everyone.
• Distance and duration of the kayaking: 15 kilometers. Approximately 2-5 hours kayaking depending on conditions.

Can be combined with

Thematic Leisure

• LAOS – Hinboun – Morning Hike from Ban Tew to Ban Konglo
• LAOS – Hinboun – Boat cruise on the Nam Hinboun River
• LAOS – Hinboun – Full Day Tour on the Other Side of Konglor Cave
• LAOS – Hinboun – A Taste of Lao Hospitality
• LAOS – Hinboun – Expedition into Laos’ Longest Cave

Selling points

• An excellent way to spend an extra day in the magical Hinboun area – the scenery on this kayaking trip is stunningly beautiful!
• An easy activity suitable for people of all kayaking abilities – perfect for active leisure travelers in groups of up to 12 people.
• Suitable for families with older children over 14+.
• It can be done as a morning or afternoon activity, or even over lunch with a picnic taken along.
• A glimpse into the life of the villagers who live beside the river in authentic rural Laos.
• The area is untouched and undeveloped, unlike some other areas in Laos that are popular for kayaking.

Level Of The Excursion

The Impact Of This Excursion

Environment Impact

Economic Impact

Additional Information

This activity provides a day of exploration with minimal impact on the environment. The only transportation involved that will have a small impact will be a songthaew (tuk-tuk) for the return to the resort.

Financially, this activity supports Spring River Resort which in turn provides employment to local villagers (resort staff, guides, drivers etc.) in an area where there are few opportunities for meaningful and rewarding work.

Time And Transportation

Duration

Distance and duration:

• 15km, 3-5 hours, depending on the river current and speed of kayaking.
• There is no rush and travelers can take as long as they need.

There are 3 possible ways we could arrange the kayaking in our programs:

• It can be done as a morning activity, returning to Spring River Resort for lunch.
• It can be done as an afternoon activity, departing from Spring River after an early lunch.
• It can be started mid-morning with a picnic lunch halfway down the river (taken from the resort) and returning to the resort mid-afternoon.

Min pax

1

Max pax

12

How to sell it

Hinboun is an undervalued and rarely visited part of Laos and a place that travelers who do come here always want to spend more time exploring. It’s not visited as often as it deserves due to the longer transfers and the lack of organized activities.

Use this activity to extend the travelers’ stay by adding an extra day, making the visit to Hinboun more worthwhile and easier to justify those long transfers.

• A unique and scenic kayaking experience.
• No experience is required and it is easy enough for nearly all guests to enjoy.
• Suitable for families with older children over 14+

To see in more detail how this activity can fit into a multi-day tour of Hinboun please see the “Good to combine with” section of this factsheet.

Why this activity

• Developed to provide a way for travelers to spend more time in this stunning area of Laos.
• Developed to have more reasons to visit and stay longer in Hinboun as well as to make it easier to justify the long/expensive transfers to travel to Hinboun.
• Timing is flexible, the activity is easy, and it can easily be added into our programs.

Good to combine with

The purpose of creating this activity was to have more products to offer in Hinboun, to encourage travelers to stay longer and to make it easier to justify the long and expensive transfer to the area. Here is what a multi-day visit to Hinboun would look like:

On the first day in Hinboun, travelers would do the main highlight activity of Konglor Cave:

• (option 1 to go to the cave) LAOS – Hinboun – Morning Hike from Ban Tew to Ban Konglor
• (option 2 to go to the cave) LAOS – Hinboun – Boat cruise on the Nam Hinboun River
• (main activity) LAOS – Hinboun – Full Day Tour on the Other Side of Konglor Cave

On the second day in Hinboun, travelers would do one of the following activities:

• This activity: Kayaking on the Hinboun River
• Expedition into Laos’ Longest Cave

Either of which can be complemented by:

• Additional kayaking on the Blue Lagoon opposite the resort (no extra cost)
• LAOS – Hinboun – A Taste of Lao Hospitality (unless this was done the day before in the evening)

Do not combine with

Do not propose the following activities on the same day as the kayaking:

• LAOS – Hinboun – Morning Hike from Ban Tew to Ban Konglor
• LAOS – Hinboun – Boat cruise on the Nam Hinboun River
• LAOS – Hinboun – Full Day Tour on the Other Side of Konglor Cave
• LAOS – Hinboun – Expedition into Laos’ Longest Cave

Market suggestion

Competitor comparison

• This product can be offered by other DMCs, though currently it is not common to see it in the competitor’s programs as they only tend to stay in Hinboun for 1 day.

Pros

• Easy to organize with Spring River Resort.
• A great way for us to provide an additional day in Hinboun for our travelers.
• Really scenic and beautiful. It’s the real untouched Laos.
• Much better option than the kayaking in Vang Vieng. Hinboun is what Vang Vieng probably looked like 60 years ago.

Cons

• No life jackets, but the water level is very low so they are not really necessary.
• Local guide is not provided unless a supplement is paid, though in reality the local guide is not necessary.
• The activity is dependent upon weather conditions – it can be a bit more unpredictable and less beautiful in the rainy season.
• Our travelers go privately with our guide, though there may be other people from the resort who decide to do the kayaking at the same time (unlikely)

Alerts

• In the rainy season (July to September) there may be times when the weather and water conditions do not permit this activity.
• This activity should only be provided to travelers who are spending an extra day in Hinboun.

Important information

• Max 12 pax for clients.
• Easia Guide / tour leader is FOC.
• Please remind clients that they will get wet so should wear suitable clothing and take a dry bag if possible for their belongings.
• Please remind clients to take a hat and sunscreen – it’s easy to get sunburn in Laos!

Price range

$$

Quotation guideline

On ERP:

• Main Activity to be chosen every time:
  Laos > Hinboun > Activity > Spring River Resort > Kayaking on the Hinboun River
• Optional picnic lunch to be added depending on the timing you choose for the activity:
  Laos > Hinboun > Restaurant > Spring River Resort > Picnic Lunch

Inclusion

• Kayaks and paddles
• Transport back from Sala Hinboun to Spring River Resort

Exclusion

• Local guide – not necessary but can be added for a supplement if desired.

Possible Extra

• Picnic lunch (if required, additional cost to be quoted on ERP)
• Local guide (if required, additional cost to be quoted on ERP)

• There is also the Blue Lagoon, opposite the resort where guests can go by kayak for no extra charge. It’s not a long lagoon and can be explored in about 30-45 minutes. Add this to the kayaking activity to extend the duration.

Important notes

• Book the activity directly with Spring River Resort – they take care of everything.
• Make sure to tell Spring River Resort if a picnic lunch is needed (it will have been quoted separately by sales).
• When briefing the guide make sure he knows that he should remind the resort about the kayaking and picnic lunch the day before.
• The picnic lunch should be given to each participant to carry in their own bag before leaving.
• A local guide is not required for the kayaking – it’s very simple and there is an exit sign at Sala Hinboun and that’s where the activity finishes and the songthaew will be waiting.

Different Choice

• For travelers who like the idea of kayaking but don’t want to do the full 15km, consider letting them explore the Blue Lagoon by kayak opposite the resort (no additional cost for resort guests).

Contact

This activity is arranged by Thomas and Vicky at Spring River Resort:

• Address: Ban Tha Salakham, Tha Bac,P.O. Box 880, savannaket Province, (Hinboun)
• Tel: +856 20 59 636 111
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.springriverresort.com/

English

Kayaking the Nam Hinboun River
Today you will kayak peacefully down the Nam Hinboun River, surrounded by the stunning limestone landscape of the Phou Hinboun National Protected Area. As you float down the river you will pass small local villages and see how people live in this untouched part of the world – don’t forget to wave and shout “Sabaidee!”. Spot the villagers tending to their vegetable gardens along the riverbank, the buffalo bathing in the shallow waters, the children fishing and playing in the river, and the local ladies washing their clothes in the crystal clear waters of this stunning waterway. After 15 kilometers you will arrive at the exit point, called Sala Hinboun, where you will meet the songthaew truck that will take you back to Spring River Resort.

• Distance and duration of the kayaking: 15km. Approximately 2-5 hours depending on your speed and the river current.
• Notes: remember to take a sun hat and sunscreen as well as a few liters of drinking water and any other snacks you may want. A dry bag is also advisable for your valuables.

French

Kayak sur la rivière Nam Hinboun
Aujourd’hui, vous descendrez paisiblement la rivière Nam Hinboun en kayak, entouré par le magnifique paysage calcaire de la zone nationale protégée de Phou Hinboun. En descendant la rivière, vous passerez près de petits villages locaux et verrez comment les gens vivent dans cette partie intacte du monde – n’oubliez pas de crier “Sabaidee!”. Observez comment les villageois s’occupent de leurs jardins potagers le long de la rive, les buffles qui se baignent dans les eaux peu profondes, les enfants qui pêchent et jouent dans la rivière, et les dames locales qui lavent leur linge dans les eaux cristallines de ce magnifique cours d’eau. Après 15 kilomètres, vous arriverez au point de sortie, appelé Sala Hinboun, où vous rencontrerez le camion songthaew qui vous ramènera au Spring River Resort.

• Distance et durée du kayak : 15km. Environ 2 à 5 heures en fonction de votre vitesse et du courant de la rivière.
• Remarques : n’oubliez pas d’emporter un chapeau de soleil et de la crème solaire, ainsi que quelques litres d’eau potable et tout autre encas que vous pourriez souhaiter. Un sac sec est également conseillé pour vos objets de valeur.

Spanish

Kayak en el río Nam Hinboun
Hoy descenderá tranquilamente en kayak por el río Nam Hinboun, rodeado del impresionante paisaje de piedra caliza de la Zona Nacional Protegida de Phou Hinboun. A medida que vaya flotando por el río, pasará por pequeñas aldeas locales y verá cómo vive la gente en esta parte desconocida del mundo; no olvide saludar y decir ” ¡Sabaidee!”. Observe a los aldeanos cuidando sus huertos a lo largo de la ribera, a los búfalos bañándose en las aguas poco profundas, a los niños pescando y jugando en el río, y a las señoras locales lavando su ropa en las aguas cristalinas de este impresionante cauce. Después de 15 kilómetros llegará al punto de salida, llamado Sala Hinboun, donde se encontrará con el camión songthaew que le llevará de vuelta a Spring River Resort.

• Distancia y duración del recorrido en kayak: 15 km. De 2 a 5 horas, dependiendo de su velocidad y de la corriente del río.
• Notas: recuerde llevar un sombrero para el sol y protección solar, así como unos cuantos litros de agua potable y cualquier otro snack que desee. También es aconsejable llevar una mochila impermeable para sus objetos de valor.

Italian

Kayak sul fiume Nam Hinboun
Oggi si scende in kayak lungo il fiume Nam Hinboun, circondati dallo splendido paesaggio calcareo dell’Area Nazionale Protetta di Phou Hinboun. Mentre galleggiate lungo il fiume, attraverserete piccoli villaggi locali e vedrete come si vive in questa parte sconosciuta del mondo – non dimenticate di salutare e dire “Sabaidee”! Osservate gli abitanti dei villaggi che curano i loro giardini lungo le rive del fiume, i bufali che fanno il bagno nelle acque basse, i bambini che pescano e giocano nel fiume e le signore locali che lavano i loro vestiti nelle acque cristalline di questo splendido corso d’acqua. Dopo 15 chilometri arriverete al punto di partenza, chiamato Sala Hinboun, dove incontrerete il camion songthaew che vi riporterà allo Spring River Resort.

• Distanza e durata dell’escursione in kayak: 15 km. Da 2 a 5 ore, a seconda della velocità e della corrente del fiume.
• Note: Ricordate di portare con voi un cappello e una protezione solare, oltre a qualche litro di acqua potabile e a eventuali spuntini. È inoltre consigliabile portare con sé uno zaino impermeabile per gli oggetti di valore.

German

Kajakfahren auf dem Nam Hinboun-Fluss
Heute fahren Sie mit dem Kajak friedlich den Nam Hinboun-Fluss hinunter, umgeben von der atemberaubenden Kalksteinlandschaft des nationalen Schutzgebiets Phou Hinboun. Während Sie den Fluss hinunterfahren, kommen Sie an kleinen Dörfern vorbei und sehen, wie die Menschen in diesem unberührten Teil der Welt leben – vergessen Sie nicht zu winken und “Sabaidee!” zu rufen. Beobachten Sie die Dorfbewohner bei der Pflege ihrer Gemüsegärten am Flussufer, die Büffel, die im seichten Wasser baden, die Kinder, die im Fluss fischen und spielen, und die einheimischen Frauen, die ihre Wäsche im kristallklaren Wasser dieses atemberaubenden Wasserwegs waschen. Nach 15 Kilometern erreichen Sie die Ausstiegsstelle Sala Hinboun, wo Sie auf den Songthaew-Truck treffen, der Sie zurück zum Spring River Resort bringen wird.

• Entfernung und Dauer der Kajaktour: 15 km. Ungefähr 2-5 Stunden, je nach Geschwindigkeit und Flussströmung.
• Hinweise: Denken Sie daran, einen Sonnenhut und Sonnenschutzmittel sowie einige Liter Trinkwasser und eventuell weitere Snacks mitzunehmen. Ein trockener Beutel für Ihre Wertsachen ist ebenfalls ratsam.

• Product Photos