The Nam Lik Eco-Village provides weekend escapes from Vientiane into nature, including activities like kayaking, biking, trekking, and rock climbing along the Nam Lik River. Owner David Phabmixay opened the village in 1995 to offer sports, adventure, and experiences of rural Lao life to relieve boredom in the city. Guests enjoy exploring the surrounding jungle and participating in a variety of outdoor activities. The article describes one group's positive experience over a weekend visiting the village, including a kayaking trip down the clean Nam Lik River and opportunities for other solo and group activities.

1. Vientiane Times14 Saturday October 26, 2013
Travel
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Karla Held
H
ow many of you
enjoy Vientiane
but often dream
of escaping into
nature on the weekend?
Where do you like to go?
What kind of things would
you like to do once you are
out of the city and in nature?
In 1995 David Phabmixay
asked himself that very
question and then opened
the Nam Lik Eco Village
as a refuge from Vientiane
for himself, his family and
his guests – many of whom
are Vientiane weekenders.
He wanted to provide
sport activities, adventure,
discovery and participation in
Lao rural life.
“People need to get out of
Vientiane and do something
from time to time. They need
activities – it’s boring to just
sit near the river all weekend.”
In 1996 he bought himself
and his kayak and took his
first descent down the Nam
Lik River and fell in love.
After his first descent down
15 kilometres of the clean
class I and class II river, he
Weekend escapes from Vientiane
Nam Lik River – riding, rest, relaxation and river running
decided he wanted to have
an eco-lodge in which his
guests could “discover nature
through activities”. He added
the activities of kayaking,
biking and trekking to his
peaceful lodge on the banks
of the Nam Lik River . He also
added a climbing wall and a
zip line in 2012 as “people
needed more excitement”.
In 2013 Mr Phabmixay
added tubing to his repertoire
of activities in the great
outdoors. Next year – in 2014
- he plans to include rock
climbing.
“TheNamLikEco-Village
is also the best museum for
invertebrates in Laos and you
won’t see anything else like
it in the entire country” says
long time fan and eco-lodge
guest Thomas Calame.
Calame, a French-Korean
consultant in eco-tourism
and biodiversity living in
Vientiane with his family, is
impressed by the large display
of invertebrates as they are
all named and identified. He
enjoys coming to the lodge
as he feels it’s more personal
than other places. He also
states that “you can come
here quite often and never
do the same thing twice. It’s
quite nice actually.”
Four friends and I had
the opportunity to spend the
weekend at Nam Lik Eco-
Village and we all returned
to Vientiane feeling refreshed
from such a great time on the
river, on the trails and in the
village near the lodge. Biker
extraordinaire Nancy Knapp
and I (the weaker of the two
person crew) biked over half
the way from Vientiane to
the lodge while her husband
drove the rest of our party
in his car. Although Knapp
has over 15 years on me, she
had not a hair out of place
during our 50 kilometre ride
while I was begging for the
airconditioner and imaginary
cooler with ice from her
husband Mark Goreman’s
car. Mark and our other two
friends, Karen Smith and Zoe
Greatorex met us at the Vang
Sang Buddha caves. Vang
Sang literally means “the
elephant’s court” and served
as a perfect cultural stop on
our way to the lodge.
After a home cooked
delicious lunch at the lodge
the five of us took an amazing
kayak trip down the Nam Lik
River in which we did not pass
one restaurant, bar, or segment
of loud noise. It was pure
river, blue sky and jungle at
its finest. Depending on which
time of year you go, the river
offers a couple of nice class
II rapids and a class III rapid
during the rainy season. It is
suitable for beginners with a
guide. Intermediate paddlers
have an opportunity to play in
some nice rapids and waves.
The second day Mark
and Nancy opted for a bike
ride along the bike riding
trails made by the eco-lodge
which take you through the
local village, rice fields and
dirt roads. Zoe caught up on
reading and relaxing in the
cabin and Karen tubed down
the river while I acted as her
safety kayak.
I think we all appreciated
a day on the river together
but also enjoyed the options
of doing our own separate
activities on our second day
depending on our moods.
As Oscar Bilingual School
’s international coordinator
Seamus O’Grady says “I
like to escape the hustle and
bustle of Vientiane ’s city
life from time to time. I like
to remind myself that just
30 – 60 minutes travel in any
direction lies this magnificent,
unspoilt landscape that is truly
breathtaking.”
I count the area in and
around the Nam Lik Eco-
Village among such places
and highly recommend a
journey there.
When I asked Karen if she
would go back her retort was
“definitely! Just put me in a
car and take me!”
Karla Held is a freelance
photojournalist based in
Laos. She can be contacted
with questions and comments
at karlaheld@hotmail.com.
The Nam Lik River. The Vang Sang Buddha caves were a perfect cultural stop on our
way to the Nam Lik Eco-Village.
Karen Smith takes a break from her NGO in Cambodia and enjoys
a tube trip from Hinheup bridge to the Nam Lik Eco-Village.
Owner of the Nam Lik Eco-
Village David Phabmixay and
Karen Smith at the put in of the
river trip.