Huay Xai to Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge # 3 (Nakhon Phanom) PART 2

tboxcar65

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Finally arriving at KongKeo Guest House where our host Mr. Kong and family took excellent care of us the next 3 days, his humor, local knowledge and ability to deal with tourist makes him one of a kind. Great Guy!
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We opted for Kong's Plain of Jars tour, from 9am in the morning and returning at 6pm, I first though this was bit long, but Kong has your day well planned out, starting at a local museum and giving you his personal account on what went on in Laos during the 1960's and 1970's and also Laos's current battle with unexploded bombs.
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Some photographs from the local museum in Phonsovan, where Mr Kong started his tour
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Mr Kong took up to 3 Plain of Jars sites
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The next day we were not looking forward to the journey from Phonsovan to near Na Hin and the Thakhek Loop
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We left early saying good bye to Mr. Kong and Phonsovan
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Little did we know how the weather was about to change on us, but we were about to find out. After a long ride via Thathom and a quick stop at Wat Phia Wat. The roads did improve greatly in this part of Laos, so greatly I was able to achieve 90 Kph at one point...lol
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We arrived at Na Pavan on the northern edge of the Thakhek Loop, at a little place I pre-booked called "Cool Pool Bungalow"
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That night the wind picked up and temperature dropped, the wind seemed to whip down from the high slopes above us
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Our original plan was to spend 3 nights here, then head over to the Khong Lor Caves, that plan changed as the wind did not stop and the night time temperature became quite cool for the clothes we brought with us.
After two nights we decided to head out, but not before visiting The Rock View Point, where some choose to do a Zipline set up of the shale forest.
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Be advised the road to Na Hin appears to have severely suffered since the last rainy season with landslides ripping down the mountain and making it a one lane road in many spots.
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Cool Pool Place is a natural clear cool spring, probably nice when it's warm, but we had enough and had our sites set on Thailand and back to the warmth.
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Phosy Thalang, Laos
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Final Day of Laos, crossing the 3rd Friendship Bridge into Nakhon Phanom
 

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tboxcar65

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Hello Wayne, just got done chatting with David, we are currently having technical problems with Part 1, as soon as we get it up and running again I will answer more questions and update things.

Thanks for your concern

Tom
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DavidFL

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That should be R1D you did from Mouang Khoune to Na Pavan R8?
How did you find the road - all good, any dirt.
Did you not consider a night along the way in Viang Thong or were you confident of doing it easy enough?
 

tboxcar65

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That should be R1D you did from Mouang Khoune to Na Pavan R8?
How did you find the road - all good, any dirt.
Did you not consider a night along the way in Viang Thong or were you confident of doing it easy enough?

I did the below route from Muang Khoun to Na Pavan, looking back, this stretch of road was some of the best part of the trip, I don't recall any sections being ALL dirt
Na Pavan.png
 

DavidFL

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Awesome trip with the little lady, damn impressive. She deserves a medal.
So now the $64 question what would you pack / take more or less of if you did the trip again?
 

Alexander Muliar

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The hughe slides... .. as mentioned above, deep sand, weed, too dusty to see any if a truck approaches, just a few ks before #8 winds up again to rock Viewpoint Cafe.... When heading west