Nam Bo’s Twinfalls

Hike up the forested mountain just east of Long Town, spend the night in a Hmong/Lahu village lodge, walk along a river to a pair of waterfalls, climb to a ridge overlooking the river valley, and call for birds on this moderate two-day trek. Follow your guide from the Long Tourism Office to the mountain that hovers over the town. The trail climbs through various forest types – bamboo, banana, deciduous, and old growth – and quiet walkers can hear and sometimes spot birds, squirrels, wild chickens, and even monkeys and deer. After trekking more than five hours, you’ll reach Ban Nam Bo, a village where both Hmong and Lahu people reside. You’ll eat dinner with the locals, learn about their lifestyles and traditions, and spend the night in a villager’s home. The second day begins on a short trail that follows the Nam Long River. This is an excellent area for spotting birds in the dry season (October-May), and the local guide will lure them with his calls. You’ll soon reach the base of Nam Bo Waterfall, a pleasant pool catching a pair of chutes plunging over a 20-meter cliff. Another half-hour climb delivers you to the top of the falls, before a two-hour trek to the mountain’s ridge. After a picnic lunch, you’ll descend through the forest to a clearing with valley views backed by mountains. The trek ends back at Ban Nam Bo, where a van will be waiting to bring you down the mountain to town.