Ban Khonekham Homestay

Relax at Ban Khone Kham’s new riverside lodge or stay overnight with one of its 64 Tai Lue families, and plunge into the lifestyle of this 100-year-old village after a two-hour boat ride from Nalae Town. Villagers greet you at Ban Khone Kham’s boat landing, where the village’s English-speaking guide stands ready to show you around, and help you settle into the lodge or introduce you to your home-stay host. The lodge rises on stilts from the Nam Tha’s rocky eastern bank and presents a view of a lush green hills shooting straight up from the river on the other side. An islet in between diverts the Nam Tha, creating a row of rapids. Though the lodge offers three private rooms, villagers suggest sleeping on the sizable, lattice-encased veranda. Balconies present relaxing seats for reading or just watching the river flow by. The village climbs up a hill, and stairs, chiseled out of the hillside, reach levels of houses on posts perched on cobblestone-reinforced tiers. Most houses hover over giant looms, the number of which depends on how many women live there. The weavers shuttle different threads back and forth on looms, tap the pedals, and pull on a board to tighten the fabric as they create cotton sins (traditional skirts).
The village also produces bamboo handicrafts and lao khao rice alcohol, which you can taste. You can hire a boat and book a homestay or lodge room at Nalae’s Visitor Information Center. The Nalae Eco-guide Unit is developing treks and other activities based in Ban Khone Kham