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Khoun Lang Cave Nature ParkCaves, Waterfalls & Forest TrailsYao and Khmu Handicrafts

Trekking programsHouay Saphai Trail: A 3.5km half day trek takes you through forest clad ridges and valleys to Houay Saphai cave with optional lunch at Tad Saphai 2 (a 12m waterfall), then a decent to Tham Khoun Lang cave, before finishing at the carpark.

Houay San Trail: A 1 day trek including a 6km hike along the Houay San to Tad Houay San, the largest waterfall in the Nature Park.

Houay Lang Trail: A 1 day trek along Houay Lang, with a climb over the ridge to then descend to Houay San stream and climb upstream to Tad Houay San waterfall, and return along Houay San to finish at the carpark.

SeasonalityThe Nature Park is open all year round. However, trekking programs are operated between November and May. Please make a special enquiry if you would like to do a trek outside of these months

Are these tours physically demanding?Trekking trails to waterfalls and other caves follow rough forest paths maintained by villagers and all pass through very steep and rocky sections. They are only for the more adventurous visitors. Special caution in wet weather is required.

Village GuidesPlease note that the trek is facilitated by village guides, so please be aware that foreign language skills are limited, and non-verbal communication will be paramount. At least one local village guide (depending on group numbers) is required for the treks to waterfalls. This is a Community-based Tourism initiative, so please use the guide services provided by the villagers.

How to bookBookings can be made at the Visitor Information Center on arrival at Ban Houay San village, Kasi District.

Protocol for visitors to Khoun Lang Nature Park1. Don’t enter caves without a flashlight, or a guide with a

flashlight2. Inside Khoun Lang Cave, stick to the constructed walkway3. Stick to walking trails when in the forest4. No littering5. Strictly use guide service for trekking trails (Houay Saphai,

Houay San and Houay Lang)6. Use optional guide service for Khoun Lang cave visit7. Please do not give gifts directly to our children. This will

encourage begging.

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Getting thereKhoun Lang Cave is located in Kasi District of Vientiane Province, along a new road connecting Kasi with Nan district in Luang Prabang province. This new road provides an alternative way of getting to the World Heritage Town of Luang Prabang for travelers coming from Vientiane or Vang Vieng, bypassing the Phoukhoun mountain pass and significantly shortening the journey. It also is an excellent option for travel to Sayabouly from Vientiane.

At the southern end of Kasi town (240km from Vientiane; 60km from Vang Vieng) turn west and travel 17km to Ban Houay San. At Ban Houay San, call in at the Visitors Information Center. A further 2km will take you to the carpark at Khoun Lang Cave Nature Park.

Food and drinks are available to revive the traveler at the restaurant located on the banks of the Houay San, about 1km along the road into the Khoun Lang Cave Nature Park, or roughly halfway between Ban Houay San and the carpark.

Contact infoVientiane Provincial Tourism DepartmentPhonehong DistrictTel.+856 (0)23 211 629Email: vientiane_ptd@tourismlaos.org

Vientiane Province

Khoun Lang Cave Nature ParkThe Khoun Lang Cave Nature Park is ideally situated along the new road from Kasi to Luang Prabang and Sayabouly, via Nan District. The Park offers an excursion into jungle clad mountains, cave exploring, crystal clear mountain streams with waterfalls in abundance.

The two host villages also offer an interesting cultural experience, charming handicrafts, and some spectacular cultural garments.For travelers, this place is a refreshing stop to eat lunch, or picnic in the forest. Revive your spirit with a cool paddle in the mountain stream. Walk along a jungle path and explore the depths of Khoun Lang Cave. Take a guided half-day trek through the mountains and explore waterfalls and caves, lead by one of the local experts of the forest.Buy a gift or souvenir from a wide selection of handicrafts made in your host village.Khoun Lang Cave is surrounded by a nature park of 1080ha. The park is predominantly limestone mountains clad with dense forest protecting the source of the Houay San stream. In the nature park, the Houay San stream and its branches flow over steep rock shelves, resulting in numerous waterfalls. On the right-hand stream (Houay Saphai), there are two notable waterfalls known as Tad Houay Saphai 1 & 2. Drops of about 9m and 12m funnel and tumble through the steep rocky Saphai

gorge. A larger multi-tiered waterfall can be seen up the Houay San stream. Villagers have constructed paths and offer a guide service to take you to these sites, as well as cave visits along the way. Half-day treks going to the waterfalls can be arranged from the Visitor Center.

Tham Khoun LangThis cave, decorated with stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone consists of a narrow entrance, widening to single large passageway of about 250m long, extending to four levels. Moisture percolating from the ceiling maintains an awesome array of shapes and patterns. Villagers have interpreted some of the features as evidence that this cave is the ancient abode of Khoun Lang; Nang Oua’s suitor in the legend of Nang Oua - Thao Khou Lou; a romantic tragedy famous throughout both Laos and Thailand (see box).

Visiting the caveAt Ban Houay San, a 2.3km road ends at a carpark about 350m from Khoun Lang Cave. From here walking paths, including steps and footbridges, take you along the Houay San stream through rich jungle to the cave. Access is relatively easy, but some sections are quite steep. The cave floor is usually moist and can be extremely slippery, so stick to the constructed pathways. Please note that it is always dangerous to walk in any cave without a flashlight.

Instead of walking straight up to the cave, you can also opt for an organized trekking program led by a village guide, which includes a visit to Khoun Lang Cave along with other Nature Park attractions including waterfalls and other caves.

Your local hosts

Ban Houay San, the village at the entrance of the Khoun Lang Cave Nature Park is a small community of about 40 households, amounting to just over 200 people of predominantly Yao ethnicity (a Miao speaking group). They migrated from Nan District in Luang Prabang in the 20th century and carried

with them the skills in embroidery. These skills have been passed through the generations, and are now finding a revival of sorts through adapting new applications apart from the traditional costumes. Many of these are available for purchase as gifts or souvenirs.

Ban Thong Meuat is located about 2km from Ban Houay San and the entrance to the Khoun Lang Nature Park. This ethnic Khmu village of over 230 houses looking over the Nam Kai river shares custodianship of the nature park. Villagers

here are skilled basket weavers, and display their bamboo and rattan products in the visitor information center located on the road entrance to

Khoun Lang cave.The Story of Khoun Lang

Nang Oua and Khoun Lou loved each other since childhood, and planned to get married when they were old enough. However, various situations arose to make it impossible for them to marry to one another.

Thao Khoun Lang, who was of advanced age, and an ethnic chief of utmost social standing and influence, conspired with Nang Oua’s mother to marry the young girl without her consent. The story progresses with Nang Oua, so revolted at the prospect of a forced marriage to Khoun Lang, and so distressed about not being able to be with her beloved Khoun Lou, that she ran away and hanged herself from a tree while Koun Lang was approaching her home, accompanied by his wedding procession. Koun Lang’s procession was accompanied by a dowry of one hundred each of elephants, horses, buffaloes, and oxen as part of his payment to his bride’s mother. This procession was carrying the supplies and all cultural accoutrements required for the wedding celebration. When Khoun Lang heard that Nang Oua had hanged herself his wedding parade dispersed. Part of the parade continued with various offerings for her funeral, while others left the parade, leaving some of the animals in the dowry to escape or die along the road.

The tragedy was completed with Thao Koun Lou, so distressed at the news of his beloved Nang Oua’s death that he could not bear to continue his life without her, and joined her in death; cutting his own throat with his dagger. Meanwhile Khoun Lang, a man of high prestige was so ashamed at being the cause of this tragedy that he could no longer face anyone at all, and was never seen again. It is not known what happened to him, but the people say that the earth had opened up and swallowed him in revenge of standing between two lovers.

It is believed this cave now known as Khoun Lang Cave was where Khoun Lang prepared for his wedding, making the giant makbeng (ceremonial centerpiece for the soukhouan ceremony), as well as the large pile of rice to be used for his wedding feast. These are some of the items abandoned by him when he disappeared, and are said to have turned into stone features inside the cave, giving rise to the cave’s name.