Kong Lor

Kong Lor (ກອງລໍ) is a small village in Khammouane Province in central Laos, at the entrance to one of the most remarkable river caves in Southeast Asia. The Nam Hinboun River flows for about seven kilometres through a limestone mountain in Phou Hin Poun National Protected Area. Wooden longtail boats carry visitors through total darkness beneath passages up to a hundred metres high. Halfway through, a lit chamber of stalactites can be explored on foot. Rice paddies, karst cliffs and homestays in Kong Lor and in Natan on the far side make the valley worth a night, and it is one of the highlights of the Thakhek Loop.