Kayaking in Laos can be oneof the more singularexperiences for kayaking asyou can literally kayak throughsome of the biggest karstsand the most impressivelimestone rock formations inthe world. Karsts are definedas areas of irregular limestonein which erosion hasproduced fissures, sinkholes,underground streams, andcaverns. It’s actually a Germanword that was named afterthe Karst, a limestone plateaunear Trieste in Europe.

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By Karla Held

How many ofyou have ever

been white waterkayaking? Haveyou yet kayaked

in Laos?

Kayaking through

karsts

There are various options for getting on the NamOu River for an unforgettable experience. If youhave a three day weekend, you could fly to LuangPrabang on a Friday afternoon flight (Lao CentralAirlines has a very reasonably priced flight at 3pmand Laos Airlines has later flights as well.) If youarrange a tour before, you could be on the river allday Saturday and/or Sunday and return to Vientianeon a Sunday evening or Monday morning.

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Some of the biggest karsts in the world arefound right here in Asia. Guilin, China, has thelargest karsts in the world. Halong Bay, Vietnam,also offers a unique experience with kayakingamong large karsts. Having kayaked in bothplaces, I’d prefer kayaking through karsts here inLaos any day.

What I love about kayaking in Laos is that youcan truly feel intimate with the landscape and, if

you make the effort to learn just the basics ofthe Lao language, you can easily feel intimatewith the people and children living along thebanks of the glorious rivers of this republic. Irecommend taking a full day to explore a riverand leave time for a leisurely lunch on the riveras well as a swim with local children.

The Nam Ou River, literally ‘rice bowl’ river, isknown as one of the most scenic rivers topaddle in Laos and I highly recommend it. Beingone of the most important rivers in Laos, it runs448 km from Phongsaly Province to LuangPrabang. One of the more scenic and stretchesof the Nam Ou to kayak is a simple day trip outof Luang Prabang.

Green Discovery, which has offices in Vientianeand Luang Prabang, offers one day Nam Outrips, two day trips including trekking andkayaking and longer trips that take you fromstunning Muang Ngoi Kao to Luang Prabang. Youcan book the trip from Vientiane. Alternatively,there are also other tour companies that offerkayaking on the Nam Ou that can be found inLuang Prabang once you arrive. You can alsobike, hike, climb, or take a moto ride in andaround the Nam Ou if kayaking is not your thing.

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What I love abo

ut kayaking in Laos is that you

can truly feel

intim

ate with the lan

dscapeKarst is a distinctive topography in which the landscape is largely shaped by the dissolving

action of water on carbonate bedrock (usually limestone, dolomite, or marble). Thisgeological process, occurring over many thousands of years, results in unusual surface andsubsurface features ranging from sinkholes, vertical shafts, disappearing streams, and springs,to complex underground drainage systems and caves.

The Nam Ou (Laotian: [nâːm ù ]ː, literally: ‘rice bowl river’) is one of the most important riversof Laos. It runs 448 km from Phongsaly Province to Luang Prabang Province. Along withthe Mekong, the Nam Ou is the only natural channel suitable for large-draught boattransportation. Near its confluence with the Mekong are the Pak Ou Caves, famous fortheir Buddha statues.

Karla Held is an ACA certified kayak instructor and freelance photojournalist. She recently lived and worked in China, Thailand and Laos,where she worked with one of Laos' oldest and well known adventure companies. She can be contacted at karlaheld@hotmail.com.with questions or photo inquires.

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Kayaking through karsts

Laos

was one of the most popular stretches fromLuang Prabang and it’s roughly an hour north ofthe city. This section offers class I and II rapidsthat could be class III rapids during the rainyseason. For the more adventurous andexperienced kayaker, you might want to get onthe river in the height of the rainy season for themore challenging rapids.

For those of you who aren’t sure what thatmeans, rapids on rivers are divided into sixcategories.

A rapid's grade is not fixed, since it may varygreatly depending on the water depth and speedof flow. Although some rapids may be easier athigh flows because features are covered or‘washed-out,’ high water usually makes rapidsmore difficult and dangerous.

This stretch of the Nam Ou is considered safe asit’s a wide river with wide passages. Your guide isalways there to help you through the rapids aswell, so I would say this river is suitable forbeginners as well as more experienced paddlers.Others areas to kayak through karsts in Laosinclude Vang Vieng, Thakek and Nong Khiaw. Youcan find outfitters in all those areas

Regardless of how much time you have to spendon the Nam Ou River, I highly recommendgetting on and in it at some point during yourtime in Laos. Having the unique chance to kayakthrough karsts is nothing you will regret, and onlyan experience and image that will remain foreveretched in your mind once seen and felt.

The section that I kayaked

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Rivers are divided into six categories.This explains the system:A rapid’s grade is not fixed, since it may varygreatly depending on the water depth andspeed of flow. Although some rapids may beeasier at high flows because features arecovered or ‘washed-out,’ high water usuallymakes rapids more difficult and dangerous.(Briefly adapted from the American version(5) of the International Scale of RiverDifficulty).

� Class 1: Very small rough areas, requires nomanoeuvring. (Skill level: none)

� Class 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks,small drops, might require manoeuvring. (Skill level: basic paddling skill)

� Class 3: Whitewater, medium waves, maybe a 3-5 ft drop, but not much considerable danger.May require significant manoeuvring. (Skill level: experienced paddling skills)

� Class 4: Whitewater, large waves, long rapids,rocks, maybe a considerable drop, sharpmanoeuvres may be needed. (Skill level: advanced whitewaterexperience)

� Class 5: Whitewater, large waves, continuousrapids, large rocks and hazards, maybe a largedrop, precise manoeuvring. Often characterizedby ‘must make’ moves, i.e. failure to execute aspecific manoeuvre at a specific point may resultin serious injury or death. Class 5 is sometimesexpanded to Class 5+ that describes the mostextreme, runnable rapids. (Skill level: expert)

� Class 6:While there is some debate over theterm ‘Class 6’, in practice it refers to rapids thatare not passable and any attempt to do so wouldresult in serious injury, near drowning or death.