Deep
in northeastern Laos lies Nam Et - Phou Louey National Protected Area; the
largest national park in Laos and one of the most remote primary jungles in
all of Southeast Asia. Due to the near
inaccessibility of the park, wildlife is left relatively undisturbed, leading
to growing populations of many endangered species like the sambar deer, gaur, white-cheeked
gibbon, and even tigers.
Nam Et
- Phou Louey is named after its two main features; the Et River and the Phou
Louey (‘Forever Mountain’). The park
itself boasts a total area of 401,720 hectares and is split into two sections. Within the inner core section, wildlife
harvest is prohibited and human access is strictly controlled. The outer section of the park creates a buffer
zone where pre-existing villages are allowed to continue subsistence living.
This
outer zone consists of some of the poorest communities in Laos and their form
of subsistence living, not only endangers the survival of the park, but also
the sustainability of their way of life.
Working with the Wildlife Conservation Society, the National Park has
developed an innovative approach to protecting the areas wildlife and habitat
while also supporting the livelihoods of those that live in the buffer
zone.
Their
integrative approach helps manage improved land use practices, while also creating
alternative income sources through a new Eco-tourism model. This new model builds awareness among local
people about conservation through payback incentives, investment of tourist
funds into development, and employees its members through biodiversity
monitoring, guides (all of which are previous hunters in the area), porters,
and accommodation. Through the payback incentives,
villages get paid for tourist sightings or markings of different animals; much
more than the hunted animal would be worth.
This incentivizes them to protect the animals instead of hunting them.
Eco-tourism Experiences
All
tours have been designed to engross the tourist in the natural habitat and give
them a chance to see rare wildlife.
These experiences have a direct link between your tourist money and the
conservation of the area. There are
currently three ways to immerse yourself in Nam Et - Phou Louey National
Protected Area’s Eco-tourism
experience.
Nam Nerm Night Safari
The Nam Nerm Night Safari is an easy 24-hour journey
into the depths of the national park and is offered year-around. Most of the trip is a boat ride in a
traditional long-tail boat that allows you the opportunity to view birds and
water animals during the day and spot wildlife at night along the banks. During the trip you are also offered the opportunity
to do a short easy hike near the camp to learn about medicinal plants and learn
about the history of the area. This tour
won the World Responsible Tourism Award in 2013 & 2014.
2/3 Day Trekking Tours
These
moderate to hard treks through the jungle take you into the heart of the
national park. Along the way you have
the opportunity to spot exotic wildlife and tracks of animals recently in the
area; as well as help the guide recover images taken by wildlife cameras hidden
on animal paths. Your final night offers
the opportunity to watch from an observation deck for animals coming to a
saltlick. The two-day tour has a stay in
the ‘Nests,’ a basket hut suspended from the trees. Whereas the three-day tour has stays in a
jungle hut and option to swim at a waterfall on the first day and the ‘Nests’
the second.
4/5 Day Cloud Forest Climb
These
tours are considered challenging and take you up to the summit of Phou Louey (“Forever”
Mountain). The trek allows you the opportunity
to track important wildlife in its natural habitat. During the climb you will stay in a homestay
in a Khmu village, followed by a camping in jungle huts inside the protected
area, and The Nests and wildlife observation tower.
Visiting Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area
is not only one of the few opportunities in Laos to view rare
wildlife, but your tourism also directly supports alternative livelihoods for
local people and generates community support for the conservation of wildlife
and its habitat. You can check tour
prices and book a tour on the national
park website.
How to Get There
Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area’s Headquarters is in Muang
Hiam (formerly Vienthong) in Northeastern Laos.
There are local buses that make the trip there daily from Luang
Prabang, Sam Neua, and Phonsavan. If you are doing the Nam Nerm Night Safari,
your guide may request that you meet them in Ban Son Koua (about an hour from Muang
Hiam). If this is the case, then your
guide will instruct you to do so when you confirm your reservation.
What are your thoughts on their model of eco-tourism?
Great idea! It should be copied in other countries. Thank you for publishing it!
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