Discover Ban Cat

Ban Cat is at the heart of your search for a holiday rental. When planning your trip, you can also consider Oudomxay as the wider travel destination: waterfalls, forest activities, caves, a large reservoir and religious sites each offer a different focus. Think about whether nature and activity, water or culture will shape your trip most.

Waterfalls and forest activities

Nam Kat Yorlapa Waterfall is in the Phou Hi Phi Provincial Protected Forest in Xay District. The area combines forest trekking and hiking with waterfall visits. Other activities include ATV rides, bridge crossings—including the well-known Tovi Bridge—climbing on a spider web and zip-lining. Panoramic views of Tor-Hin Mountain round out the offerings. The options range from getting active on trails and bridges to activities at height; which ones suit your trip depends on your own interests.

The route to Nam Kat Yorlapa is also divided into sections: first, five kilometres of paved road lead to Ban Bo, followed by 18 kilometres of gravel road to Ban Fan. From there, it is about a 900-metre walk to the waterfall. Tad Nam Haeng consists of three successive cascades, approximately 13, 8 and 5 metres high. The drive there begins with four kilometres of paved road; this is followed by a gravel and red-earth road that is passable only in the dry season. The two waterfall destinations therefore differ both in their landscapes and in the route sections described.

Lakes, caves and landscapes

Nam Hin Lake is in Houay Un village in Xay District. Oudomxay’s largest reservoir covers about 121.7 square kilometres and extends across seven villages. Several streams converge there. Its scale makes the lake a major landscape highlight of the wider destination. For further regional context, the Upper Lao Mekong Important Bird Area in Oudomxay covers 10,980 hectares.

Chom Ong Cave is in the village of the same name in Xay District, about 45 kilometres from Xay town. Access is via an approximately two-kilometre shortcut from the village through rice fields, or by a road suitable for vehicles. Nam Lot Phou is in Na Thong village in Na Mo District, about eight kilometres from the district centre; the access road branches off Route 13 North. The body of water is considered naturally formed, clean and cool, and suitable for swimming and enjoying the natural landscape. The information on the cave and the water offers different landscape highlights and access options for planning your trip.

Handicrafts and religious sites

The Tai Lue Handicrafts Center is in Phasak village in Xay District. It is part of the “One District, One Product” initiative and specialises in traditional textile crafts. These include Lao skirts and shirts, fabrics, bags and baskets. Handicrafts thus provide a distinct cultural focus alongside Oudomxay’s nature destinations.

Phra That Xaymoungkun Lattanamingmuong Stupa, also known as Wat Phu That, is in the centre of Xay town. It is a revered religious site in Oudomxay; the grounds include three small hills arranged in a row. Another religious site is Wat Phra Chao Sing Kham Temple on Phou Khao Khwai in Viengkham village, La District. It is more than 2,000 years old; most people in Laos believe it is sacred. Phuthat Xaymoungkun Lattanamingmuong Temple was built more than 400 to 500 years ago during the reign of King Xaysetthathirath and remains an important place of worship for the local population.

When choosing a holiday rental in Ban Cat, these different themes can help guide your decision: forest and waterfalls, caves and a lake, or handicrafts and religious sites. Oudomxay is also an important transport hub in northern Laos; the road from Luang Prabang northwards passes through the region. The destinations mentioned give you specific starting points for shaping your trip around the landscapes and cultural sites you most want to discover.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Pak Beng, Ban Nakham, Muang Xai.

Back to the wider travel guide: Oudomxay.