A visitor takes a zipline ride at Nam Pien Yorla Pa. - Nam Pien Yorla Pa
VIENTIANE: The developer and operator of Nam Pien Yorla Pa and Nam Kat Yorla Pa, well-known nature-based tourist attractions in the provinces of Vientiane and Oudomxay respectively, are gearing up for Visit Laos Year 2024 and beyond in the hope of tapping the prospective influx of tourists.
“We regularly develop our activities and facilities,” said the operator of the two sites, Somphet Maopaseuth.
He added that his team explores and adds new adventure activities on a regular basis to keep up with trends in the business and provide more thrills for both newcomers and regular visitors.
State authorities in charge of tourism have been collaborating with the operator to jointly organise package tours for sale in 2024, when the Visit Laos Year tourism programme is in full swing and Laos takes on the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Laos will also host the Asean Tourism Forum early next year.
“We expect that more foreign tourists will arrive,” Somphet said.
Located in a protected rainforest in Vientiane province, just 60km north of central Vientiane, Nam Pien Yorla Pa offers a wide range of adventure activities that allow holiday-makers to enjoy the rich and untouched nature of the jungle environment.
Facilities on offer include a tree canopy walk on a suspension bridge, roller coaster ziplining, bike ziplining, and ziplining above the sea of green as well as trekking and camping, waterfall sightseeing, rides in all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and more.
The site, which extends over 5,000 hectares, also offers deluxe and executive forest cottages and rainforest villas that allow visitors to spend a night or two to enjoy ‘a journey back to nature’.
“We’re here to craft you a seamless experience – from your days as a forest nomad to your nights sleeping soundly in the plush bed of your restful cocoon – by keeping that connection to the earth unbroken,” reads the promo on the Nam PienYorla Pa website.
As tourism rebounds after the Covid-19 pandemic, Nam PienYorla Pa, which opened for service not long before the pandemic hit Laos, is enjoying signs of recovery.
It currently welcomes 80-100 visitors a day on average. On peak days, the number of visitors can reach 400-500, usually on weekends, according to Nam PienYorla Pa’s assistant manager Chanxay lathsavong.
Before the pandemic, daily average arrivals stood at 800-900, about 10 times more than at present.
Most visitors are local people, foreign expatriates living in Laos, and tourists from neighbouring countries.
Meanwhile, Nam Kat Yorla Pa in northern Oudomxay province, whose target is foreign customers, has seen full recovery, according to Somphet.
On average, the site welcomes 300-400 visitors each day with almost 100 people staying overnight, the same number as before the pandemic hit. - Vientiane Times/ANN
