Attapeu to create river access to Sky Lake

[Lone Rider]

Attapeu to create river access to Sky Lake

Nong Fa, a lake in the hills of Attapeu Province, is a next stop in Central Laos. Photo/Vientiane Times


Nong Fa, a lake in the hills of Attapeu Province, is a next stop in Central Laos.

Deputy Director of the Attapeu provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Kongchak Sisavad told Vientiane Times lately that the province's governor had approved a proposal to develop a water route to the lake. The province's Administration Office is now planning to sign an agreement with a local company to survey a water route via the Xekhaman River. "The proposed route is about 50 kilometres long, and it would take a one-hour boat ride to travel from Sammakhixay District to the lake," Kongchak said. The road route to the lake is about 170 kilometers long, but one section of about 70 kilometers is difficult to negotiate in the wet season.

Source: Attapeu-to-create-river-access-to-Sky-Lake

Note LR: Hope that the Information, Culture and Tourism Department informs the military that they have this plan as the military often block access to the Sky Lake at their check point located about 11 km. north of the turnoff to the lake from Rd. 18A.

Some additional info on Nong Fa or Nong Kai Ork in Attapeu Province - Coordinates: N15.10618 E107.41880

At the amid of Dong Ampham's Forest and surrounded by mountains, at 2-day walk from Sanxay District in the northeast of Attapeu is located the source of the Xe Kaman river, the Nong Fa's lake(or Blue lake).
Lonely Planet describes it as "a magical and beautiful volcanic lake", similar but also larger than the Yeak Lorn's lake at Ratanakiri's Province in Cambodia. The lake is shrouded in legends, and laotians refrain from bathing in this lake because they believe it is inhabited by a giant snake who devour its bathers.

 

[bill]

The road route to the lake is about 170 kilometers long, but one section of about 70 kilometers is difficult to negotiate in the wet season.

Sounds like mother nature is a bit of a challenge to their road improvement efforts.
I went there in 2009 and a fair stretch of the 60km dirt section was freshly graded with loads of excavators and surveyors dotted along it. Looked like a serious push to eventually seal it. Guess that didnt happen or was washed away ?
Beautiful ride at the time.

 

[Lone Rider]

Sounds like mother nature is a bit of a challenge to their road improvement efforts.
I went there in 2009 and a fair stretch of the 60km dirt section was freshly graded with loads of excavators and surveyors dotted along it. Looked like a serious push to eventually seal it. Guess that didnt happen or was washed away ?
Beautiful ride at the time.

I am not sure if it is Mother Nature alone which is the cause of the bad road. There are at least 3 mining ventures active along the road - one before you reach the Nong Fa lake and two past the lake (east of the lake) and there is also some logging going on. I guess that the military has some stake in it (mining and/or logging) as they sometimes block people going to Nong Fa even-though the Government Tourism Office in Attapeu is recommending people to go there.

 

[Lone Rider]

Russian divers reveal the mysteries of Nong Fa lake

A Russian team who this week during the most recent stage of the scientific subsurface expedition, completed on April 24-25, descended into the deep waters in Attapeu province. They were able to finally confirm the depths of Nong Fa lake and an official stated that they were able to plunge down to 73 metres with the lake having a diameter of 1 km. During the time at the depths, the Russian divers were also tasked to collect a range of rock, mineral, and other samples to be analysed by geological specialists. Information about their individual chemical makeup and geological age will be reported to the authorities.

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The head of Attapeu provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Ms Bounnan Bounnaseng explained that the depth and topography of the lake was never firmly established in the past, and in 2010 the Russian team reported a depth of Nongfar lake at 83 metres, using a depth sounding device that operates through soundwaves, or sonar. The team did not use scuba equipment on the 2010 survey, so no samples or silt profiles could be taken. The recent expedition was quite different, and the team brought an extensive array of equipment which allowed them to make the deep descents and recovery of samples.

Ms Bounnan said that Nong Fa marsh is located in Vangtad village, Sanxay district, Attapeu province. It is around 180 km. from the nearest city and largely limited to dry-weather access. The Nong Fa lake will develop into a natural tourist area, with some concessions for tourism areas going to Russian businesses under a cooperation with Lao. More information can also be obtained from the Attapeu’s Information, Culture and Tourism Department by contacting the office on 036 211056.

Source: Adapted from Vientiane Times (Latest Update April 27, 2018)

 

[Cycle Wallah]

Like you said Auke hope they remember to let the army know about tourism.