Nong Khiaw is a sleepy market village with a humbling backdrop in northern Luang Prabang Province. It dozes on the west bank of the Nam Ou, which cuts a languid swathe between close mountains, soaring in a haphazard tumble of slate and green.
Locals sometimes refer to Nong Khiaw as Muang Ngoi (the name of the surrounding district).
There are caves in the vicinity of Nong Khiaw, and also a few Hmong villages within easy trekking distance.
(http://www.lonelyplanet.com/laos/northern-laos/nong-khiaw)