Located 90km north of Vientiane municipality is the Nam Ngum reservoir, a huge artificial lake created as part of a hydroelectric scheme. The lake is dotted with hundreds of picturesque islands, which can be explored by cruising around in small boats. The beautiful scenery over the Nam Ngum river and its green valley is enhanced by the presence of a vast, spectacular lake. This is a man-made reservoir of an hydroelectric power dam, generating most of the electricity sold to Thailand. The forest with a big variety of woods is still there on the thousands of islands dotting the lake. It is a rewarding experience to cruise around by motor-boat or spend the day or the week-end at the many bungalows or on the "floating restaurant boat" to enjoy the picturesque scenes of water, island, forests and charming fishing-villages. Near the lake, Vangsang houses primitive Buddha images dating from the 11th century. They are carved into a rock cliff.
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