Children have fun playing in the Namxuang canal.

Namxuang canal a refreshing spot to cool off as temperatures climb

Now that the cool weather has passed and temperatures are rising, people are starting to seek out water activities to cool down.
On the outskirts of Vientiane, the Namxuang canal, which carries water from the Namxuang reservoir, is one of the closest places to the city centre to take a refreshing dip at this time of the year.
The canal is located in Sivilay village in Naxaithong district, about 30km from downtown Vientiane. Thatched huts line the waterway as well as other structures built in the traditional Lao style.

Grilled fish is one of the popular foods on sale at the canal.	A family from central Vientiane enjoys lunch at one of the huts by the canal.

The Head of Sivilay village, Mr Phonxay Xaymoungkhoun, told the Vientiane Times “The canal channels water from the Namxuang reservoir to farms and there are now many huts and other simple buildings on the part closest to the place where water flows into the canal from the reservoir.”
“Both sides of the canal are good places to enjoy water activities and it’s a great place for people to relax and enjoy some local food.”
A local businessman has been granted a concession from reservoir authorities to improve the banks of the canal in this area, and this is the second year of the concession, he added.
This month temperatures have started to rise after a chilly winter and many locals and some foreign visitors are coming here to swim and eat local food and drink.
The peak season is the Lao New Year holiday (water festival) in April, when the concessionaire will ask village authorities to help with security and ensure that everything is in order, he said.
This being the second year of the concession, things are running more smoothly, which wasn’t the case in the past, he noted.
Mr Phonxay said “We have asked the Vientiane Information, Culture and Tourism Department to help regulate music levels emanating from the huts so that it doesn’t disturb people living in the area.”
Mrs Vanida Thongphonkhoun, who owns one of the huts, said “The hut was built earlier this month. I sell grilled fish, papaya salad, fried rice, bamboo soup, grilled chicken and duck, and other popular dishes, and have noticed a definite uptick in the number of people coming here this month.”
She said there were now 10 or 20 huts by the canal and more are being built. The highest number of visitors is expected in April during the water festival when the weather is very hot. At present, lots of local people are coming to the canal on weekends.
She rents a 15-metre site for her hut, for which she pays 300,000 kip per metre for six months from January to June.
“This is the second year I’ve been selling food here. Things are better this year and the area is cleaner, while the number of huts is increasing. I and my family serve customers and make sure that waste goes into the garbage so that we have a clean environment.”
“Our hut is open from the morning until 11:30pm and we have had customers every weekend this month. We only play music if customers want it, as some do and others don’t.”
Mrs Vone, an elderly woman from Vientiane who was visiting with her children, said “I like the grilled fish and papaya salad that Mrs Vanida sells. Her hut is close to the water so it’s a good place for my grandson to swim.”
Another visitor, Mrs Soulinthon Sengsai from Sisattanak district in Vientiane, said “The Namxuang canal is not far from where we live and the road here is in good condition. I and my family enjoy eating the food here while watching my children and other people swimming in the water. Next weekend, I plan to ask my brother and his family and other relatives to come with us here, because it’s very relaxing and the food is also very good, especially the fried fish and papaya salad.”

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update February 19, 2025)