Kaeng Kut Ku
“Kaeng Kut Khu” is a popular tourist attraction in Chiang Khan District, Loei Province. Believe it or not, there is a legend that has been passed down for generations. A long time ago, there was a hunter named “Jung Kung Dang Daeng”. He was tall and muscular. He was skilled at hunting. One day, this hunter was chasing a silver buffalo from Luang Prabang (they were called silver buffalo because their dung was silver). When he reached the Mekong River, he saw a silver buffalo resting to drink water. The hunter ambush and shoots it. It happened that villagers were sailing past. The silver buffalo was startled and ran up a mountain (later this mountain was named “Phu Kwai Ngern”). The hunter shot another mountain, causing half of it to collapse and become a steep cliff that the villagers call “Phu Pha Baen”. The hunter was angry at the people sailing past who were the cause of the silver buffalo running away, so he harassed them by carrying rocks to block the Mekong River, making it navigable. The hunter was almost successful when a novice monk happened to see him. The novice tricked the hunter into using a “Hiea” stick. (A type of bamboo) Split in half to carry stones instead. When the split bamboo sticks are used to carry stones, the wood will cut their necks and they will die curled up on the Mekong River. Therefore, the stone rapids are called “Kaeng Kut Ku”. As a result of the hunters carrying stones to block the way, there are many rapids in the middle of the Mekong River, with various names such as Kaeng Fa, Kaeng Chan, etc. Although these rapids have been an obstacle to traveling on the Mekong River since ancient times, they are also areas where fish are abundant. For tourists who want to see the beauty of Kaeng Kut Ku, you can drive to Kaeng Kut Ku, which has a moderate amount of parking space (no parking fee...but if it is full, you may have to park in a private lot outside). In addition to the history of Kaeng Kut Ku, there is also a small area for walking around, taking pictures of the surrounding area and relaxing. Inside Kaeng Kut Ku, there are also restaurants and souvenir shops, such as candied coconuts, which are a famous souvenir of Chiang Khan District, for taking home as gifts for people at home. Kaeng Kut Ku is only 5-6 kilometers away from Chiang Khan Walking Street...which is another check-in point that you shouldn't miss when you come to Loei...