Phongsali Province

No longer Laos, not yet China, Phongsali is a visual feast and is home to some of the nation's most traditional hill tribes. Trekkers might feel that they've walked onto the pages of National Geographic. For travellers, the province's most visited settlement is Muang Khua, a useful transit point linked by river to Nong Khiaw and by road to Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam. Further north the province is kept well off the standard tourist trail by arduous journeys on snaking roads that twist and turn endlessly. The only asphalt links Muang Khua to Udomxai, Phongsali and on to Mengla in China. Inconveniently, foreigners can't cross the Chinese border anywhere in the province. The road to Dien Bien Phu is now in great shape on the Lao side, but is not so great on the Vietnamese side.

Muang Khua ເມືອງຂວາ

Pop 4000 / %088

Pretty little Muang Khua (ເມືອງຂວາ) is an inevitable stop when transiting between Laos and Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam, or taking the brown Nam Ou (Ou River) by boat to Nong Khiaw. While not as scenically spectacular nor as developed for the traveller as the latter, Muang Khua, with its pastel-coloured houses, still has oodles of small-town charm, set amid starburst palms where the Nam Ou and Nam Phak (Phak River) meet. The heart of the place is its wet and dry market.

If arriving from Dien Bien Phu, please relax – unlike neighbouring Vietnam, hard bargaining here is neither required nor appropriate.

Muang Khua

1Sights

1Suspension BridgeC3

2WatB1

4Sleeping

3Chaleunsuk GuesthouseC1

4Sensabai GuesthouseC2

5Sernalli HotelC1

5Eating

6Laosamai RestaurantD1

7SayfonC1

7Shopping

8Ethnic Handicrafts ShopB1

1Sights & Activities

The tourist office organises several trekking options, including a rewarding one-day trek to the Akha Pala village of Ban Bakha (450,000K per person in a group of two).

Luang Prabang–based Tiger Trail offers six-day Akha Village 'voluntourism' experiences costing US$399.

Independent guide Mr Khamman (020-99320743) runs one- to three-day treks (one day for a group of two costs 500,000K per person).

Suspension BridgeBRIDGE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP )

For soaring mountain and river views head to this suspension bridge leading to the Khamu quarter. You'll need a head for heights and a good sense of balance on this safe but eminently wobbly construction.

WatBUDDHIST TEMPLE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP )

This peaceful temple is worth a visit given the limited sightseeing options in town.

4Sleeping

Sensabai GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-9998445; r 60,000K; W)

Overlooking the Nam Phak, new family-run Sensabai offers mint-coloured rooms with fragrant linen, flat-screen TV, fan and squat toilet. There's a pleasant lobby looking out over the river where you can read. It's on the main road, heading south out of town towards the bus station.

Chaleunsuk GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %088-210847; r old block 70,000, new block 100,000-120,000K; aiW)

Chaleunsuk is popular with travellers and has house-proud, generously sized rooms with large comfy beds and hot showers. Free tea is available in the ample communal sitting terrace. Next door there's a new block with shinier rooms and flat-screen TVs, although it's a little kitsch.

Sernalli HotelHOTEL$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %088-212445; r 200,000K; aW)

Muang Khua's top address, the Sernalli has a facade that suggests a certain neocolonial elegance and the often unlit, deserted small lobby is full of carved hardwood furniture. The rooms are clean and comfortable enough, if spartan, with wooden furnishings and slow-to-appear hot water. Extra touches include air-con and large flat-screen TVs. But really, this place is overpriced.

5Eating

SayfonLAOTIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 30,000K; h7am-9pm; W)

Set high above the river with views through the palm trees, this basic joint offers a fan-cooled interior and a wide English-language menu with Western-friendly staples like omelettes and pancakes. Tasty láhp, noodle dishes and plenty of cool Beerlao. This spot is about as lively as it gets in Muang Khua come evening.

Laosamai RestaurantFUSION$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %088-210844; Nam Ou Guesthouse; mains 30,000K; h7am-9pm)

Perched on stilts overlooking the Nam Ou, this traveller-friendly restaurant is based at the Nam Ou Guesthouse (rooms with bathroom 50,000K, without bathroom 40,000) and serves tasty, if wafer-thin, 'steak' and chips, plus a selection of stir-fries. Duck features prominently on the menu, too.

7Shopping

Ethnic Handicrafts ShopARTS & CRAFTS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h9am-6pm)

Based at the Chaleunsuk Guesthouse, this shop has hand-woven crafts and locally produced tea for sale.

8Information

Internet Access

Internet access is available at the Chaleunsuk Guesthouse for 10,000K per hour, including headphones and camera for Skype access.

Money

There are two ATMs in town. Both BCEL ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri) and Lao Development Bank ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri) can change major currencies such as US dollars (clean new notes only), euros, Vietnamese dong and Thai baht. Be aware that over the weekend banks are shut and ATMs may be empty, so if you're looking to catch a boat bring emergency cash.

Post

Post Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri)

Tourist Information

The helpful tourist office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-22848020; h8.30-11.30am & 1.30-4.30pm Mon-Fri) opposite the Sernalli Hotel can answer questions and arrange treks. If you want to book a trek out of office hours, call Mr Keo to arrange a meeting, or try independent guide Mr Khamman. Otherwise, check out www.muangkhua.com, which has some bookable treks and the low-down on every last guesthouse in town.

8Getting There & Away

The bus to Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam (60,000K) departs from outside the BCEL bank at 6am and 11am and takes about four hours, including the border crossing. However, it isn't guaranteed to leave daily if there aren't enough passengers.

Muang Khua's inconvenient bus station (Rte 2E, 900m past Km 97) is nearly 2km west of the river towards Udomxai. Very rare tuk-tuks (10,000K per person) head out there once full from outside BCEL. Buses to Udomxai (50,000K, three hours) depart at 8.30am, 11am and 3pm. For Phongsali take the 8am sŏrngtăaou to Pak Nam Noi (20,000K, one hour) and await the Udomxai–Phongsali (100,000K) bus there. It usually arrives at around 10am.

You can no longer travel by river to Hat Sa since the damming of the Nam Ou. Boats ( GOOGLE MAP ) run from here downriver to Muang Ngoi Neua (100,000K, five hours, 8.30am or when there are 10 people) and on to Nong Khiaw (120,000K, six hours) through stunning karst scenery.

GETTING TO VIETNAM: PANG HOK TO TAY TRANG

Getting to the border Daily buses (60,000K, departing 6am in either direction) between Muang Khua and Dien Bien Phu cross the Laos–Vietnamese border at the Pang Hok (Laos)/Tay Trang (Vietnam) border crossing 26km east of Muang Mai. The road has been entirely rebuilt on the Lao side right up to the Pang Hok border post, but is still surprisingly rough in places on the Vietnamese side. It's a picturesque route, particularly down in the Dien Bien Phu valley, which is often a blanket of emerald rice paddies. Making the trip in hops is definitely not recommended, as it will cost far more than the bus fare and it's easy to end up stranded along the way.

At the border This remote crossing sees a handful of travellers. Laos visas are available on arrival for the usual price and you will be asked for a 4000K processing fee. Vietnamese visas, however, are definitely not available on arrival, so plan ahead to avoid getting stranded.

Moving on There are no facilities or waiting vehicles at either of the border posts, which are separated by about 4km of no-man's land. From the Tay Trang side of the border it's about 31km to Dien Bien Phu.

Phongsali (ພົງສາລີ)

Pop 15,000 / %088 / Elevation 1400m

As you approach Phongsali (ພົງສາລີ) via a sinuous mountain road, the town rears up suddenly on a ridgetop plateau. Often wrapped in mist, its atmospheric wooden Yunnanese shophouses and other buildings, spanning biscuit-brown to powder-blue, shelter below the peak of Phu Fa ('Sky Mountain'; 1625m) rising majestically in the background. The location gives the town panoramic views and a refreshing climate that can swing from pleasantly warm to downright cold in a matter of hours – expect icicles in the cold season and bring a jacket and waterproofs just in case, even in April.

The town's population is a mix of Phu Noi and Haw/Yunnanese, both long-term residents and more recent immigrants. That said, no one comes to Phongsali to experience the town, which can feel unfriendly and very untypically Lao; it's the trekking in the surrounding hill country and its vivid population of ethnic peoples that justifies the considerable effort to get here.

History

According to tradition the Phu Noi were originally a warlike tribe who had migrated from Burma to Luang Prabang. Seeing danger and opportunity in equal measure, the Lan Xang king granted them land in the far north of his domains, today's Phongsali, where they maintained the borderlands against incursions from the Tai Lü kingdom of Sipsong Panna.

Phongsali

1Sights

1Chinese TempleC1

2Museum of TribesB2

3Phu FaD1

4Wat KeoC2

5Yunnanese ShophousesC2

2Activities, Courses & Tours

6Amazing Phongsali TravelA2

4Sleeping

7Phou Fa HotelB1

8Sengsaly GuesthouseB2

5Eating

9Laojerm RestaurantA2

10Laoper RestaurantA2

11MarketB2

12Noodle StandsB2

8Information

13BCELB2

14Lao Development BankC2

15Tourist OfficeA2

16Wang Electronics ShopB2

Transport

17Hat Sa Bus StationD2

18Sŏrngtăaou to Main Bus StationA2

1Sights

The town's modest but distinctive old-town area includes a three-block grid of rough, stone-flagged alleys and a winding street mostly lined with traditional Yunnanese shophouses ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) whose wooden frontages recall the architecture of old Kunming. Tiny, new and functional, the Chinese Temple ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) overlooks a pond, behind which is Wat Keo ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), with its petang-playing monks.

Phu FaVIEWPOINT

(ພູຟ້າ, Sky Mountain MAP GOOGLE MAP )

For great views across town climb to the stupa-topped peak of Phu Fa (1625m); it's a punishing, tree-shaded climb of more than 400 stone steps. A 4000K toll is payable on the last section of the ascent. An alternative descent returns to the Hat Sa road near a tea factory 2km east of town.

Museum of TribesMUSEUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 10,000K; h8-11.30am & 1.30-4.30pm Mon-Fri)

This museum gives you a chance to deepen your understanding of the ethnic peoples of Phongsali Province. It contains a wealth of cultural information on animism and customs, with photos and historical background, as well as displays of the vividly coloured costumes you're likely to see on your travels. If the door is locked, ask for the key from the post office across the road.

TTours

Amazing Phongsali TravelTREKKING

(Northern Travelling Center; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %088-210594, 020-55774354; www.explorephongsalylaos.com; h8am-5pm or later)S

In order to see a few of the 28 ethnicities in the province you need to penetrate deep jungle, and for this you'll require more than a guide who can take you to outlying villages along the road. Amazing Phongsali Travel is the main independent trekking operator in Phongsali, with a selection of treks that have brought rave reviews.

Check out the excellent website for information on the treks themselves. By the time you read this they may have moved office. They were also considering starting mountain-bike tours at the time of writing.

HILL-TRIBE TREKKING

Hill-tribe treks in Phongsali Province are among the most authentic and rewarding in all of Laos. Tours have a heavy emphasis on ecological and cultural sensitivity, with a sizeable chunk of fees going into development funds for the host villages. Carefully thought-out treks are offered through the well-organised tourist office. Most treks can be organised for next-day departure, especially if you phone ahead. A popular option is the Jungle Trek (two short days starting from Boun Neua), visiting an Akha Phixo village as well as crossing a rare surviving stand of primary forest. Various multiday treks include boat rides up the Nam Ou (Ou River) from Hat Sa and visiting unforgettable Akha Nuqui villages linked by high ridge-top paths. One-way treks like the three-day Nam Lan Trek to Boun Tai can include delivery of your backpack to the destination so that you don't have to backtrack. This trek passes through Yang, Laobit, Akha Djepia and Akha Nuqui villages. However, with more than 30 stream and river crossings, it should only be attempted later in the dry season. To organise guides, phone well ahead to Phongsali's tourist office or get in touch with Amazing Phongsali Travel.

Prices per person per day range from around 350,000K as part of a larger group to about 500,000K if going it alone. This includes the guide's fee, food and ultra-basic homestays in real village homes. Add to this transport costs, which are widely variable depending on whether public transport or charter vehicles are used. 'Experience tours' allow you to spend more time with village folk including, perhaps, guided foraging trips to collect the ingredients for the family dinner.

4Sleeping

Phou Fa HotelHOTEL$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %088-210031; r 100,000-200,000K; aW)

Western toilets, room heaters and golden bed covers give the Phou Fa a marginal edge as Phongsali's best choice, but let's not get too excited. More expensive rooms are almost suites and include a carpet. This compound housed the Chinese consulate until 1975. There's also a rather drab restaurant here.

Sengsaly GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %088-210165; r 80,000-100,000K; W)

The best of three cheapies on the main drag, the Sengsaly has uberbasic 80,000K rooms with clean bedding, bare walls, tiled floors and private bathroom. Better rooms are newly built and comfy, if overly colourful, and come with a hot shower and verandah. Expect indifferent service.

5Eating

Noodle StandsNOODLES$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; noodles 15,000K; h6am-5pm)

Head to the noodle stands at the rear of the wet market before you catch the 6.30am sŏrngtăaou to the bus station, or if you're headed out on a trek. Steaming deliciously fresh noodles and a slice of Yunnan-Lao culture await the early bird. Try the tasty kòw sóy (noodle soup with minced pork and tomato).

Laoper RestaurantCHINESE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 30,000K; h5-10pm)

Spot your dish in raw form behind the refrigerated glass counter: pork, intestines, buffalo steak and tofu, plus the day's fresh vegetables. Don't expect a menu, but point to what you want. Portions are huge so it's better to go as a couple or threesome. And be prepared for diners occasionally decongesting and spitting on the floor.

Laojerm RestaurantLAOTIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 30,000K; h7am-10.30pm)

At this family-run noodle house the well-prepared food comes in decent-sized portions and is served with a smile. The menu's approximate English includes inscrutable offerings such as 'High-handed Pig's liver' and 'Palace Protects the Meat Cubelets'.

MarketMARKET$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h6am-5pm)

Make a dawn visit to the earthy wet market (camera in hand) and thread through the labyrinthine collection of rickety stalls, with all manner of vegetables and fruit spread out on colourful display in the open area. It's a memorable experience, with its squawking Chinese vendors, exotic spices, brewing soup in forbidding cauldrons, ethnic visitors, and dogs optimistically attempting to procreate in the chaos.

6Drinking & Nightlife

The Phongsali region, especially in Ban Komaen, is famous for Chinese-style green tea. The tourist office sells samples (along with excellent local lòw-lów; whisky). The pale-green tint comes from having been passed over raspberry leaves after fermentation.

8Information

Internet Access

Wang Electronics Shop ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h7am-10pm) Internet access and a regular power supply.

Money

BCEL ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h8.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri) Includes an ATM across the road.

Lao Development Bank ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h8.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri) Can change multiple currencies to kip and cashes US-dollar travellers cheques without commission. Includes an ATM and represents Western Union.

Post

Post Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri)

Telephone

Lao Telecom ( GOOGLE MAP ; h9am-5pm) International calls possible.

Tourist Information

Tourist Office ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %088-210098; www.phongsaly.net; h8-11.30am & 1.30-4pm Mon-Fri) If you need emergency help or want to book a tour out of hours, call 020-22572373 or the mobile phone number of duty staff posted on the front door. Helpful maps and brochures are also available online (and are free from most guesthouses).

8Getting There & Away

Phongsali's airport is actually at Boun Neua, although at the time of writing neither of the country's airlines were running flights here.

Buses leave daily for Hat Sa (20,000K) at 8am and 1.30pm from the Hat Sa Bus Station ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Km 3), 10 minutes' walk east of town.

Phongsali's main bus station is at Km 3, west of town. A sŏrngtăaou runs there from the market area (10,000K) at 6.30am but only very infrequently after that, so leave plenty of time. Route 1A has finally been sealed, allowing for safer, quicker and easier passage to and from Phongsali. The daily bus to Vientiane (230,000K, more than 20 hours) leaves at 8.30am and the VIP bus (250,000K) at 2pm, passing through Luang Prabang (140,000K). Buses to Udomxai (80,000K, seven hours) leave at 8am and 2pm. There's a 7.30am bus to Luang Namtha (60,000k), and a 7am bus to Dien Bien Phu (130,000K, five hours) on the Vietnamese side. As foreigners can't cross the Chinese border at Ban Pakha, the buses to Mengla, China (7am and 1.30pm) are only useful for reaching Boun Neua (50,000K).

There's a 7.30am bus to Muang Khua (80,000K, seven hours), from where you can catch the boat to Muang Ngoi Neua and Nong Khiaw (due to river damming, it is no longer possible to catch the boat upriver from Hat Sa). Note that you cannot get to Muang Ngoi Neua or Nong Khiaw in one day and will have to overnight at Muang Khua.

Amazing Phongsali Travel rents small motorbikes from 100,000K per day.

TREKKING IN NORTHERN LAOS

Northern Laos has won prizes for its 'ecotrekking' system, pioneered in Luang Namtha and Nam Ha National Protected Area (NPA). Registered agencies pledge to return a significant (and stated) percentage of profits to the villages visited and to abide by sensible ecologically friendly guidelines. Visiting remote off-road villages without a guide is of dubious legality. Fortunately, guides and any necessary trekking permits can usually be arranged very quickly by local agencies, often the evening before departure. Costs excluding transport are typically around US$50 to US$75 per person per day if alone, falling to US$25 per person for a larger group. Agencies don't generally compete directly so comparing product is more relevant than comparing prices. Employing freelance guides might be cheaper but is discouraged as they'll rarely make contributions to village development funds. Visit the excellent website www.ecotourismlaos.com for more information. The following list is a generalised overview of what differentiates the various trekking centres.

Phongsali Nowhere is better for striking out into truly timeless villages where traditional costumes and arcane animist beliefs are still commonplace, particularly in the remote Akha communities. Many homes retain picture-book thatched roofs, at least for now. Virgin-forest treks are also possible near Boun Neua.

Luang Namtha Treks are very well organised and have numerous options, some combining trekking with other activities such as biking and kayaking. Forest hikes to Nam Ha NPA 'jungle camps' are especially popular. To reduce pressure on any single host village, most agents have unique routes. However, this inadvertently adds to the complexity of deciding just what you actually want to see and where you'll find it. Not all routes are equally inspiring. Ask how deep the trek goes into the forest to ensure you don't end up with a lightweight, peripheral experience.

Vieng Phukha A much less commercial starting point for Nam Ha forest treks.

Muang Sing Guided or DIY visits to colourful and relatively accessible Akha villages. The trekking scene has died off considerably, but there's still one very good operator here.

Udomxai A specialist agency makes Udomxai a popular centre for mountain biking, with some itineraries combined with treks.

Muang Khua Limited options include a one-day trek visiting an Akha Pala village (where some local women wear curiously gaudy semi-traditional costumes), with plenty of views en route but minimal forest.

Phonsavan One unique trek combines a mossy archaeological site, accommodation in a roadless Hmong village and an ascent of a multistage waterfall. It's a fascinating walk, but don't expect costumed tribesfolk in this area.

Muang Ngoi Neua Easy DIY day walks to pretty villages or very inexpensive group treks with freelance guides, some including scenic boat trips.

Nong Khiaw Try the '100 waterfalls' tour, a walk in a stream, following it upward through a series of cooling limestone cascades, to a summit.

Around Phongsali

Ban Komaen ບ້ານກໍແມນ

Phongsali's famous tea village is a very attractive place commanding stupendous valley views. These sweep nearly 360 degrees when you stand on the promontory behind the school here. A fair percentage of authentic Phu Noi homes are set on stone-pile platforms. Arriving from Phongsali (15km away), the drive passes plenty of tea bushes, with those beside the main road through the village centre reputedly more than 400 years old and said to be the world's oldest.

Ban Komaen (ບ້ານກໍແມນ) makes a very pleasant motorbike excursion. Take the Boun Neua road, turn left directly opposite the inspirationally named Km4 Nightclub (not the asphalt road just before) then curve steadily around on the main unpaved road, keeping left at most junctions but avoiding any turn that descends into the valley.

Rent a tuk-tuk from Phongsali (250,000K return) or hire a bike from the Phongsali tourist office for 50,000K per day. It's only a 15km ride between Phongsali and Ban Komaen, through stunning scenery.

Hat Sa ຫາດສາ

Sadly, boats no longer make the journey from Hat Sa's (ຫາດສາ) little port downriver to Muang Khua since the Nam Ou (Ou River) was dammed, and as such there's slim pickings for even the most culturally fascinated traveller to get excited about, save a market on the 15th and 30th of each month that attracts hill-tribe folk.

It is possible to sleep in one of three unfurnished bamboo-walled crash-pad rooms above Wanna Ngyai Shop (per person 40,000K). It is the first two-storey shack to the right above the boat landing. Mosquito nets and thin floor mats are available but it's preferable to bring your own sleeping bag. Wash in the river.

The only place to eat is Boun Ma Restaurant (mains 20,000K; h7am-7pm). Basic Lao food is served here.

Given that the electricity in Hat Sa is turned off at 9pm, the town goes to sleep shortly thereafter.

Buses to Phongsali (20,000K) depart at around 9am and 2pm from the market, taking up to an hour westbound due to the steep climb.

Phu Den Din NPA ປ່າສະຫງວນແຫ່ງຊາດພູແດນດີນ

This vast area of partly unexplored, relatively pristine forest is layered across inaccessible mountains that climax at almost 2000m near the Vietnamese border. At present, the only legal way to get a glimpse of its grandeur is on irregular boating or kayaking trips down the Nam Ou (Ou River) between Ban Tha and Hat Sa. An army checkpoint currently prevents any access to the NPA. Sneaking past it you risk being shot as a suspected poacher.

Boun Neua ບຸນເໜືອ

A local transport hub 41km west of Phongsali, Boun Neua (ບຸນເໜືອ) is a diffuse scattering of mostly newer concrete houses that has been tentatively proposed as the unlikely new provincial capital. Staying here might prove handy if connecting to Ou Tai or for those doing the Phongsali 'Jungle Trek'.

After Boun Neua (Km 41) the road to Phongsali climbs onto a ridge-top road surveying swaths of protected mountain forests. There's a signed viewpoint 500m past Km 31, with ridge-top panoramas continuing for the next 15km. Baka Luang (200m beyond Km 17) is the first noticeably Phu Noi village en route, where old women still wear distinctive Phu Noi leggings.

The bus station plus a few shops and basic eateries lie around the main junction where Rte 1A to Ou Tai turns north off the Phongsali road. Beside the bus station and market, convenient three-storey Sivienkham (r 50,000K) offers large and house-proud rooms with comfy beds, hot showers and sit-down toilets.

For Phongsali (20,000K, 1½ hours) use the through-buses from Mengla (China), Boun Tai, Udomxai or Vientiane, typically departing around 1pm and between 4pm and 6pm. The rickety bus from Boun Neua to Ou Tai (at least 4½ hours) departs at around 9.30am once the early bus from Phongsali arrives (if you're arriving from Vientiane you'll probably miss it).

SENSITIVE TREKKING

When visiting tribal villages it is important to learn slightly different etiquette according to each local culture. The following notes focus particularly on the Akha, as Akha women's coin-encrusted indigo costumes make their villages popular trekking targets while their animist beliefs are also some of the most unexpected.

Shoes and feet Entering an ethnic Lao home it would be rude not to remove shoes, but in mud-floored dwellings of Hmong, Akha and some other tribal peoples, it is fine to keep them on. However, still avoid pointing feet at anyone.

Toilets If there's a village toilet, use it. When in the forest be sure to dump away from watercourses. But in remote villages with no toilets at all, check with the guide as to the local custom: although trekking etiquette usually dictates burying faeces, in some villages the deposit will be gobbled up greedily by the local pigs so shouldn't be wasted! Nonetheless, please do carry out used toilet paper, tampons etc, however unpleasant that might seem.

Photos While many hill-tribe boys are delighted to be photographed, most village women run squealing from a camera. Asking permission to snap a passing stranger often results in straight refusal, which should be respected. However, a great advantage of staying in a village homestay is that you become 'friends' with a family. Try snapping digital photos of babies and men, show those casually to your host ladies and eventually it's quite likely that they will want to see themselves on camera. Never force the issue, however, as a few really might believe the crusty old superstition that photographers are soul-stealers.

Gifts If you want to give gifts, consider fruit and vegetable seeds or saplings that continue to give after you've left. Always ask the guide first if it's appropriate to give anything and if so, only give directly to friends or to the village chief. Giving gifts to children can encourage begging, which undermines societies that have always been self-sufficient.

Beds In trekking villages it is common to sleep in the house of the village chief. In traditional Akha homes all the menfolk sleep on one raised, curtained platform, most of the women on another (which it is absolutely taboo to visit) and the daughter-in-law gets a curtained box-space poignantly befitting her almost slave-like status. To make space for visitors, most menfolk move out for the night to sleep in other houses, leaving the guide, trekkers and maybe a village elder or two to snuggle up in a line in the male section. Bringing a sleeping bag gives a greater semblance of privacy. Note that female trekkers count as 'honorary men'.

Spirits The spirit world is every bit as lively in hill-tribe cultures as it is in other Lao cultures and it would be exceedingly bad form for a visitor to touch a village totem (Tai Lü villages), a spirit gate (Akha) or any other taboo item. Ask the guide to explain and don't even think of dangling yourself on an Akha swing (hacheu).

Breasts and babies Akha women who display their bare breasts are neither being careless nor offering a sexual come-on; they're simply following a belief that young mothers who cover both breasts will attract harm to their newborn offspring. Eating stones while pregnant is an odder custom, while the brutal Akha attitude to twins is quite unpalatable.

Northwestern Laos

Northern Udomxai and Luang Namtha provinces form a mountainous tapestry of rivers, forests and traditional villages that are home to almost 40 classified ethnicities. Luang Namtha is the most developed of several traveller-friendly towns ranged around the 2224-sq-km Nam Ha NPA, with hiking, biking, kayaking and boating adventures all easily organised at short notice. Udomxai is the regional transport hub, while Boten is the one China–Laos border open to international visitors.

8Getting There & Away

Head to the extreme north of this province and you'll be at the border with southern China. To the west is the Golden Triangle, where Laos meets Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). River trips due to damming have been curtailed somewhat but it's still possible to journey by boat some of the way between Luang Namtha and Huay Xai. In general the major roads are well maintained if you're travelling on a motorcycle.

Udomxai (Oudomsay, Muang Xai) ອຸດມໄຊ

Booming Udomxai (ອຸດມໄຊ; also known as Muang Xai) is a Laos–China trade centre and crossroads city, and with its cast of migrant truck drivers and Mandarin signage at every turn it certainly feels like it. The dusty, brash main street and lack of a traveller vibe puts off many short-term visitors, and you might think the highlight is the bus that spirits you out of here; however, it takes minimal effort to find the real Laos nearby. The well-organised tourist office – one of the best in the country – has many ideas to tempt you to stay longer, from cooking courses to treks, off-road motorcycling and cycling.

Around 25% of Udomxai's population is Chinese, with the Yunnanese dialect as common as Lao in some businesses and hotels.

Udomxai

1Sights

1Banjeng TempleC1

2MuseumC2

3Phu That StupaB2

4PMCB1

5Wat Phu ThatB2

2Activities, Courses & Tours

6Lao Red CrossA2

4Sleeping

7Charming Lao HotelB1

8Dansavanh HotelB2

9Lithavixay GuesthouseC2

10Villa KeoseumsackB2

5Eating

11Ban Thin MarketA2

Cafe SinoukB1

12Meuang Neua RestaurantC2

13Souphailin RestaurantA1

6Drinking & Nightlife

14Ming KhouanD2

Transport

15AirportD3

16Lao AirlinesD3

Lao SkywayD3

1Sights

Phu That StupaBUDDHIST TEMPLE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; hdawn-dusk)

Stairways lead up from the main road to pretty little Phu That Stupa, a historic structure that was totally rebuilt after wartime destruction. Religious ceremonies are held here on full-moon days.

Wat Phu ThatBUDDHIST TEMPLE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; hdawn-dusk)

This attractive hilltop temple is one of the best spots to head to for cooler air and fabulous sunset views of the valley below. The 15m-tall gold Buddha is equally impressive.

MuseumMUSEUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 10,000K; h8-11am & 2-4pm)F

Stairways lead up from the main road to the town's new two-storey museum, featuring colonial-style shutters and oriental gables. Inside, much of it is dedicated to uninspiring communist propaganda; however, there are some interesting ethnic costumes and tools used in rural Lao life.

Banjeng TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE

(Wat Santiphab; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; hdawn-dusk)

Udomxai's foremost monastery is Banjeng Temple, which is modest but very attractively set on a riverside knoll. The most notable feature here is an imaginative concrete 'tree of life'. Tinkling in the breeze, its metal leaves hide a menagerie of naively crafted animal and bird statues that illustrate a local Buddha myth.

PMCARTS CENTRE

(Productivity & Marketing Center of Oudomxay; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %081-212803; www.facebook.com/pmc.oudomxay; h8am-noon & 2-5pm)F

PMC is a small exhibition room and shop introducing local fibres such as jungle vine, and selling handmade paper products, bags and local essences. If you're wondering why it's part-funded by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, that's because these crafts are an attempt to find non-narcotic-based commerce for former poppy-growing communities (hence its ironic nickname, the 'opium shop').

2Activities

The tourist office (Provincial Tourism Department of Oudomxay; GOOGLE MAP ; %081-211797; www.oudomxay.info; h8-11.30am & 2-5pm) offers one-day tours around Udomxai, a city walk, two- and three-day visits to the Chom Ong Caves, plus two possible trekking routes that include Khamu village homestays. To find potential fellow trekkers arrive at 4pm for a 'rendezvous meeting' the day before departure. It also has well-maintained dirt bikes taking you off-road on great local adventures.

Nam Kat Yorla Pa Adventure ParkADVENTURE SPORTS

(%020-55564359, 081-212195; www.namkatyorlapa.com; Faen Village, Xay District)S

Cycling, trekking, ziplining, rock climbing, abseiling, swimming, massage and shooting are all available at Oudomxay Province's newest forest resort 17km north of Udomxai by the picturesque Nam Kat (Kat River). Stunning accommodation in modern slick rooms starts at US$104. Alternatively, take the 'abseil, zipline and via ferrata' package, which also includes sleeping in a tree house for US$75. Don't miss the stunning pool.

Lao Red CrossMASSAGE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %081-312391; steam bath 12,000K, massage per 30min 30,000K; h3-7.30pm)

On a hillock overlooking a beautiful river bend, the Lao Red Cross offers Lao Swedish-style massage and herbal steam baths in a modest bamboo-matted structure. All proceeds are recycled into first-aid training in local villages.

CCourses

The tourist office organises an interesting series of paper-making workshops (from 100,000K depending on group size) that include gathering the raw materials. Its cooking courses (from 100,000K per person with a minimum of four, 200,000K per person for a couple) include shopping for ingredients, but the teacher speaks better French than English.

4Sleeping

Dansavanh HotelHOTEL$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %081-212698; Rte 1; r 150,000K; aiW)

Dansavanh was once Udomxai's top hotel and its dirty facade still retains an element of neocolonial grandeur, but the rooms, while large and properly equipped, lack any imagination. Facilities include a small spa, karaoke and an attractive riverside restaurant–beer garden. The De Syuen tea shop in the lobby is a must for tea aficionados.

Lithavixay GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %081-212175; Rte 1; r 70,000-150,000K; aW)

A long-time traveller fave, with a large lobby and a cosy breakfast and internet cafe. Although some rooms look tired, they include TVs, couches and homely touches. Old showers suffer from slow drainage, and recently service has dropped a little. It's close to the old bus station and very central.

oCharming Lao HotelBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %081-212881, 020-23966333; www.charminglaohotel.com; r incl breakfast US$50-150; paiW)

An unexpected treat for Udomxai, this hotel offers tastefully furnished rooms right in the centre of town. Extra touches include flat-screen TVs with cable, coffee-making facilities, safety deposit boxes and contemporary bathrooms. The complex includes a spa and a disappointing branch of Pakse's Cafe Sinouk. Staff are eager but speak little English.

Villa KeoseumsackGUESTHOUSE$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %081-312170; Rte 1; r 130,000-220,000K; paW)

Udomxai's best guesthouse is set back from the road in a handsome Lao house with large, inviting rooms. They come with crisp linen, decent fittings, springy beds and varnished floors. Hmong bed runners, TV, free wi-fi and a communal reading balcony finish them off. There's even complimentary toothbrush and toothpaste.

5Eating

oSouphailin RestaurantLAOTIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 20,000-40,000K; h7am-10pm)

Don't be fooled by the modest bamboo exterior of this backstreet gem – easily the tastiest Lao food in the city is served here. Friendly Souphailin creates culinary magic with her mok pa (steamed fish in banana leaves), láhp, perfectly executed spring rolls, beef steak, fried noodles, and chicken and mushroom in banana leaf. Everything is fresh and seasonal. Check out the great barbet out back.

Meuang Neua RestaurantLAOTIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 30,000-40,000K; h7am-9pm)

Festooned with lanterns and Che Guevara graffiti, this hole-in-the-wall is a 10-minute walk from the main drag. It's worth a visit for the fresh spring rolls, pancakes, juices, pad thai and noodle soup.

Ban Thin MarketMARKET$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h6am-5pm)

Among the noodles, vegetables and fruit expect a few appearances from songbirds, squirrels, tree frogs and rats. Cooked.

Cafe SinoukLAOTIAN, INTERNATIONAL$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.sinoukcafe.com; Charming Lao Hotel; mains 45,000-60,000K; h7am-9pm; aW)

Offering a level of aesthetic sophistication largely lacking in the city, Sinouk has a fusion menu of barbecued pork, steamed fish, papaya salad, pasta variations and breakfast. Staff, however, speak little English and international dishes can end up as curious hybrids – carbonara with carrots and hot dog was a first for us! The garden features live music at weekends.

6Drinking & Nightlife

Ming KhouanBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h11am-11pm)

This is where it's at in Udomxai, a lively wooden and bamboo beer garden that draws a young crowd to quaff Beerlao by the crate. The central fountain is a bit of a diversion, but good Lao food is available, including barbecued skewers. It's near the airport.

8Information

Internet Access

Most guesthouses and hotels now offer free wi-fi to guests.

Money

BCEL ( GOOGLE MAP ; %081-211260; Rte 1; h8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) Has an ATM, changes several major currencies and accepts some travellers cheques (2% commission).

Tourist Information

Tourist Office Has masses of information about onward travel, accommodation and local sights. It has free town maps and sells GT-Rider Laos maps. There are 11 different tours on offer, including the two-day/one-night tour to an impressive local cave, and three-day/two-night treks and homestays with local ethnic villages.

8Getting There & Away

Air

Lao Airlines ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %081-312047; www.laoairlines.com) flies daily to/from Vientiane (US$79) to Udomxai's airport ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), while Lao Skyway ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-23122219; www.laoskyway.com; Udomxai Airport; h7am-5pm) flies to Vientiane as well (US$73) on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are also available from Lithavixay Guesthouse.

Bus & Sŏrngtăaou

There are two bus stations in Udomxai: the old Northern Bus Station ( GOOGLE MAP ) in the centre of town, and the newer Long-distance Bus Station, aka Southern Bus Terminal (%081-212218), 5km southwest from the centre. There is some crossover of routes as some of the same destinations are serviced by both minivans from the Northern Bus Station and buses from the Southern Bus Terminal.

Sŏrngtăaou to Muang La (20,000K) depart when full at around 8.30am and 11.30am from the Meuang Say Transportation Centre ( GOOGLE MAP ).

BUSES FROM NORTHERN BUS STATION

Destination	Price (K)	Duration (hr)	Departures
Bokeo	85,000	8	9am, 1pm
Boten	50,000	4	8am
Dien Bien Phu (Vietnam)	95,000	5	8.30am
Luang Namtha	40,000	2	8.30am, 11.30am, 3.30pm
Muang Houn	30,000	2	noon, 2pm, 4pm
Muang Khua	35,000	3	8.30am, 11.30am, 3.30pm
Muang La	70,000	4	8am
Phongsali	75,000	9	9am

BUSES (LONG-DISTANCE) FROM SOUTHERN BUS TERMINAL

Destination	Price (K)	Duration (hr)	Departures
Luang Prabang	60,000	6	9am, noon, 3pm
Muang Hongsa	110,000	7	12.30pm
Nong Khiaw	45,000	4	10am
Pak Beng	40,000	4	8.30am, 10am
Pak Mong	30,000	3	1pm
Phonsavan	130,000	12	10am
Vientiane	170,000	14	11am, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm
Vientiane (sleeper)	190,000	14	8pm

To China

An 8am minibus to Mengla, China leaves from the Northern Bus Station. The Kunming-bound bed-bus from Luang Prabang bypasses this station but makes a short snack break at the China Restaurant ( GOOGLE MAP ) at around 11.30am. Booking isn't possible but the bus takes extra passengers if space allows.

8Getting Around

Lithavixay Guesthouse rents decent bicycles (per half-/full day 20,000/50,000K) and mountain bikes (per day US$10). The tourist office rents bicycles for 50,000K and motorbikes for 100,000K per day. Both can help arrange chauffeured minivans from US$100 per day.

Tuk-tuks ( GOOGLE MAP ) cost 15,000K per person per hop within city limits, if you can find one.

Around Udomxai

Hop on a decent motorbike and head out in any direction and you'll quickly find attractive scenery and plenty of rural interest.

Nam Kat Waterfall , a picnic site 23km from Udomxai, is best reached on a decent motorbike. Turn right in Ban Fan, continue to the parking area then walk the last 30 minutes through protected forests (about 2km). Alternatively, hike 13.5km over 'red cliff' Phou Pha Daeng, which you'll need a guide for. The last 500m climb is the only testing section of the track and affords terrific views at the top. The falls themselves are 20m high and make for a chilled bucolic spot.

Chom Ong Caves ຖ້ຳຈອມອອງ

Udomxai's top tourist attraction, the extensive cave system of Chom Ong Caves (ຖ້ຳຈອມອອງ) burrows more than 15km beneath a forested karst ridge near the Khamu village Ban Chom Ong, 48km from Udomxai. Often as high as 40m within, it's a veritable cathedral of a place whose first 450m have been lit with solar-powered lamps. Over millions of years the time-worn stalactites have been coated with curious crusts of minerals and sometimes studded with gravel from later wash-throughs. To gain access you'll need to borrow the gate-key and engage a guide (40,000K) in Ban Chom Ong, from which the cave entrance is an hour's walk.

The village's simple, unmarked 'guesthouse' is a purpose-built local-style longhouse with roll-out bedding and the relative luxury of a tap and porcelain squat in the outside shared toilets. Note that the village has no electricity and that very little English is spoken. Udomxai is better for travellers to use as their base to return to.

As there are no restaurants or shops, organising food as well as the guide and key will require some spoken Lao, Khamu or plenty of gesticulation. We recommend arranging your trip through the tourist office in Udomxai, which involves a homestay.

The main problem with getting here is that the uncomfortable access 'roads' are almost entirely unpaved, impassably muddy after rain and improbably steep and rutted in places.

Two- and three-day tours, including meals, an English-speaking guide and ample time to observe typical village scenes can be organised through the tourist office in Udomxai, but transport is by excruciatingly uncomfortable jeep-sŏrngtăaou. Two-day/one-night trips start from US$100 per person with a minimum of four people.

THE LEGEND OF THE PRA SINGKHAM BUDDHA

Inlaid with precious stones, the 200kg gold-and-bronze Pra Singkham Buddha statue has an interesting history. It is said to have been created in Sri Lanka, spending time in Ayodhya, India before arriving in Laos in AD 868. In 1355 it was reputedly one of five great Buddhist masterpieces sent out by Lan Xang founder Fa Ngum to inspire the faithful at the far reaches of his new kingdom.

However, the boat carrying the statue was sunk in a battle. Later found by a fisherman, Pra Singkham was dragged out of the water amid considerable tribulations and thereupon became the subject of a contest between residents of Muang La and Muang Khua regions. The sneaky folks from Muang Khua, downriver, suggested that the Buddha should choose for himself and set the statue on a raft to 'decide'. However, the seemingly hopeless contest went Muang La's way when the raft magically floated upstream against the current, 'proving' it belonged in La.

Kept initially in the Singkham Cave, by 1457 it had found a home in a specially built temple around which today's town of Muang La is now ranged. Like almost everything else in rural Laos, the temple was bombed to oblivion during the 20th-century Indochina wars. However, the statue had been rehidden in the Singkham Cave. By the time a new temple was consecrated in 1987, the Buddha had turned a black-green colour, apparently due to sadness at the destruction. But today he's once again a gleaming gold.

Muang La ເມືອງຫລາ

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Scenic Muang La (ເມືອງຫລາ), just 28km from Udomxai towards Phongsali, offers a charming rural alternative to the 'big city'. This Tai Lü village sits at the confluence of the Nam La (La River) and Nam Phak (Phak River), attractively awash with palm trees. Its central feature is a classically styled temple that hosts one of northern Laos' most revered Buddha statues, the Pra Singkham Buddha.

1Sights

Pra Singkham BuddhaBUDDHIST STATUE

(ພະເຈົ້າສິງຄຳ h8.30am-5pm)F

Want to get rich? Afraid you might be infertile? Don't worry, just ask the Pra Singkham Buddha and your wish will be granted. Legend claims it was cast in Sri Lanka just a few generations after the historical Buddha's death, and reached Laos in AD 868 via Ayodhya in India. Kept initially in the Singkham Cave, by 1457 it had been housed in a specially built temple.

Singkham CaveCAVE

(ຖ້ຳພະເຈົ້າສິງຄຳ )F

The Singkham Cave where the famous Pra Singkham Buddha statue once rested is 3.7km west of Ban Samakisai, halfway between Udomxai and Muang La. In Samakisai ask 'Khor kajeh tham noy?' ('may I have the cave key please?') at the second hut south of the bridge. Then cross the bridge and take the second rough track west – just about passable by tuk-tuk or motorbike. This terminates at a collection of huts from which it's just three minutes' walk to the cave. Inside is a replica statue.

4Sleeping

Lhakham HotelHOTEL$

(%020-55555930; lhakhamhotel@gmail.com; r 100,000K)

Nestled on a river bank, the Lhakham Hotel offers some of the best-value rooms in northern Laos. Furnishings are tasteful, the bathrooms include a rain shower and the river views are pretty, adding up to a steal. There's also a restaurant here. It's about 1km from the bus station.

Muang La ResortBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$

(%020-22841264; www.muangla.com; 3-night package per person from US$691)

The memorable Muang La Resort hides an elegant rustic refinement behind tall, whitewashed walls. It accepts neither walk-in guests nor visitors, so you'll need to prebook a package of two nights or more to enjoy the stylishly appointedhalf-timbered guestrooms, sauna and creatively raised open-air hot tub, all set between palms and manicured lawns.

8Getting There & Away

Buses to Phongsali and Muang Khua pass through Muang La around an hour after departing Udomxai. The last bus returning to Udomxai usually rolls through at around 5pm. There's no bus station, just wave the bus down. Additional sŏrngtăaou to Udomxai (20,000K) depart at around 7am and 11am if there's sufficient custom.

Boten ບໍ່ເຕນ

Pop 500 / %086

Boten (ບໍ່ເຕນ) is the only Laos–China border open to foreigners and makes for an easy short excursion while en route from Udomxai to Luang Namtha. This frontier border outpost is a spectacular case of boom to bust and has become a ghost town since 2011 after China banned its citizens from gambling here, rendering Boten's hotels, casinos, malls and karaoke parlours redundant.

While there are places to stay, it's best to move on into real China or head south into Muang Sing or Luang Namtha. You'll find a few Chinese and Lao restaurants here, though most have closed down. Since the closure of the casinos most places in town have shut down and there is no nightlife at present.

At the top (north) end of the market on the main street the Lao Development Bank (h8.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri) changes major currencies, but for effortless yuan–kip exchange at fair rates use the supermarket across the road.

Although Boten taxi drivers try to persuade travellers otherwise, there are regular buses to/from Luang Namtha (25,000K, two hours) plus assorted China–Laos through-buses. Chartered taxi-vans charge about 160,000K to Luang Namtha and around 80,000K to Ban Na Theuy.

GETTING TO CHINA: BOTEN TO MóHāN

Getting to the border The Lao immigration post at the Boten (Laos)/Móhān (China) border crossing (7.30am to 4.30pm Laos time, 8.30am to 5.30pm China time) is a few minutes' walk north of Boten market. Tuk-tuks shuttle across no-man's land to the Chinese immigration post in Móhān (Bohan) or it's an easy 10-minute walk.

Alternatively, take one of the growing number of handy Laos–China through-bus connections such as Udomxai–Mengla, Luang Namtha–Jinghong and Luang Prabang–Kunming.

At the border Northbound it is necessary to have a Chinese visa in advance. On arrival in Laos 30-day visas are available.

Moving on From the Chinese immigration post it's a 15-minute walk up Móhān's main street to the stand where little buses depart for Mengla (RMB16, one hour) every 20 minutes or so till mid-afternoon. These arrive at Mengla's bus station No 2. Nip across that city to the northern bus station for Jinghong (RMB42, two hours, frequent till 6pm) or Kunming (mornings only).

On the Lao side minibuses shuttle regularly in the morning from Boten to Luang Namtha.

Luang Namtha (Namtha) ຫລວງນ້ຳທາ

Pop 21,000 / %086

Welcoming travellers like no other town in northern Laos, Luang Namtha (ຫລວງນ້ຳທາ) packs a powerful green punch with its selection of eco-minded tour companies catering for trekking to ethnically diverse villages, and cycling, kayaking and rafting in and around the stunning Nam Ha NPA.

Locally there's bags to do before you set out into the boonies, such as exploring the exotic night market, or grabbing a rental bike and tootling around the gently undulating rice-bowl valleys to waterfalls and temples. In the golden glow of sunset distant mountain ridges form layered silhouettes, and while it's not the prettiest belle architecturally speaking, the friendly vibe of Luang Namtha will grow on you.

Luang Namtha

1Sights

1Luang Nam Tha MuseumA1

2Activities, Courses & Tours

2Discovering LaosB2

Forest Retreat LaosA2

3Green DiscoveryB1

4The HikerB2

4Sleeping

5Amandra GHB3

6Manychan Guest House & RestaurantA2

7Thoulasith GuesthouseA2

8Zuela GuesthouseA2

5Eating

9Bamboo LoungeB2

10Manikong Bakery CafeA1

11Manychan Guesthouse & RestaurantB2

12Minority RestaurantA2

13Night MarketB2

6Drinking & Nightlife

14Chill Zone Beer BarB3

8Information

15BCELB2

16Lao Development BankA1

17Provincial Tourism OfficeB1

Transport

18Bike ShopsA2

19District Bus StationB3

20Lao AirlinesB3

1Sights

Luang Nam Tha MuseumMUSEUM

(ພິພິດທະພັນຫຼວງນໍ້າທາ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 10,000K; h8.30-11.30am & 1.30-3.30pm Mon-Thu, 8.30-11.30am Fri)

The Luang Nam Tha Museum contains a collection of local anthropological artefacts, such as ethnic clothing, Khamu bronze drums and ceramics. There are also a number of Buddha images and the usual display chronicling the Revolution.

Ban Nam DiVILLAGE

(Nam Dy; parking fee bicycle/motorcycle/car 1000/2000/3000K)

Although barely 3km out of Luang Namtha, this hamlet is populated by Lao Huay (Lenten) people whose womenfolk still wear traditional indigo tunics with purple sash-belts and silver-hoop necklaces. They specialise in turning bamboo pulp into rustic paper, using cotton screens that you'll spot along the scenic river banks.

At the eastern edge of the village, a three-minute stroll leads from a small carpark to a 6m-high waterfall (2000K). You'll find it's more of a picnic site than a scenic wonder but a visit helps put a little money into village coffers. Unless the water level is really high there's no need to struggle up and over the hillside steps so ignore that sign and walk along the pretty stream.

Golden StupaBUDDHIST TEMPLE

( GOOGLE MAP ; 5000K; h8am-5pm)

By far Namtha's most striking landmark, this large golden stupa sits on a steep ridge directly northwest of town. It gleams majestically when viewed from afar. Up close, the effect is a bit more bling, but the views over town are impressive.

That Phum PhukBUDDHIST TEMPLE

(5000K; h8am-5pm)

The red-gold stupa you see when first approaching the small and historic That Phum Phuk is a 2003 replica. Right beside it lies the brick and stucco rubble of an earlier version, blown over by the force of a US bombing raid during the Second Indochina War. Judging by the ferroconcrete protrusions, that wasn't the 1628 original either. The site is a hillock 3km northwest of the oddly isolated Phouvan Guesthouse, on a stony laterite road that initially parallels the airfield.

Nam Ha NPANATIONAL PARK

(ປ່າສະຫງວນແຫ່ງຊາດນໍ້າຫ້າ GOOGLE MAP ; www.namha-npa.org)S

The 2224-sq-km Nam Ha NPA is one of Laos' most accessible natural preserves and home to clouded leopard and possibly a few unpoached tigers. Both around and within the mountainous park, woodlands have to compete with pressure from villages of various ethnicities, including Lao Huay, Akha and Khamu. Since 1999, an eco-touristic vision has tried to ensure tour operators and villagers work together to provide a genuine experience for trekkers while ensuring minimum impact on local communities and the environment.

Tours are limited to small groups, each agent has its own routes and, in principle, each village receives visitors no more than twice a week. Authorities don't dictate what villagers can and can't do, but by providing information on sustainable forestry and fishing practices it's hoped that forest protection will become a self-chosen priority for the communities.

NAM HA NPA TRIPS

Luang Namtha is a major starting point for trekking, rafting, mountain-biking and kayaking trips in the Nam Ha National Protected Area (NPA). Many of the tours stop for at least a night in a minority village. Most photogenic for their costumes are those of the Lao Huay and Akha peoples but all are fascinating for genuine glimpses of village life.

Treks all follow carefully considered sustainability guidelines but they vary in duration and difficulty. In the wet season leeches are a minor nuisance.

Namtha agents display boards listing their tour options and how many punters have already signed up, which is very helpful if you're trying to join a group to make things cheaper (maximum eight people). If you don't want others to join you, some agents will accept a 'private surcharge' of around US$50.

Around a dozen agencies operate, each with its own specialties.

TTours

oGreen DiscoveryECOTOUR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %086-211484; www.greendiscoverylaos.com; Main St; h8am-9pm)S

The grandaddy of ecotourism in Laos offers a combo of boat trips, mountain biking, kayaking, homestays and one- to three-day treks in Nam Ha NPA. Safety is a given and staff are helpful. At the time of writing, it had plans to move to a new office.

The HikerTREKKING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %086-212343, 020-5924245; www.thehikerlaos.com; Main St)S

This new outfit is garnering some very glowing feedback. Cycling and kayaking trips are available but its main focus is on trekking, with one- to five-day options; the longest one is more hard core (seven hours' trekking per day) and promises to take you into untouched areas deep in the Nam Ha jungle, while one-day treks are much easier.

Forest Retreat LaosECOTOUR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55560007, 020-55680031; www.forestretreatlaos.com; Main St; h7am-11.30pm)S

Based at the Minority Restaurant, this ecotourism outfit offers kayaking, trekking, homestays and mountain biking on one- to six-day multi-activity adventures, and recruits staff and guides from ethnic-minority backgrounds where possible. It also runs one-day cycle trips to Muang Sing and back. Another option here is to take a cooking class.

Discovering LaosKAYAKING, RAFTING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-22990344, 086-212047; www.discoveringlaos.com; h8am-9pm)S

Specialises in kayaking and rafting trips through Khamu and Lenten villages as well as specialised cycling trips around Muang Sing. Also facilitates homestays and stays at its jungle camp on one-, two- and three-day treks.

NAM THA TRIPS

For some 35km south of Luang Namtha, the pea-green Nam Tha (Tha River) flows across a series of pretty rapids tumbling between high-sided banks that are attractively shaggy with bamboo-choked forests. Luang Namtha tour agencies can organise one-day supported kayaking trips here, possibly combined with Nam Ha jungle treks. By bicycle or motorbike, the passably well-graded dirt road that runs along the river's eastern bank offers a quiet if potentially dusty way to enjoy some pretty views and see some interesting minority villages without the need for hiking.

4Sleeping

Central

oZuela GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-22391966; www.zuela-laos.com; r old block with fan/air-con 80,000/100,000K, new block with air-con without/with balcony US$25/38; paW)

Located in a leafy courtyard, Zuela has an old block of spotless – though dim – rooms with exposed-brick walls and en suites. The newer block has better rooms with glazed rattan ceilings, lemon walls (some with balcony), desks and vivid art. Located off the main drag down a quiet lane. Besides its great restaurant it also offers scooter rental.

Amandra VillaGUESTHOUSE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %030-9211319; Rte 3A, Ban Nong Bua Vieng; r from 100,000K; a)

Set in a striking wooden building near the district bus station, Amandra has decent rattan-walled rooms with pretty lantern bedside lights, fan or air-con, satellite TV and hot water. The owner is helpful, and gives you his card so you can reach him if there's any hiccups. Rental bikes are available, too.

Thoulasith GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %086-212166; www.thoulasith-guesthouse.com; Rte 3A; r with fan/air-con 80,000/120,000K; paW)

This traveller-friendly place offers spotless rooms with bedside lamps, art on the walls, free coffee and comfortable wi-fi-enabled balconies. There's also a new block of swish rooms with baths. It's set back from the main strip so makes for a peaceful spot to wind down before or after a trek.

Manychan Guest House & RestaurantGUESTHOUSE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %086-312209; dm 30,000K, r with fan/air-con 70,000/100,000K; W)

Manychan distinguishes itself not by its patchy rooms but by the warm welcome of its eponymous owner. The restaurant has a coffee machine from Italy brewing lovely cappucinos, makes fresh bread and pastries for breakfast, and also has a new terrace for dinner (mains 30,000K). Rooms are bare-walled affairs with armoire, bathroom and hot-water shower, but little else.

oPhou Iu III GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$$

( GOOGLE MAP ; %030-5710422; www.luangnamtha-oasis-resort.com; r from US$25; aW)

Part of the same family as the Phou Iu II in Muang Sing, this place is cracking value and sits in pretty, flowering gardens. Bungalows are spacious and nicely fitted out with lumber-wood beds, brick floors, fireplaces and inviting terraces. It's well signposted from the centre of town. Note that in December it's a little on the chilly side.

Further Afield

Chaleunsuk HomestaysHOMESTAY$

(%020-55557768; Rte 3, 500m past Km 45; per person 80,000K)S

Beside the main Rte 3 highway, 20km from central Luang Namtha, four rustic homes in Chaleunsuk village offer a real Khamu homestay experience without the need to trek. The fee includes breakfast, dinner and a contribution to the village development fund; a guided forest walk is an additional 20,000K. Ask at the Luang Namtha tourist office for more information. Limited English is spoken.

Namtha Riverside GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$$

( GOOGLE MAP ; %086-212025; namthariverside@gmail.com; r 70,000-200,000K)

With Noi and her friendly family, Namtha Riverside is more of a homestay than an impersonal guesthouse experience. It offers a tranquil setting with two spacious, riverfront bungalows that have solar-powered hot water. Petang is available and there are lounger-cushions on the balconies. It's 2km south of the centre. Good value, and you can use the bikes for free.

Boat Landing Guest HouseRESORT$$

( GOOGLE MAP ; %086-312398; www.theboatlanding.laopdr.com; Ban Kone; r incl breakfast US$47-60; W)S

One of the country's original ecolodges, the Boat Landing has riverside acacia groves hugging tastefully finished wooden bungalows with solar-heated showers. The restaurant here produces some of the best Lao cuisine in the north, although cosy but weary rooms could do with a refresh. Located 6km south of the new town and about 150m off the main road.

5Eating & Drinking

Minority RestaurantLAOTIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 35,000K; h7am-10.30pm; W)S

This inviting, wood-beamed restaurant hidden down a little side alley offers the chance to sample typically ethnic dishes from the Khamu, Tai Dam and Akha tribes, as well as láhp, stir-fries, chicken curry and fried fish.

Manikong Bakery CafeBAKERY, CAFE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 10,000-50,000K; h6.30am-10.30pm; W)

A hole-in-the-wall bakery/cafe serving tasty salads, bagels, panini, croissants, juices, sandwiches and homemade cakes. Sample shakes and coffees by day or cocktails by night; happy hour is from 5pm to 7pm.

Night MarketMARKET$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Rte 3A; h7-11.30pm)

Tightly thronged with tribeswomen and locals hawking freshly made broths, noodles and chicken on spits, with everything veiled in a stratosphere of smoke. Great for cheap quick eats. If you're feeling brave try the rhinoceros beetles, duck chicks in embryos, grilled intestines and bile soup!

Manychan Guesthouse & RestaurantLAOTIAN, INTERNATIONAL$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 30,000K; h6.30am-10.30pm; W)

An inviting all-wood interior spilling out onto a fairy-lit street terrace keeps this place among the most popular falang (foreigner) venues in town. Wi-fi is free and the menu covers the gamut of possibilities. Beers arrive in coolers and the coffee has a kick.

Morning MarketMARKET$

( GOOGLE MAP ; noodles 10,000K; h7-10am)

There are myriad noodle stands at the morning market, where you'll also be rewarded with a photogenic vista of fresh vegetables and fruit, buffalo skin, jungle meat, pig faces, live fish and even fried silkworms.

oBamboo LoungeINTERNATIONAL$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-22392931; mains/pizzas 50,000/75,000K; h7am-11.30pm, happy hour 5-7pm; W)S

With its moss-green facade this place is the favourite in town for travellers, offering employment to young people from remote villages and donating over 2500 books to local schools. It's alluring by night with its winking fairy lights, thumping tunes and outdoor terrace piping delicious aromas from its wood-fired oven – there are myriad thin-crust pizza choices. And unusually for Laos, it's completely nonsmoking.

Boat Landing RestaurantLAOTIAN$$

( GOOGLE MAP ; meals 35,000-160,000K; h7am-8.30pm)

The relaxing riverside setting complements some of the most authentic northern Lao cuisine on offer. From five-dish menus for two or three people to one-plate meals, the flavour combinations are divine. If you're baffled by the choice try snacking on a selection of jąaou used as dipping sauces for balls of sticky rice. Located 6km south of the new town.

Chill Zone Beer BarBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-98088878; h7am-11pm; W)

Overlooking a pond, paddy fields and the distant mountains, Chill Zone is a great new bar serving up beer, ice-blue cocktails, snacks and good tunes. By night it's attractive, whorled in ropes of glowing red lights.

8Orientation

Virtually flat, Namtha is in fact a 10km-long collection of villages coalescing in an administrative hub at the northern end. Dating from 1976, the administrative hub is a well-spaced grid containing a two-block traveller enclave dotted with guesthouses, internet cafes and tour agencies. A smaller, prettier second centre is 7km further south near the airport. This used to be Namtha's commercial heart before it was bombed to bits in the Second Indochina War. Today, it's a mostly residential area called Meuang Luang Namtha or simply Ban Luang. The new long-distance bus station is 3km further south on the Rte 3 bypass, 10km out of the main centre.

8Information

Internet Access

There are several internet cafes on the main strip but most guesthouses and hotels offer free wi-fi these days.

Medical Services

Provincial Hospital ( GOOGLE MAP ; Rte 3A; h24hr) Adequately equipped for X-rays, dealing with broken limbs and dishing out antibiotics. Ask for English-speaking Dr Veokham.

Money

BCEL ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h8.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri) Changes major currencies (commission-free), travellers cheques (2% commission, minimum US$3) and has a 24-hour ATM.

Lao Development Bank ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h8.30am-noon & 2‑3.30pm Mon-Fri) Exchanges US-dollar travellers cheques and cash.

Post

Post Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri)

Tourist Information

Provincial Tourism Office ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %086-211534; h8am-noon & 2-5pm) Helpful resource for things local, including trekking advice.

8Getting There & Away

Air

Lao Airlines ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %086-312180; www.laoairlines.com; h9am-5pm) flies to Vientiane (US$75) daily, while Lao Skyway ( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-99990011; Luang Namtha Airport; h9am-5pm) flies there Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (US$61).

Boat

You can now only take the boat as far as Ban Phaeng, where a dam was recently built. What was a two-day experience is now just a day, though you still have around eight hours of puttering downriver. Pick-up by car/van is at the boat station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %086-312014), from where you will be driven to Na Lae. Contact Forest Retreat Laos, which can organise a guide, transfers and prearrange your boat. The charter costs US$500 for two people (US$250 per person); it's cheaper per head the more of you go.

Bus & Sŏrngtăaou

There are two bus stations. The district bus station ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) is walking distance from the traveller strip. The main long-distance bus station is 10km south of town. For buses at either station, prebooking a ticket doesn't guarantee a seat – you just have to arrive early and claim one in person.

For Nong Khiaw take a Vientiane or Luang Prabang bus and change at Pak Mong.

BUSES FROM LUANG NAMTHA

Destination	Cost (K)	Duration (hr)	Station	Departures
Boten	25,000	2	district	6 daily 8am-2pm
Dien Bien Phu (Vietnam)	130,000	10	long-distance	7.30am
Huay Xai ('Borkeo')	60,000	4	long-distance	9am, 12.30pm & 4pm
Jinghong (China)	90,000	6	long-distance	8am
Luang Prabang	100,000	8	long-distance	9am bus, 8am minibus
Mengla (China)	50,000	3½	long-distance	8am
Muang Long	60,000	4	district	8.30am
Muang Sing	25,000	2	district	6 daily 8am-3.30pm
Na Lae	40,000	3	district	9.30am, noon
Phonsavan	180,000K	12	long-distance	8am
Udomxai	40,000	4	long-distance	9am, noon, 2.30pm
Vieng Phukha	30,000	1½	long-distance	9.30am, 12.30pm
Vientiane	180,000-200,000	21-24	long-distance	8.30am, 2.30pm

8Getting Around

Chartered tuk-tuks charge 15,000K per person between the long-distance bus station or airport and the town centre, more if you're travelling solo. Most agencies and guesthouses sell ticket packages for long-distance buses that include a transfer from the guesthouse and cost around 20,000K above the usual fare.

Cycling is the ideal way to explore the wats, waterfalls, villages and landscapes surrounding Luang Namtha. There are a couple of bike shops ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; per day bicycle 10,000-25,000K, motorcycle 30,000-50,000K; h9am-6.30pm) in front of the Zuela Guesthouse. Choose from a bicycle or motorcycle depending on how energetic you are feeling.

WORTH A TRIP

KAO RAO CAVES

Well signed beside Rte 3, 1.5km east of Nam Eng village, is this extensive, accessible cave system (ຖ້ຳເກົາເລົາ 10,000K), which has a 700m section open to visitors. The main limestone formations include old stalactites encrusted with crystal deposits.

Local guides accompany visitors through the cave, but speak no English and have feeble torches (flashlights). Extensive lighting is already wired up, but there are often power cuts, meaning your own torch is a handy accessory. Allow around 45 minutes for the visit.

Curious corrugations in the floor that now look like great old tree roots once formed the lips of carbonate pools like those at Turkey's Pamukkale.

Around Luang Namtha

Vieng Phukha (Vieng Phoukha) ວຽງພູຄາ

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Sleepy Vieng Phukha (ວຽງພູຄາ; also spelt 'Phoukha') is an alternative trekking base for visiting the western limits of the Nam Ha NPA, notably on three-day Akha trail hikes. Such trails see fewer visitors than many from Luang Namtha and the partly forested landscapes can be magnificent, though many hills in Vieng Phukha's direct vicinity have been completely deforested.

1Sights

Just 15 minutes' stroll south of Rte 3 near Km 85 but utterly hidden in thick secondary woodlands is the almost invisible site of the 1530 temple Wat Mahapot. What little had survived the centuries was mostly pillaged for building materials around 1977 when all the residents moved back after the war, so now all you'll see is the odd scattering of bricks poking out from a tree-choked muddy rise. Getting there involves walking along a steep V-shaped gully that once protected the Khúu Wíeng (Ramparts) of a short-lived 16th-century 'city'. Again there's nothing but muddy banks to see but a good guide (essential) can fill in sketchy historical details and explain the medicinal uses of plants you'll encounter on a 40-minute walking tour. There are no longer local tour guides operating here, but Mr Tong Mua at Tigerman Treks in Muang Sing can take you.

2Activities

Nam Ha Hilltribe EcotrekHIKING

(%020-99440084; www.trekviengphoukha.com; h8am-noon & 1-6pm)

Run by Somhack (an experienced Khmu hunter who hung up his gun to use his tracking skills as a guide), this great outfit has multiday treks (from moderately easy to challenging) from Vieng Phukha to explore the Nam Ha NPA.

Nam Ha Ecoguide Service Vieng PhoukhaHIKING

(%020-55985289; www.namha-npa.org; h8am-noon & 1.30-5pm)

One- to five-day treks with homestays in Nam Ha NPA.

4Sleeping

Thongmyxai GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

(%020-22390351; r 50,000K)

Just about the smartest accommodation in town is the Thongmyxai Guesthouse, set in an attractive garden with bungalows.

Phuet Mung Khun GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

(%020-55886089; r 60,000-70,000K; W)

Located on a riverbank, the friendly Phuet Mung Khun Guesthouse has neat little bungalows, plus a small restaurant. The owner speaks rudimentary English.

8Getting There & Away

Sŏrngtăaou for Luang Namtha (40,000K, 1½ hours) depart at around 9am and 1pm from the middle of town. Or you can wave down a Huay Xai–Namtha through-service (three daily).

Muang Sing ເມືອງສິງ

Pop 10,000 / %081

Bordering Myanmar and within grasp of the green hills of China, Muang Sing (ເມືອງສິງ) is a rural backwater in the heart of the Golden Triangle. Formerly on the once infamous opium trail, it's a sleepy town of wilting, Tai Lü–style houses where trekking has overtaken smuggling contraband. Hmong, Tai Lü, Akha and Tai Dam are all seen here in traditional dress at the old market (get there at dawn), giving the town a frontier feel.

Back in the late '90s, it was one of the must-visit destinations in Laos, but with the end of fast boat services and clampdown on the opium trade, it has dropped off the traveller radar. Recently, a growing Chinese population has settled here, replacing rice fields with banana and rubber plantations for consumption on the other side of the border. Regrettably, Western travellers have spoken of being turned away from restaurants and guesthouses by Chinese operators.

History

In the late 18th century, a dowager of the Chiang Khaen principality founded the square, grid-plan citadel of Wiang Fa Ya (today's Muang Sing) along with the That Xieng Tung stupa. In 1803 this area became vassal to Nan (now in Thailand) and was largely abandoned following the deportations of 1805 and 1813. But the Chiang Khaen princes returned, moving their capital here in 1884 from Xiang Khaeng on the Mekong. This kicked off a 20-year tug of war between France, Britain and Siam, causing the principality to be split in two, with the western sector, including Muang Sing, being absorbed into French Indochina. Muang Sing rapidly became the biggest opium market in the Golden Triangle, a function officially sanctioned by the French. In 1946, parts of town were devastated by Kuomintang troops who continued to operate here well into the 1950s after losing the Chinese civil war. In 1958 the famous American 'jungle doctor' Tom Dooley set up his hospital in Muang Sing, which became the setting for a series of international intrigues.

Muang Sing

1Sights

1Morning MarketA1

2Old MarketA2

3Tribal MuseumB2

4Wat Namkeo LuangA3

2Activities, Courses & Tours

5Phou Iu TravelA3

6Tigerman TreksB2

4Sleeping

7Phou Iu II GuesthouseA2

8Singduangdao BungalowsA3

5Eating

9Thai Lü RestaurantB2

10Veranda RestaurantA3

6Drinking & Nightlife

11Singsavanh NightclubA3

1Sights

Sprinkled along the town's main street are a few classic Lao-French hybrid mansion-houses. These mostly 1920s structures have ground-floor walls of brick and stucco topped with a wooden upper storey featuring a wraparound roofed verandah. Classic examples house the tourist office and the Thai Lü Guesthouse.

The old market ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Main St), built in 1954, was under reconstruction at the time of writing as the roof had collapsed. The bustling new market ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h7am-10pm) is near the bus station and is very colourful first thing in the morning, though you'll be harder pressed to find ethnic women in tribal dress here.

Tribal MuseumMUSEUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 5000K; h8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 8-11am Sat)

The most distinctive of the old Lao-French buildings is now home to the two-room Tribal Museum, which boasts costume displays downstairs and six cases of cultural artefacts upstairs. Watching a 40-minute video on the Akha people costs 5000K extra.

That Xieng TungBUDDHIST TEMPLE

(ທາດຊຽງຕຶງ )

Around 6km southeast of Muang Sing, That Xieng Tung sits on a grassy plateau dotted with sacred trees, 1km up a rough access track that branches south off the Luang Namtha road 200m after Km 52. This place really comes alive at festival time (full moon of the 12th lunar month, between late October and mid-November), with a carnival atmosphere, traditional dance performances and merit-makers offering candles and flowers around the base of the stupa.

Wat Namkeo LuangBUDDHIST TEMPLE

(ວັດນຳແກ້ວຫລວງ MAP GOOGLE MAP )

Wat Namkeo Luang is one of most visually striking monastic buildings in Muang Sing. It features an entry porch with red-tongued golden naga (river serpent) and an unusually tall and ornate gilded stupa. Some villagers still draw water from shaduf-style lever wells in the slowly gentrifying bâhn (the general Lao word for house or village) opposite. Nearby you can also find a modest Lak Bâan spirit-totem, but touching it would cause serious offence.

MYSTERIOUS TOM DOOLEY

Saint or shameless self-promoter? Humanitarian or CIA pawn? Fifty years after his early death, opinions are still divided over the 'jungle doctor' who set up his famous benevolent hospital in Muang Sing in 1958. Passionately Catholic yet dismissed from the US Navy for his sexual orientation, this complex character was cited by President Kennedy as an inspiration for the Peace Corps (founded in 1961, the year Dooley succumbed to cancer). However, his anti-communist books helped encourage the US political slide towards war in Indochina and rumours abound that the flights that brought in medical supplies to his Muang Sing base would return laden with opium. For much more read James Fisher's flawed but detailed Dooley biography Dr America.

2Activities

Tigerman TreksTREKKING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55467833, 020-56783156, 030-5264881; tigermantrek@gmail.com; Main St; 7am-7pm)S

English-speaking teacher and nice guy Mr Tong Mua has long been a fixture of Muang Sing and with the slow death of the tourist office (located opposite), he's a safer bet for general information, decent treks and homestays in the Nam Ha NPA, as well as tuk-tuk tours and cycle/trek combos. He also rents bikes and motorcycles (50,000/100,000K).

Phou Iu TravelADVENTURE SPORTS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %081-400012; www.muangsingtravel.com; h7am-7pm)

Run out of the Phou Iu II Guesthouse, this decent outfit offers well-organised treks around Muang Sing. It also offers treks to the more remote Xieng Khaeng district towards Burma; check www.adventure-trek-laos.com for details. Other options include one- and two-day cycling tours and minority-village homestays.

TRIPS TO MINORITY VILLAGES

The main reason visitors come to Muang Sing is to venture into the minority villages that dot the valley of rice paddies and sugar-cane fields surrounding town. To do it yourself by bicycle or motorbike, start by purchasing Wolfgang Korn's helpful Muang Sing Cultural Guide Book from the tourist office. Its map shows major roads and labels the ethnicities of the valley's villages. To make the village-visiting experience somewhat less voyeuristic you can engage a guide for as little as 100,000K from one of Muang Sing's ecotour agencies, which also offer a gamut of longer treks and homestay experiences.

If you've got your own wheels, the dusty, unpaved but reasonably smooth Xieng Kok road leads through a predominantly Akha district where an unusually large proportion of women wear distinctive silver 'coin' headdresses and billowing indigo blouses.

4Sleeping

Central Muang Sing

Singduangdao BungalowsGUESTHOUSE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-22004565; r from 70,000K; W)

Set in a verdant garden, Singduangdao offers spartan bungalows hidden away behind the truck weighbridge. All have hot showers. English is spoken.

oPhou Iu II GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %086-400012; www.muangsingtravel.com; bungalow small/medium/large 100,000/200,000/400,000K)

Set around an expansive garden, the biggest bungalows have fun, outdoor, rock-clad shower spaces. All rooms have comfortable beds, mosquito nets, fans and small verandahs (although rooms are cold at night during the cool season). There's an on-site herbal sauna (10,000K) and massage (50,000K per hour), plus the restaurant Veranda, probably the best place in town to eat.

Outside Muang Sing

Adima GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

(%020-22393398; r 100,000K; W)

Adima sits conveniently on the edge of an Akha village; Nam Dath is only 700m up the trail. Many other minority villages are also within easy walking distance. Adima's sturdy brick-and-thatch bungalows have hot showers and bucket-flush toilets, though have faded considerably over recent years. The Veranda, their appealing rustic restaurant, overlooks fish ponds and is pleasant come sundown.

It's 8.5km from Muang Sing. From town take the Pang Hai road to the far edge of Ban Udomsin (500m after Km 7) and turn right; Adima is 600m south. A tuk-tuk from town costs about 30,000K.

5Eating

Veranda RestaurantASIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 30,000K; h6.30am-9pm)

About the best Lao, Thai and Chinese food you can expect in town, this is a simple, cosy spot to eat hearty Lao fare – think soups and noodle dishes – in a friendly atmosphere. It's based in the garden of the Phou Iu II Guesthouse.

Thai Lü RestaurantLAOTIAN, THAI$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %086-400375; Hwy 17; mains 20,000K; h7am-9pm)

Looking like a backdrop from an old Bruce Lee flick, this creaky wooden building has a certain charm and serves Laotian, Thai and Western dishes. The female owner is friendly and produce is locally sourced and seasonal.

6Drinking & Nightlife

Singsavanh NightclubCLUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h7-11.30pm; W)

Most of Muang Sing is dead asleep by 9pm except at the Singsavanh, where the locals get down to live Lao and Chinese pop. It might look permanently closed down by day, but somehow it picks itself up at night.

8Information

Medical Services

Hospital ( GOOGLE MAP )

Money

Lao Development Bank ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-noon & 2-3.30pm Mon-Fri) Exchanges US dollars, Thai baht and Chinese yuan but at less-than-favourable rates.

Post

Post Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri) As tiny as the petang rectangle next to it.

Tourist Information

Tourist Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri) Displays of fact scrolls are useful but the staff aren't likely to win any Lao National Tourism Authority employee of the month awards.

8Getting There & Away

From the bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ) in the northwest corner of town, sŏrngtăaou depart for Muang Long (30,000K, 1½ hours) at 9am and 11am. To Luang Namtha (25,000K, two hours) minibuses leave at 8am, 9am and 11am. The bus to Muang La (40,000K) leaves at 7.30am and 1pm.

8Getting Around

Kalao Motorcycle ( GOOGLE MAP ; per day 100,000K; h8am-5pm), on the road to the morning market, rents motorbikes, but bring a good phrasebook as nobody here speaks English.

Bicycle rental (30,000K per day) is available from several main-street agencies and guesthouses.

Xieng Kok ຊຽງກົກ

Xieng Kok (ຊຽງກົກ) is a sleepy, riverine destination surveying a deep slice of Mekong Valley and the Burmese banks behind. Market days (the 14th and 28th of every month) attract hill-tribe folks and traders from the surrounding countries. Given that it's part of the Golden Triangle and on the drug-smuggling route, not surprisingly in 2012 Chinese supply boats were attacked by Burmese drug gangs, whose leader was caught and allegedly executed in China. Be warned that although it might appear soporific, things here are more mercurial than they might seem. In autumn, when river levels are high, Chinese barges call in at the river port; come April river levels are too low for boats to travel. Due to the Chinese pirates and Burmese drug traffickers attacking boats, speedboats no longer make the short journey downriver to Muang Mom, nor upriver to Muang Long.

Avoid wandering around by the river after dark as this is a major thoroughfare for drug smugglers.

Two roads converge where the minibus to Muang Long (20,000K, 35 minutes) leaves at 6am, 8am and 2pm from outside the town's little pharmacy. Finding any other vehicle can be hard here, even if you're prepared to charter.