Author: Lonely Planet
Category: Nonfiction
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/lonely-planet/page,18,460391-lonely_planet_laos.html
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; [email protected]; 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.