Lonely Planet Laos

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781787014084
• eBook ISBN: 9781788689823

Northern Laos

Xieng Khuang & Hua Phan Provinces

Phonsavan

Plain of Jars

Muang Khoun

Sam Neua

Around Sam Neua

Sam Neua to Vietnam

Sam Neua to Nong Khiaw

Vieng Xai

Vieng Thong

Muang Ngoi District

Nong Khiaw

Muang Ngoi Neua

Phongsali Province

Muang Khua

Phongsali

Boun Neua

Northwestern Laos

Udomxai

Muang La

Luang Namtha

Vieng Phukha

Muang Sing

The Middle Mekong

Huay Xai

Pak Beng

Sainyabuli

Northern Laos

Why Go?

Whether it’s for trekking, cycling, kayaking, ziplining or a family homestay, a visit to northern Laos is for many the highlight of their trip. Dotted about are unfettered, dense forests home to big cats, gibbons and a cornucopia of animals, with a well-established ecotourism infrastructure to take you into their heart.

In the north you will also find a tapestry of vividly attired ethnic tribes unlike anywhere else in Laos.

Here the Land of a Million Elephants morphs into the land of a million hellish bends and travel is not for the faint-hearted, as roads twist and turn through towering mountain ranges and serpentine river valleys.

Most northern towns are functional places, rebuilt after wholesale bombing during the 20th-century Indochina wars. But visitors aren’t here for the towns; it’s all about the rural life. River trips are a wonderful way to discover the bucolic scenery at a more languid pace.

When to Go

• Nov–Feb The ideal season to visit, with little rain and clear skies, but chilly at higher altitudes.
• Mar–May Blazing heat at lower altitudes, with lots of haze from slash-and-burn cultivation.
• Jun–Oct The wet season; accommodation is cheap but humidity is high.

Best Places to Eat

A Lao Falang Restaurant

A Coco Home Bar & Restaurant

A Bamboo Lounge

A Riverside Restaurant

A Souphailin Restaurant

Best Places to Stay

A Mandala Ou Resort

A Luang Say Lodge

A Luang Namtha Inn

A Nong Kiau Riverside

A Nam Kat Yorla Pa

Northern Laos Highlights

1 Gibbon Experience Soaring through the jungle canopy on ziplines to remote tree houses on this unforgettable adventure near Huay Xai.

2 Nam Ou Karsting away on a boat ride or kayak trip down the Nam Ou (Ou River) between Muang Ngoi Neua and Nong Khiaw.

3 Phongsali Learning about the local lifestyle in homestays on a tribal trek in this remote region that’s home to some of the oldest tea plantations in the world.

4 Vieng Xai Caves Discovering the history of the incredible limestone landscape where the Pathet Lao hid from US aerial assault.

5 Plain of Jars Exploring Xieng Khuang’s mysterious archaeological sites where ancient burial jars are scattered across the windswept hills.

8Getting There & Away

The state of roads linking the north to the rest of La...

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Welcome to Laos
• Laos’ Top 10
• Need to Know
• Accommodation
• What’s New
• If You Like...
• Month by Month
• Itineraries
• Outdoor Adventures
• Eat & Drink Like a Local
• Family Travel
• Regions at a Glance
• Luang Prabang & Around
• Northern Laos
• Vientiane, Vang Vieng & Around
• Central Laos
• Southern Laos
• Understand Laos
• History
• People & Culture
• Environment
• Directory A–Z
• Transport
• Health
• Language
• Behind the Scenes
• Our Writers