Northern Laos (Chapter)
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© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 141 Northern Laos If a careless god grabbed a giant sheet of green paper and crumpled it into a ball, the con- tours would resemble northern Laos. At every turn, convoluted rivers curl through layers of NORTHERN LAOS mountain ridges. Hidden amid these lush folds, the former royal capital of Luang Prabang is by far Laos’ most magical city and the region’s tourist magnet. By contrast, other northern towns are functional places, rebuilt after wholesale bombing during the 20th-century Indo- china wars. During that terrible period, much of the population hid for years in caves around lovely Vieng Xai and majestic Nong Khiaw. Add to this the Lao predilection for rebuilding rather than restoring the few old temples that did survive, and you’ll understand why there are so few historic buildings to be found. But that’s not why you come to northern Laos. What appeals here is the rural life. Thatch, bamboo and timber houses abound, giving virtually any village a timeless, photogenic quality. The relatively sparse population forms an intrigu- ing melting pot of cultures, best explored while trekking. River trips also offer a wonderful way to discover the bucolic scenery as well as a practical alternative to tortuous bus rides. This chapter starts with Luang Prabang, loops anticlockwise from Huay Xai around to Muang Sing, then finishes with relatively isolated Phongsali Province. HIGHLIGHTS Go wat-hopping and market-shopping in regal Luang Prabang (p 143 ) Zip-line high above forested valleys and into rustic tree-houses on the Gibbon Experience (p 174 ) near Huay Xai Take a boat ride or kayak down the Nam Ou between Muang Ngoi Neua (p 207 ) and Nong Khiaw (p 204 ) Phongsali Play amateur anthropologist in homestays Nam Ha Muang with some of Laos’ last traditionally NPA Ngoi Neua costumed tribal families on treks out of Nong Khiaw Phongsali (p 231 ) Huay Xai Vieng Xai Luang See for yourself what it meant to spend nine Prabang years hiding from aerial bombardment at the haunting Vieng Xai caves (p 200 ) Vang Vieng Plain of Jars Amble through Xieng Khuang’s Plain of Jars (p 193 ) Drive to Vang Vieng along scenic Rte 13 (p 171 ) Trek into the forests of Nam Ha NPA (p 218 ) 142 NORTHERN LAOS lonelyplanet.com Climate Wrap yourself up warmly if motorcycling The ideal season to visit northern Laos is before 10am. As the dry season continues, roughly November to mid-February when river levels drop and by February some sec- there’s little rain and skies are reasonably tions of the Mekong and Nam Tha might be clear. Days typically range from warm to too low for navigation. March is a bad time hot once the sun burns through the chilly to visit the whole region as the air becomes morning mists, but you’ll often need a de- choked with smoke and visibility is severely cent jacket to deal with colder night-time reduced thanks to the widespread fires of temperatures in higher mountainous areas slash-and-burn agriculture. In April the sear- (particularly Luang Namtha, Phongsali, ing heat of the Mekong Valley is tempered by Xieng Khuang and Hua Phan provinces). a week of good-humoured water throwing WHICH RIVER TRIP? Until the 1990s, riverboats were an essential form of inter-city passenger transport in Laos. Today villagers in roadless hamlets still travel by river, while several longer distance routes remain pos- sible thanks in significant part to tourist interest. In each case the journey is an attraction in itself. NORTHERN LAOS Mekong Longboats Luang Prabang–Pak Ou (four hours return; p169 ) The typical tourist taster for those with no time for anything longer. Mekong Slowboats Huay Xai–Pak Beng or Pak Beng–Luang Prabang (one day; p176 ) Both sectors are very pleas- ant one-day rides. Boats are designed for 70 passengers but are sometimes seriously over- crowded. The seats are usually very hard, but you can get up and walk around. There’s a toilet on board and usually a stall selling biscuits and overpriced beer. Huay Xai–Luang Prabang (two days; p177 ) Take the Luang Say, and travel in relative luxury on a boat that is a similar size to the Mekong slowboats but carries only 40 passengers. Packages are pricey but include meals, sightseeing stops and excellent overnight accommodation in Pak Beng. Pak Lai–Vientiane (one day; p187 ) Completely untouristy, but only runs once or twice a week. Mekong Speedboats Huay Xai–Luang Prabang (one day; p177 ) Scarily fast, potentially dangerous and excruciatingly uncomfortable if you’re not both small and supple. Xieng Kok–Muang Mom (three hours; p178 ) There's similar speedboat dangers and problems but it's virtually the only way to see this attractive stretch of the Mekong. Nam Tha Boats Luang Namtha–Huay Xai longboat or Na Lae–Huay Xai longboat (two days; p222 ) Escape the tourist trail on an open boat with a maximum capacity of around six. One night is spent in the boatman’s village. Scenery is attractive but only gets at all dramatic for a one-hour sec- tion around Ban Phaeng. When the river levels are low there’s lots of rapids-shooting. Trying to organise this one can get pricey or time-consuming. Hat Sat–Muang Khua, Muang Khua–Nong Khiaw, Nong Khiaw–Luang Prabang riverboats (one day each; Muang Khua p229 , Nong Khiaw p206 ) A traveller favourite; covered boats usually de- part daily on each sector. Boats typically hold up to 20 people in sometimes cramped condi- tions. Bring your own snacks. Arguably the most scenically dramatic sections of any navigable river in Laos are an hour or two’s ride in either direction from Nong Khiaw. Much of that you can see from the twice-daily boat between Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi Neua (90 minutes upstream, 70 minutes downstream). lonelyplanet.com LUANG PRABANG & AROUND •• Luang Prabang 143 during the Pi Mai festival (p 154 ) – a time when accommodation can be booked out and LUANG PRABANG & transport gets particularly crowded. Rain is likely after Pi Mai in the far north, though AROUND the rainy season typically peaks between June Laos’s former royal capital is an enchanting and September. Rains are not constant, and place to idly watch the day glide by from a in between showers the sky clears and the riverside bar-terrace or a fine French restau- rice paddies glow emerald green. But un- rant. More active visitors might prefer the paved roads can become impassably muddy, surrounding countryside, which has plenty trekking paths can get slippery, leeches may of waterfalls and caves to explore, kayaking appear in the grass and river fords become and cycling options and a couple of elephant NORTHERN LAOS awkward to cross. camps for budding mahouts. Few visitors fail Getting There & Around to take at least one trip down the Mekong, and many who’d planned a two-day visit end up Road journeys in northern Laos are slow and staying for weeks. exhausting. Only the most major routes are asphalted and even these are generally so narrow and winding that it’s rare to average LUANG PRABANG ¹ì¸¤²½®¾¤ more than 30km per hour. On unpaved roads %071 / pop 70,000 progress is further hampered by mud in wet Magical Luang Prabang (Louang Phabang) conditions, while in the dry season, traffic cre- is one of Southeast Asia’s most alluring des- ates vast dust clouds making travel extremely tinations. While lacking any world-beating unpleasant by bike or sǎwngthǎew (pick-up ‘sights’, it’s thoroughly pervaded by a heady, trucks fitted with benches in the back for pas- intangible charm – a unique place where time sengers). Follow the local example and wear runs slowly amid fragrances of frangipani and a face-mask. Or consider engaging a private fresh coffee. Silent palms drool over gold- chauffeured minivan if you can afford the and-claret wats, while saffron-clad monks cost (roughly US$100 per day, only available seem to float along the tree-shaded streets. from major towns). Fortunately for adventure Colonial and pseudo-colonial buildings em- motorcyclists with decent trail bikes, many phasise the tropical torpor, with many char- secondary roads have virtually no traffic. acterful structures now tastefully reworked A delightful, if often even slower, alterna- into handicraft stores, patisseries and bou- tive to road travel is to use the river boats tique hotels. The whole scene is encircled by (see the boxed text); also see the boxed text hazy green mountains at the confluence of the on p 340 for details of boat types. Think twice Nam Khan and Mekong River, whose cafe- before opting for a ‘speedboat’ – a surfboard lined banks offer a procession of enchanting with a strap-on car engine might be safer. And viewpoints. more comfortable. Unesco World Heritage status means a blessed ban on buses and trucks in the old ROUTE CHOICES centre where most road users are on foot or There are essentially only two practicable bicycle. Although the city teems with foreign roads linking the north to the rest of Laos. visitors, this is not a party destination. Most By far the easiest, most popular and most restaurants stop serving before 10pm, bars spectacular is Rte 13 from Luang Prabang to shut at 11.30pm, and by midnight silence Vang Vieng. The alternative, via Sainyabuli reigns. and Pak Lai, is painfully dusty and less scenic, although it does allow you to make the utterly History untouristed link to Vientiane by riverboat Legend has it that Luang Prabang’s founder (see p 187 ). A third possibility, Rte 10 from was Phunheu Nhanheu, a sexually ambiguous Muang Khoun to Paksan, is under very slow character with a bright red face and a stringy reconstruction, but for now it’s a nightmarish body like Dougal from Magic Roundabout.