For the 4th time, I found myself once again setting foot on the soil of Laos. And this time, I decided to make a little excursion in the north, crossing the border from Chiang Khong (Houay Xai on the Laos side).
With limited time, Luang Namtha was a practical choice, as a bus ride from the border takes "only" four hours to reach the small town. This isn't too long considering that distances in Laos are generally arduous to cover.
Luang Namtha, a quiet little town
I arrived late the night before at my hotel, I was content to go for a walk to the night market with a traveler I met when taking the tuk tuk between the bus station and the "centre".
The atmosphere was really nothing like having a market in Thailand, I don't know if it was because of the time it was (nearly 21pm), but there really wasn't much left and so we fell back on dinner in a "simple" restaurant nearby.
We can't say that Luang Namtha is known for its hectic activity, like Laos in general, that's not why we usually go there but quite the opposite! Finding a relaxed rhythm, far from the hustle and bustle of the cities. As I'm losing the habit of it, it's always funny to find yourself in such a calm place.
For your information, Luang Namtha is the province with the largest area of rubber tree plantations in Laos, which makes it its main source of income.
A stroll between ethnic villages and nature
The next day, I rented a motorbike, having spotted a shop not far from the restaurant where I had dined the day before. They gave me a nice little map and off I went!
To help you understand where I'm "taking" you in this article, I've included a map tracing my route around the city.
The main attraction of Luang Namtha, due to its somewhat isolated location, is the opportunity to pass through villages and meet their inhabitants, who come from various ethnic groups in the surrounding area. I actually came across one, carrying bamboo over his shoulder, on my way to my first stop, a small waterfall located 5 km east of the center (marked Water Fall Nam Dee ).
As is often the case in Laos, as soon as you get away from the urban centers, you quickly bite the dust, that's also part of the charm of Laos 🙂 Arriving at the waterfall, not far from the village of Nam Dee, a short walk led me to the foot of it.
You can't really say that this little waterfall is unmissable, but the walk to get there isn't unpleasant, so why not go?
Luang Namtha during rice harvest time
After that, I headed in a completely different direction, crossing the large rice fields that line the valley around Luang Namtha. The advantage of going there in November is that it falls during the harvest period, the rice fields were then a golden color that contrasted with the blue and white of the sky as well as the green of the nature surrounding the valley, beautiful palette!
Besides its visual beauty, it's also an opportunity to observe the farmers at work, and the least one can say is that they are not lazy. When you see the areas they have to cover, in the heat (of the "winter" that is beginning), I can't help but be impressed.
But it must also be said that there is a workforce, men, women, everyone is working hard to finish the harvest. I stopped more than once to take photos because it's the kind of scene I love to admire.
Attempting a walk along the Nam Tha River
Leaving the main road, I turned onto a dirt track running alongside the Nam Tha River, south of Luang Namtha. But the scenery didn't particularly excite me, and I encountered little sign of life, so after a few kilometers I turned back and headed back towards Luang Namtha, this time via the western route.
Looking back, I don't really know what brought me there because from the sky, you can clearly see that apart from rubber plantations along the way, there's not much else... (the only village in the area is 4 km from the intersection with the main road).
Poumpouk Stupa
I passed through another village before arriving at the foot of a first temple. In fact, it's more of a chedi, a recent one and an old one that has fallen to the ground, in ruins.
A sign explains that the old chedi dates from the late 17th century and served to demarcate a neutral zone, located between the kingdoms of Lan Xang (the famous Kingdom of a Million Elephants(the former name of Laos) and its neighbor, the kingdom of Lanna (whose capital was none other than Chiang Mai).
Its current state is due to the American bombings of 1966, which targeted the Luang Namtha valley in what was then called the "Secret War." The newer chedi was added in 2003.
As is often the case in this type of setting, you can either take the stairs lined with naga trees, or the concrete path that leads directly to the platform where the two chedis are located. The view is quite nice, however, there is a fee (5,000 kip), though you can consider it a contribution to the upkeep.
Samakkhixay Stupa
Heading back towards the city, still staying to the west, I came across another temple. Besides being free (that may have changed since then, if you know, I'd love to hear!), this one also had a lovely view of the rice paddies below, so for that reason alone, I highly recommend it.
Part of the temple was under construction, while the golden chedi, which offers a viewpoint, is fully completed. Uniquely, it is hollow, allowing access to view some Buddha statues inside.
After this visit, I had (roughly) seen most of what there is to see... It was only 13pm and after hesitating, I decided to continue the walk in the surrounding area by going to Muang Sing, a small town close to the border with China, even further north, a distance of 60 km that I will not fail to tell you about in a future article 😉
How to get to Luang Namtha from Thailand
For me, it's been since Chiang Khong in Thailand that I was going there. If you are already in Laos, you will probably arrive from Luang Prabang, which connects to the border at Huay Xai and passes through Luang Namtha.
Previously, it was possible to cross the border by boat from Chiang Khong. This is no longer feasible for foreigners since the opening of the new Friendship Bridge, which now spans the Mekong River approximately 10 km south of the city.
Note that there are 2 bus stations, the old one, towards the city center of Chiang Khong and the new one, near the junction leading to the bridge. It is through the new station that I passed, knowing that I was arriving by car, I thought it normal to be able to park there while staying in Laos…
It wasn't actually possible originally, but luckily I was able to arrange it by paying 100 baht to get it done… (though I doubt this applies to most people who come across this post).
It's a new bus station, but it only serves a few specific destinations (like Bangkok and Bokeo, another name for Huay Xai). As a result, it's completely deserted; when I was there, I was absolutely alone, and when I went to buy my ticket, they seemed to be telling me I'd be better off going to the old station… From what I understand, this new station doesn't go directly to Luang Namtha.
In the end, I got my ticket, but I had to wait for the bus, which apparently came from the old station and was passing by. In the meantime, the staff had "taken me under their wing" by offering me instant noodles while sitting me next to them, on the other side of the ticket counter...
Where to sleep in Luang Namtha?
For my part, I had chosen the Amandra Villa, a small hotel with the look of a mountain chalet (at least, on the outside), which did the job well for barely €10 a night… Unfortunately, years have passed (and so has Covid) and it is no longer operating….
However, I'm including two options I've found (at the same time, there aren't many that can be booked online...)
- ME Hotel : a modern hotel that contrasts sharply with the rural setting of Luang Namtha
- Zuela Guesthouse and Restaurant : a wooden building somewhat in the style of the former Amandra, for those on a budget
Luang Namtha in brief
It's peaceful, it's the countryside, it's Laos. Don't expect to be particularly amazed, but it has its charm, and that's generally what people like about Laos.
No need to be in the race for the most "amazing" viewpoint, giant waterfalls, no, just witness the daily routine of the Laotians with their smiles, be surrounded by rice fields, mountains and fresh air (we are not too high up, the city is only at 550 m, but its surroundings include peaks exceeding 2,000 m).
If I had had more time, I could have extended the visits a little further, for example I spotted the village of Namyang, which requires going about ten kilometers into the mountains just west of the Poumpouk Stupa.
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Do you know the north of Laos (apart from Luang Prabang of course), your opinions, favorites, I'm interested!
5 Comments
We are currently in Luang Namtha. We are tired, I think we will just rent a scooter and wander around the area :)
Enjoy 😉
Ahh how beautiful!!! This is the second time I've been to Laos and each time I avoid going to the North, because I'm afraid of feeling sick on the winding roads hehe. But each time I tell myself that I should go back to visit the ethnic villages of this favorite country. Your photos are superb... I think it might be worth it for me to overcome this fear a little hehe.
Great photos!!
Merci!