Laos Hilltribe Explorer, 13 days

On arrival at Luang Prabang  Airport, you are greeted by our guide and transferred to your hotel.  You may have free time to relax and catch your first glimpse of Luang Prabang. This ancient town is strikingly built on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. The  human life  has been recognized in Luang Prabang for over thousand years; however, it began a prosperous time, once being the royal capital of the Lane Xang Kingdom. Luang Prabang is  exceptional for the  architectural and artistic heritage reflecting an outstanding fusion of Lao traditional urban architecture with colonial structures. The gleaming temples, traditional wooden houses and colonial style buildings of Luang Prabang  are remarkably preserved to make for a unique charm rarely found in all Asia. You can wander through the town old quarter where are many striking structures adjoining along narrow lanes  and friendly people around. The main street is a paradise while it gives way to the night market, a famous place to sample local foods and buy some souvernirs at bargaining. This fascinating old quarter captivates travellers in all senses and offers an endless exploration.

The morning mist clears over Luang Prabang, revealing a charming environment of French colonial buildings, intricate Buddhist temples, and cobble brick streets. Today we stroll along the narrow streets and visit the  famous temple of Wat Xieng Thong, a striking temple which overlooks  the two rivers of  Mekong and  Nam Khan. The temple structure is decorated in various ways with gilded stuccoes and doorways, featuring an elaborate tree of life mosaic and  intricately carved walls. We follow it with the former Royal Palace, which is a showcase of Lao traditional and French architecture style. This mansion has been changed into the National Museum where display many artifacts and treasures dating from the early king period right through the last sovereign. The following stop is  Wat Mai, a large and nicely decorated temple in Luang Prabang, which is extensively adorned with black and red lacquer decoration and gold leaf. No doubt the oldest temple in this town is Wat Visoun, but this sacred structure is mainly destroyed by invaders from southern China. However, it is still interesting to have a look at the replica built over the original temple ground.  We visit this site  and embark on a walk uphill along  the zigzag path of 318 steps on Phousi Hill , which is topped by a glittering golden stupa. This sacred shrine  dominates Luang Prabang skyline and lends  a panoramic view  from the townscape to the rugged surrounding mountains.

Heading out of the town, we start our cycling trip  to venture into the upstream of the Nam Khan River. The hill top temple of Wat Phon Phau drawns a line for our bike ride. This meditation temple dedicated to Ajahn Saisamut Teacher is now looked after by female monks. The octagonal outshape makes this structure exceptional while the interior decoration is remarkable with many beautiful paintings representing various traditional Buddhist scenes. We make a stop to visit Wat Phon Phau and catch a stunning view of Luang Prabang Town. The local track leads us through teakwood forests and rice fields to  the resting place of Henri Mouhot, a famous French naturalist and explorer. He has travelled from Thailand to Cambodia and Luang Prabang and has  left some interesting and detailed travel journals about Ayutthaya, Angkor Complex and Luang Prabang. On arrival at elephant camp, we enjoy an elephant ride through the stunning landscape of lush jungle and river. The following activity is a boat ride along the Nam Khan River to the Tadse Waterfall, an idial place for refreshing swim from August through Januray and funny visit to baby elephants in nearby jungle. We continue cycling along a new path back to Luang Prabang and pass by the beautiful scenery.

The modern comfort will be left behind as we set off on our journey into  the remote north  of Laos with dramatic scenery and colorfull hilltribe people.  En route, we make our first stop in  Nong Khiaw, a beautiful and rustic town by the Nam Ou River. This small town is standing against a gorgeous backdrop of imposing limestone mountains, meandering river, and genuine local villages. On arrival in Nong Khiaw, we take a  local boat for our trip along the Nam Ou River towards Muang Ngoy Village. This small riverside and sleepy village has remained detached from the world by a boat ride for hundreds of years. You will not find any banks, public internet access or landline telephones. However,  it is only a matter of time before the modern world arrives in Muang Ngoy. We stroll around the village  and  see many ancient houses filling  the ground between river and mountains. Along the village lanes are roosters, chickens, children, dogs and puppies scuttleing about. They make for a typical picture of rural Laos, which  you rarely find  in big city. We travel by boat back to Nong Khiaw and have free time to explore this town at leisure.  The favorable nature environment offers many possibilities for long walking, river cruise, kayaking, waterfall explorations, and photo expeditions. They certainly capture travellers to enjoy the area rather than an overnight stop.

Today, we start an early morning drive, venturing into the most mountainous region  of Laos with the next stop being Phongsaly. The winding road passes many sleepy villages  to  Ban Pak Nam Noi.  This bustling  junction is an ideal stop to stretch our legs or get some drinks for our long journey ahead. We head right to Muang Boun Tai and drive almost  uphill  past undulating  mountains, lush jungle and rustic villages. The beauty is not in rice fields or jungle; it is the wide-eyed welcome of villagers since they rarely see passing foreigner tourists along this road. The scenic drive delivers us in Phongsaly Town by mid or late afternoon depending on the traffic and road condtions. This remote northern town  is unique in Laos, with  the strong Chinese influence and the large number of local ethnic groups. The picturesque old quarter developed around the old market features narrow, crowded cobblestone streets lined with small, low roofed houses made of wood and stone. These houses have simple decorative details carved or painted in muted colours. We  feel the cold air emanating  from the high high mountain altitude by strolling around the town center, where are more Chinese scene than authentic Laos elements. The major ethnic group in Phongsaly is Phou Noy who has immigrated from China down centuries. We can see some of them raoming along the main streets to sell their local farming products and handicrafts.

The mountainous, sparsely populated and mysterious region of Phongsaly make Phongsaly an ideal place for anyone seeking a true trekking adventure. Today we start exploring the surrounding areas of Phong Saly as we take a drive to Bounneua. The isolation from modernity, beautiful scenery, and uniquely preserved tribal culture make for a highlight of this remote arera. On arrival in  Bounneua, we get well off the beaten track on a walk  to  Ban Moxoxang. The local guide will lead us through undulating terrains, many rice fields, lush jungle, and small streams. The trekking is difficult at times with some uphill and downhill walking; however, some physical preparation will enable you to maximize the enjoyment from this walk.  Along the way, we may encounter local people going on their daily works, such as logging, herding buffalo, and tilling the fields. They are surely curious about our visit and tend on inviting us to join their activities. We follow the local track to Ban Moxoxang and visit  the Akha  ethnic minorities who  were originally in China but have settled into northern Laos few hundreds of years ago. They speak their own dialect and still retain their old age culture and colorful traditions. The local guide will help us to understand a bit more about their lifestyle. We continue trekking back to Boun Neua  and end up this active day with a drive to  Phongsaly Town. 

The high altitude gives a lush color to the surrounding mountains around Phongsaly Town, which are often covered in a morning mist. Today we have time to visit the town market and catch some interesting views  from the old quarters to the mountain ridges in the shadow of Phou Fa Mountain. The sightseeing tour of Phongsaly  Town could not be complete without the Museum of Tribe which displays a collection of beautiful costumes and implements from the different local hilltribe groups. This exhibition gives an interesting background to identify the different ethnic people you see wandering around the streets. We start drive or embark on an optional trek from Phongsaly Town to Ban Komaen. This village is famous for 400 years old tea trees which may be some of the oldest tea trees in the world. Their large root systems extends deep into the mineral-rich soil, giving Phongsaly Tea a specific aroma and taste. Along the way, we pass  by many tea fields and catch some wonderfull photos of the undulating plantations against the rugged mountain backdrop.  On arrival at  Ban Komaen, we visit a Phou Noy hilltribe family to learn how to pick up the tea leaves, and  taste the homemade tea.  Upon leaving this village, we travel by road downhill  to Oudomxay Town, a major trading hub in northern Laos. We can make stop as much as we want to see different hill tribe groups. They can be  Akha, Tai Dam, Phunoy,  and Khmu, who are recognisably distinct by their dress.

Heading out of the town, we set off on our drive to Luang Nam Tha and Muang Sing.  We pass through many sleepy villages linking to the roads which are the main artery of trade between the northern region and the capital city. The mountains are spectacular, rising and falling endlessly on our way to Muang Sing. This outpost town nestled in a wide-open valley, which is ringed by a fortress of green hills and mountains, was once  on the infamous opium trail. However, it has developed  a low-key tourist center based on many outdoor activities, including trekking, mountain biking, and kayaking, which  make for a good alternative to Luang Nam Tha. We arrive in Muang Sing Town by early  or mid  afternoon depending on the roads and traffic conditions. The town center  is  fairly spread out, but most tourist attractions are lying on the main road. We visit the tribal museum, a simple but elegant wooden building that houses local textiles, tribal costumes, and some Buddha images. We follow it with  the ancient  Wat Sing Jai, which has a wonderfully rustic sim painted in festive hues. This main temple is usually frequented by village ladies who come to pray and made offerings in early morning. We also have a walk along the main street where ethnic minority people are frequently seen and small vendors along the street sell local textiles and handicrafts.

The gorgeous scenery, relaxed atmosphere and multiple minority groups of Muang Sing still remain. However, the tourist numbers have steadily declined, making Muang Sing a quite place in contradiction to  Luang Nam Tha. Today, we take a short drive by local transport before we set off on a day trek into  the Nam Ha Protected Area.  The local trak takes through a range of topography and scenery, from rice paddie, fairly densely forested areas, small waterfalls to mountain summit. This rising place offers a panoramic view of the plant life with trees growing over trees in lush jungle. The trekking is difficult at times, with some uphill and downhill walking; however, some physical preparation will enable you to maximize your enjoyment. Along the way we will see various species of birds which can be called by our experience guide. The expert village guide will teach you how to make the bird call, barking dear, and squirrel sounds. We will have a stop near a waterfall and enjoy our picnic lunch in Laos style, prepared by our local team. The walking adventure continues along a local footpath through forest and mountains to Ban Nam Daet Mai, a  small settlement of  Akha hill tribe people. We stroll around the village and learn more about the simple lifestyle of these ethnic minorites. They speak their own dialect, but  the local guide will help us to make simple communication with these local minorities. The trekking ends up  at  Ban Nam Mai  where we get a transfer back to Muang Sing Town.

The vibrant town market also attracts many hill tribe people converging from mountainsides and valleys to trade their goods and buy previsions. We get up early and take a walk to explore the Muang Sing Market.  The local villagers sell every things from farming products, stuffed grilled frogs on a stick, dried buffalo skin, intestines, snails, insects, brightly coloured sweet coconut jellies and fried donuts to wild animals, and buy electronic appliances and clothes. Today  we travel along a dirt road to Xieng Kok, a small frontier town set  by the Mekong River. This sleepy outpost  punctuated with wooden houses and bamboo shacks  offers nothing more than a remote river border between Laos and Myanmar, but many tribal groups  settled in the rugged mountain sides and green valleys around offer an interesting and colorful  experience. These tribal groups include Yao, Khmu, and Hmong, and Akha which is the main population in place. They remain untouched from the modern life and still keep their old age culture and traditions. Along the way we may see local women wearing their traditional black clothing and elaborate headdress adorned with silver baubles and coins. There are possibilities to make friend with local villagers and take some wonderful photos with their permission. We bid our farewell to Xieng Kok  and make our way to  Luang Nam Tha Town for an overnight stop.

Today, we have time to explore Luang Nam Tha Town on a biking trip. This small town sets in a fertile valley dotted with many villages.  We visit the gleaming Golden Stupa which dominate the skyline of  Luang Nam Tha Town. This stupa houses a few Buddhas and provides  a fantastic view from the townscape to the jungle and mountains in the far distance. Upon leaving this sight we continue cycling  to the Nam Tha River and walk across a bamboo bridge to visit  a traditional village of the Black Thai ethnic minorities. They usually live on stilt house and have culture and traditions from the nearby  Akha people. We leave Luang Nam Tha  and make our way through Oudomxay to Pakbeng.  The road conditions are poor in some place, but it is still a memorable experience as we  see the real rural Laos: lush plantations, small hill tribe villages, local people going about their life, waving friendly children, and farm animals grazing on roadsides. We arrive in Pakbeng this afternoon and check in our hotel. This sleepy and small riverside town sets against the towering mountain backdrops and overlooks the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Beng Rivers. There are not much to see in place as it is basically an overnight stop for our next day cruise.

The exciting river journey begins as we leave Pakbeng and explore a part of the Mekong River on our way to Luang Prabang. This mighty river winds its way from Tibet - China through  Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and finally into Vietnam. The riverwater comes chiefly from rainfall, which fluctuates seasonally. The raining season makes the cruise up and down easy; however it involves some hardships for every boat rider to manage the boat past many rapids and rock formations in dry season. Along the way, we have time to explore the fantastic scene with a mixture of  lush jungle, undulating mountains, sleepy villages  and riverine life, and make a stop at the mysterious Pak Ou Caves set near the meeting of the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers. These sacred caves are crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. They are  all brought there by devout villagers. The following stop is  Ban Xang Hai. which  is famous for  the rice alcohol  distillation in traditional way. We can taste the potent local whisky and buy some souvenirs at the village shop houses. The townscape of Luang Prabang comes into view, a sign of  our cruise end. We take a short drive to hotel and spend this last evening exploring Luang Prabang Town at leisure.  

There are no activities planned for the final day. You may have free time to continue your exploration of Luang Prabang Town, do your last shopping or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to  Luang Prabang Airport for  your departure.