Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha (ຫຼວງນໍ້າທາ, ຫລວງນໍ້າທາ Louangnamtha, Luang Nam Tha) is the largest city in Luang Nam Tha Province, Northern Laos. It lies on the banks of the Nam Tha River, and the meaning of the name is "The area (luang) around the Tha River (nam Tha)".

Best known as a stopover point on the backpacker trail from China to Laos, and as an alternative to the long and cramped boat journey between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang, Luang Namtha has become increasingly popular as a starting point for hill tribe treks, especially those into the Luang Namtha NPA - National Protected Area. While short on jaw dropping sights, it's a compact and fairly pleasant little town, albeit one divided in two distinct parts: the "old" or original town near the airport (bombed out by the USA in the 1970s), and the "new" or replacement town to the north where the trekking companies, banks, government offices and most guesthouses can be found. The two are about 6 km apart. The "old" town, nowadays considered as a village within the district, sits astride Hwy 3, the modern route from China to Thailand. The "new" and de facto town is on Hwy 17A, which serves to connect Muang Sing, 7km far away from the Hwy3 and the bus station.

There are several companies offering trekking to the hill tribes in the area as well as nearby Nam Ha Protected Area. At least half a dozen trek agencies are along the main road within a block of the night market. They all offer roughly the same treks: varying numbers of days, visits to different villages, waterfalls, jungle, kayaking, biking, etc. The more people on any given trek, the lower the price. They'll each post out front if they have people signed up for a specific trek, to encourage others to join and lower the price. Shop around on price though, in addition to the number of people on a trek, the different agencies have different prices for comparable treks. Check where the money goes, whether it is being distributed equitably to local guides, villages, etc. The other differentiating factor seems to be equipment. Some have newer equipment in better shape. For example, some offer sleeping pads in addition to sleeping bags, whereas others just have old sleeping bags that have seen better days.

The mountainous jungle scenery in the area is a major attraction. If you are seeking to trek through this type of vegetation, make plain your preference as many treks take hikers generally through the rural landscapes of farmland and rice paddy.

• Green Discovery, +85686211484. 8AM-21AM. Offers up to three days trekking trips, the price is a bit more expensive than in the tourist office. They also offer kayaking and other activities. $.
• Luang Namtha Tourism Department. Offers up to four days trekking for an average of US$30 per day. Groups can be from 4-8 people and the cost per person drops the more participants there are. Other activities offered include kayaking.
• The Hiker, 3A, Luang Namtha main street,, +85686212343. 8AM-21PM. The Hiker is a Community-Based Eco-tours travel agency offering premium level adventure tours including trekking, Kayaking, Mountain biking, cultural immersion, in Luang Namtha, Laos. $.
• Discoveringlaos, 3A, Main street., +856 86 212 047. 8AM-21AM. Discovering Laos is a family held eco-tour operator in Luang Namtha, in the north of Laos, Discovering Laos is own and managed by Vanxai. He has been himself a guide in the Nam Ha National Park for several years and a trekking coordinator for a major eco-tourism agency in Laos. He opens Namtha River Experience in 2009. $.

Green Discovery, +85686211484. 8AM-21AM. Offers up to three days trekking trips, the price is a bit more expensive than in the tourist office. They also offer kayaking and other activities. $.

Luang Namtha Tourism Department. Offers up to four days trekking for an average of US$30 per day. Groups can be from 4-8 people and the cost per person drops the more participants there are. Other activities offered include kayaking.

The Hiker, 3A, Luang Namtha main street,, +85686212343. 8AM-21PM. The Hiker is a Community-Based Eco-tours travel agency offering premium level adventure tours including trekking, Kayaking, Mountain biking, cultural immersion, in Luang Namtha, Laos. $.

Discoveringlaos, 3A, Main street., +856 86 212 047. 8AM-21AM. Discovering Laos is a family held eco-tour operator in Luang Namtha, in the north of Laos, Discovering Laos is own and managed by Vanxai. He has been himself a guide in the Nam Ha National Park for several years and a trekking coordinator for a major eco-tourism agency in Laos. He opens Namtha River Experience in 2009. $.

You can also take a tuk-tuk or bicycle and just go independently to some of the villages which are next to the roads and not in the jungle. A mountain-bike rental from a good shop will provide you with a not-to-scale map over villages and a nice waterfall. The surroundings are really pretty to cycle about in.

The quality of bicycling on the road from Luang Namtha to the Chinese border is excellent. The road is completely sealed with little or no traffic along the way. The route from Luang Namtha to Boten round trip is approximately 120 km long and passes through Laotian hill country and rice fields. The grades range from flat to moderate with one 2 km 10% grade stretch. Welcomes along the way are great.

With a motorbike, you can travel around to see the beautiful countryside and visit the villages in and around Luang Namtha (e.g., closer to Muang Nalae, Vieng Phouka or Muang Sing). The road to Muang Sing takes about 2 hours and makes for a beautiful journey.

Then there a number of waterfalls to be seen. Close by Namtha town is the Nam Dee waterfall and near Muang Sing is the Gneung Phou Ku Lom waterfall.

There are several herbal saunas in Luang Namtha, the most popular being the one next to the Panda Restaurant, down the lane from the Lao Airlines office. It's a very simple rickety shack, but easy to spot (look for the stove) and equipped with separate male/female saunas, a changing room and lockers. The tourist price is 10,000 kip, with optional massages for 30,000 kip. The newest massage and sauna is down the driveway of Minority Restaurant, the standard is slightly higher than some others.

Last but not least, if you liked what you saw, leave a compliment at the People's Complaint Box in front of city hall!

Money: There are two banks and one post office offering change for cash and travellers' cheques, all in the main street the bank next to the tourism office change travellers for 3% commission (minimum of US$3). Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Laos [BCEL] now has an ATM, but all-too-often, patrons complain of non-delivery of the cash. All BCEL ATM's have a 20,000 kip ATM service charge (which is one of the lowest in the country) and low transaction limit (1,500,000 kip).

The biggest supermarket of Luang Namtha offering everything from food over laundry detergent to digital SLR cameras is hidden in the second street parallel to the main street west of the nightmarket.

There are three sisters of the Akha tribe who travel from Muang Sing every day to sell their crafts and agricultural products (opium and ganja) to falang. They are difficult to get rid of, and may follow you around town. Enjoy a bilingual conversation with them, it's great fun.

Eating options in Luang Namtha are decent, but pretty much all restaurants serve the same menu of Lao, Thai, and ersatz Western dishes at the same prices.

The night market is a good choice if you want to try something new after being on pad Thai and sticky rice for a while. Lao market traders are learning that Westerners readily buy their prepared meals, and so there is an option to supplement household income (when the rice paddy isn't otherwise consuming their time). The range on offer runs from soups, laab, BBQ chicken, beer, good Lao coffee, and various fruits. During daytime, the good Lao food is always on offer at the normal daytime market (opposite songthaew bus station). Fried banana with coconut, 1,000 kip; corn on the cob, 500 kip; fruit shake, 5,000 kip; noodle soup, 5,000 kip; ready-made dishes, 5,000 kip

• Chinese Restaurants. Two Chinese restaurants which are operated by Chinese who speak little English. There is no menu and you can only order by selecting your dishes in their kitchen. Dishes are a bit oily and the serving style is either plain or spicy. The taste is OK and the pricing is far better than at the restaurants in town.
• Coffee House. Open eatery with a comprehensive Thai menu, lattes and cappuccini, great fruit shakes, plus friendly atmosphere.
• Lai's Place. Delicious, using fresh ingredients and reasonably priced. Try the peanut Jaeow with sticky rice and vegetables, which is a savoury, herbaceous dip. The fried tofu and vegetables with red curry is very good as well.
• Minority Restaurant. This little joint is run by a husband and wife from the Black Tai (Tai Dam) tribe and specializes in tribal cuisine, with Tai Dam, Akha and Lisu dishes on offer. The menu also covers banana pancakes, French fries and other dishes for the Western palate. Vegetarian and vegan selections. Boasts "No MSG" in their dishes.
• Rambo Fusion. Delicious Korean BBQ, popular with locals. A portion (30,000-50,000 kip) serves 2 people.

Chinese Restaurants. Two Chinese restaurants which are operated by Chinese who speak little English. There is no menu and you can only order by selecting your dishes in their kitchen. Dishes are a bit oily and the serving style is either plain or spicy. The taste is OK and the pricing is far better than at the restaurants in town.

Coffee House. Open eatery with a comprehensive Thai menu, lattes and cappuccini, great fruit shakes, plus friendly atmosphere.

Lai's Place. Delicious, using fresh ingredients and reasonably priced. Try the peanut Jaeow with sticky rice and vegetables, which is a savoury, herbaceous dip. The fried tofu and vegetables with red curry is very good as well.

Minority Restaurant. This little joint is run by a husband and wife from the Black Tai (Tai Dam) tribe and specializes in tribal cuisine, with Tai Dam, Akha and Lisu dishes on offer. The menu also covers banana pancakes, French fries and other dishes for the Western palate. Vegetarian and vegan selections. Boasts "No MSG" in their dishes.

Rambo Fusion. Delicious Korean BBQ, popular with locals. A portion (30,000-50,000 kip) serves 2 people.

Luang Nam Tha is not a party town. Places must close by 11PM, but it's easy to find a cold Beerlao.

• Bamboo Lounge at Forest Retreat. Kiwi-run. Breakfast menu: baked beans, jaffles, best coffee. Offers cocktails. Wi-Fi. Offers trekking and kayak tours.
• Manychan Guesthouse. Closes at 10:30PM. Probably the most popular place in town, has a dedicated bar on the 2nd floor above the restaurant.

Bamboo Lounge at Forest Retreat. Kiwi-run. Breakfast menu: baked beans, jaffles, best coffee. Offers cocktails. Wi-Fi. Offers trekking and kayak tours.

Manychan Guesthouse. Closes at 10:30PM. Probably the most popular place in town, has a dedicated bar on the 2nd floor above the restaurant.

There are a few Internet cafes along the main guesthouse strip charging 200 kip per minute. Internet speeds vary. Many guesthouses and restaurants offer free Wi-Fi.

There is a bus station about 10 km south of the city centre It is readily accessible by tuk-tuk and should cost about 10,000 kip/person. Bus tickets can be bought at the bus station. If you buy tickets at a travel agency, they will charge about 10,000 kip commission/person and 20,000 kip/person for the tuk-tuk. The tuk-tuk driver will buy the bus tickets for you when you reach the bus station. Needless to say, it is far cheaper to buy the tickets at the bus station yourself, and barely any harder. There is a small guest house and travel snacks at the bus station.

• Boten border with China, buses 8AM, 9:30AM, 11AM, 12:30PM, 2PM, 3:30PM, 25,000 kip, 1 hour.
• Dien Bien Phu (Vietnam): 7:30AM 130,000 kip.
• Huay Xai, for the Thai border and Mekong cruises down to Luang Prabang. 75,000 kip including tuk-tuk to the bus station. 3 buses a day: 8:30AM, 12:00 noon, 2:30PM, 60,000 kip. Marked as "Bokeo" at the bus station. With the morning bus, you'll end up at Huay Xai bus station around 1PM, with plenty of time for onward travel in (and, likely, a few fellow travelers going to) Thailand. if that's your purpose - it even may be possible to reach Chiang Mai (465 km total distance) on the same day using public transportation, although a stopover at Huay Xai, Chiang Khong across the border, and/or Chiang Rai is highly recommended.
• Jinghong, (Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China): There is a daily bus Jinghong (through Mengla) leaving at 8:00AM from the 10 km south bus station, 90,000 kip.
• Luang Prabang, One bus daily leaving Luang Namtha at 9AM (72,000 kip).
• Mengla, first Chinese city after crossing into China's province of Yunnan. 8:00AM, 50,000 kip.
• Muang Sing, from the bus station in the town proper.
• Muang Xay (Udomxai). 8:30AM, 12:00 noon, 2:30PM, 40,000 kip.
• Nong Khiaw The 9AM bus to Nong Khiaw have been added recently (2017) to the schedule, the price on the board is stated as 100,000 kip, as well as the price paid in the opposite direction (7-8 people). In case this service isn't available, catch the 9AM bus to Luang Prabang and get off at Pak Mong bus station. From there (32 km to Nong Khiaw), you'll need to take a tuk-tuk. They charge a minimum of 120,000, so the price varies by the number of people. There seems to be a scheduled songthaew/tuk-tuk few times a day as well, they charge flat 25,000 kip/person, but you may have to wait for a few hours if you're unlucky.