Destination: Laos
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Northern Wilderness
TWO TO THREE WEEKS/LUANG NAM THA TO XIENG KHUANG
Visit caverns, traditional villages and mysterious relics on this adventure which takes you along 588km of high, winding road which crosses many rivers and streams. Add 92km for the detour to Sam Neua.
This route explores the mountains and plateaus of the north. In Luang Nam Tha Province visit the Nam Ha National Protected Area or trek through hill-tribe villages near Muang Sing and Muang Long.
Head southeast from Luang Nam Tha and kick back in Nong Khiaw , soaking up northern Lao life along the Nam Ou and taking hikes to limestone caves. Crossing the Nam Ou, climb higher into the Annamite Chain through Hmong villages till you reach remote Sam Neua. Near here the communist Pathet Lao, with help from the North Vietnamese Army, took shelter in huge caverns in Vieng Xai and mounted a successful campaign to seize the former Royal Government of Laos. Sam Neua is also known for intricately patterned, hand-woven textiles.
South of Sam Neua en route to Nam Noen stands Suan Hin, where ancient megaliths are arranged in patterns that remain a total enigma to locals and scholars alike.
From Sam Neua a lengthy road trip southwest leads to Phonsavan, the fast-growing capital of Xieng Khuang Province. Here one of the main attractions is a large plateau scattered with hundreds of monumental lidded stone jars known as the Plain of Jars.
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