Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha's museum, village rides and a Nam Ha homestay

Luang Namtha is the base for trekking in the Nam Ha protected area. Spend the first morning at the Luang Namtha Museum and comparing trek agencies' boards on the main road, rent a mountain bike to ride through the rice valley to nearby villages in the afternoon, then leave on a trek with a homestay.

Visit the Luang Namtha Museum for an introduction to the province and its peoples, then walk the main road comparing trek agencies and reading the sign-up boards outside each office. Book something for the next day. In the afternoon, rent a mountain bike and ride out through the flat rice valley to the villages around town, coming back in time for dinner at the night market.

Days two and three are for the Nam Ha National Protected Area. A two-day trek with a homestay in a hill village is the classic choice; some agencies add kayaking or cycling, and routes may pass waterfalls and stretches of jungle. Expect basic beds, early starts and simple village meals, and carry a head torch.

With a fourth day, take a semi-automatic motorbike towards Muang Sing or Vieng Phouka. The roads run through open countryside and villages, and you can set your own pace, stopping wherever a market or a view catches your eye. Aim to be back before dark.

Barbecued chicken after dark, fried banana by day

Most Luang Namtha restaurants share one menu of Lao, Thai and Western dishes at similar prices, so eat at the markets. At the night market, families cook soups, laap and barbecued chicken and brew good Lao coffee; by day, the ordinary market sells fried banana and seasonal fruit.

Restaurants in Luang Namtha tend to share one menu of Lao, Thai and approximate Western dishes at very similar prices, so the markets are where eating gets interesting.

By day, head for the ordinary market opposite the songthaew station. Here the snacks are cheap and very local: fried banana with coconut, grilled corn on the cob, fruit shakes and bowls of noodle soup. A breakfast of noodle soup here sets you up well for a day on the bike.

For Western comforts before a trek, Bamboo Lounge at the Forest Retreat, run by a New Zealander, serves breakfasts of baked beans and jaffles, strong coffee and evening cocktails. Nights are low-key: bars must close by 11 pm, and a cold Beerlao at a guesthouse is about as wild as it gets.

Choosing a trek in Nam Ha

Half a dozen agencies along Luang Namtha's main road sell broadly the same Nam Ha treks: one-day forest walks or two- and three-day treks with village homestays, sometimes with kayaking. Each posts a board showing which treks already have sign-ups, so pick one with a group forming to keep costs down.

At least half a dozen agencies sit along the main road within a block of the night market, and they sell broadly the same products: one-day forest walks, or two- and three-day treks with nights in hill-tribe villages, sometimes combined with kayaking or cycling. The more walkers in a group, the lower each share of the cost, so joining a trek that is nearly full is the obvious saving.

Prices for similar treks still differ between agencies, so compare at least three. Ask what is included, who guides, how large the group can get and, above all, how much of the fee reaches the villages you sleep in. A responsible operator answers that clearly.

Pack light layers, since mornings in the hills are cool even in the dry season (January lows average 12C in town), and wear proper walking shoes. From about May to October, when monthly rain tops 170 mm and reaches around 300 mm in July and August, trails turn muddy and leeches appear, so add leech socks and a waterproof bag for your phone.