Luang Nam Tha Guide - All you need to know
Surrounded by forested hills that remain lush even when the rest of the countryside is a dusty brown in the hot season, Luang Nam Tha is the touristiest town in Northern Laos, though it still has a quiet local charm.
Luang Nam Tha is a province in northern Laos. The region is on the bank of Tha River (Nam Tha). It capital is also Luang Nam Tha.
The province borders with Yunnan, China to the north, Oudomxay Province to the east and southeast, Bokeo Province to the southwest, and Kachin State, Burma to the northwest. The Mekong River (Nam Kong) constitutes the northwest border of the province.
The main roads in Luang Nam Tha Province connect Huay Xai in Bokeo with Luang Nam Tha town and Oudomxay with Boten. Boten is an important border crossing with China (Mohan), and provides an export route from China, via Xien Kok, loading from trucks into boats on the Mekong.
The history of Luang Nam Tha Province is traced to inhabitants who lived here about 6.000 years ago, evidenced by archaeological finds of stone implements discovered from the Nam Jook River Valley in Vieng Phoukha.
The province contains the Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area and is one of the main sugar cane and rubber producing areas of Laos with numerous plantations.
Surrounded by forested hills that remain lush even when the rest of the countryside is a dusty brown in the hot season, Luang Nam Tha is the touristiest town in Northern Laos, though it still has a quiet local charm.
It has developed as a sustainable cultural and eco-tourism destination with the help of neighboring countries, and several organizations including the European Union, UNESCO and the Lao National Tourism Administration. The eco-tourism activities involve trekking, river rafting, camping, kayaking, bird watching and mountain bike tours. Nowhere in Laos offers a better range of outdoor activities or organized 'eco treks' to get you into the region's forests and ethnically diverse villages.
The town is a popular base from which to access beautiful Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area, with a whole range of activities available, from rafting and kayaking on the Nam Tha, to exploring the surrounding area by bike and trekking to hill-tribe villages. Most of the tourist services are situated in the new town, 6 km north of the old town – exploring the latter gives an idea of what Luang Namtha was like before the advent of tourism. It’s a great place in which to hire a bicycle or motorbike – just a few kilometers’ ride will take you into small traditional dusty-street villages, surrounded by rice paddies and grazing buffalo.
In the town itself, the only formal attraction is the Luang Namtha Provincial Museum, now housed in Lao–Vietnam Friendship Centre, where you will find displays of traditional hill-tribe costumes and artifacts, a model depicting battles that took place in the area during the civil war and a rusty collection of weaponry.
There are a number of places offering Lao sauna and massage in town – the perfect way to relax after a few days’ trekking.
