Northern Laos - where to visit, what to do?

The hubby and I will be traveling in SE Asia this fall - not sure yet if we%26#39;ll be spending 1, 2 or more weeks in Laos. We definitely want to spend several days each in Vientiane, LP, likely VV and also the Plain of Jars.

Has anyone been north of LP? Is it mostly trekking and visiting villages? Where are the best villages to visit and how long does it take to get there? Is it worth going far into the north or just taking day trips from LP?

Many thanks for any thoughts/advice!

Northern Laos - where to visit, what to do?

Greetings from across the bezerkly bay.

Anyways, you could easily spend up to 3 weeks in northen Laos and still not see it all but IMO, the north has got a lot to offer. Not just Luang Prabang, which could easily take 3-4days to regenerate the body/soul after several weeks of ruffing it in the countryside. But the countryside is where you%26#39;ll get the best experiences of Laos unless you%26#39;re into cosmopolitan travel wherein you sit around a pool exchanging travel stories.

I%26#39;d highly recommend a river journey up the Nam Ou and you could even start from LP all the way to near Vietnam%26#39;s Dien Bien Phu to destinations such as Nong Khiaw, Moung Ngoi or Muang Khua (a staging area for the north vietnamese army in the %26#39;taking%26#39; of DBP.

Other destinations in the north of Laos are the trekking areas around Luang Namtha and Muang Sing (but I recommend Muang Long), or going east along Route 1 from Nong Khiaw towards Sam Neua (no not Half Moon Bay) where the Pahtet Lao based their operations from caves to fight the gringos proxy.

Also within a day%26#39;s reach of Vieng Xai is Phonsavan ahd the Plain of mysterious Jars (also one of the most heavily bombed areas). Then there%26#39;s also Sayaboury/Sayabouily province which is the %26#39;home%26#39; of the elephant.

Northern Laos - where to visit, what to do?

Thank you! We%26#39;re up for some adventure so the boat trip sounds great. Plain of Jars too.

Re boat trips, can anyone provide web sites of travel agencies that offer boat trips and other trips? Is there a tour operator similiar to Sinh Cafe in Vietnam that offer various tours within the country?

Or would this per arrange personally by buying tickets on commercial boats?

Thanks

Trvlr888 - I agree fully with Seagypsy - I spend a lot of time working in the north and it is my favourite area of Laos.

There are some good 1-3 day treks out of Luang Namtha and now that the new aorport is open it is quick to get to from Vientiane or LP. Muang Sing is only a 90 minute bus from luang namtha and also has trekking opportunities and an interesting hill tribe museum. Treks in both towns can be organised by guesthouses or agencies on the main road.

In Oudomxai province there are several nice small towns along the Nam Ou valley, Ngoi, Nambak, Nong Khiaw to name a few. Ngoi is my favourite, and only recently beginning to develop tourism on the back of the boat trips to LP (it now has its first indian restaurant, the global tourism indicator).

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