Luang Namtha Area, Laos.
Luang Namtha Area, Laos.
Anyone know it?
My cousin is coming to stay and wants to go. Best explored on hired motos?
Also, since we both have a rather lamentable and long historical relationship with poppies, is that shit everywhere too? I'm hoping not. Well sort of.
My cousin is coming to stay and wants to go. Best explored on hired motos?
Also, since we both have a rather lamentable and long historical relationship with poppies, is that shit everywhere too? I'm hoping not. Well sort of.
- horace
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If it's anything like the rest of northern Laos then it's been deforested to fuck, full of Chinese building dams, and unfriendly locals.
k440, something to do when you're pissed.
- Lucky Lucan
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I was there in the late 90s. The city wasn't up to much, even then there were a lot of Chinese workers about. Muang Sing a bit north of it in the same province near the Chinese border was well known for treks as there are a lot of different hill-tribes around. There was a lot of poppy and weed stuff about, old ladies would walk up to you in the market at 6 am and stick little jars of it in your face. I went to a den one night but it was decrepit with loads of addicts. It was also well-known that the cops would regularly bust foreigners at these places and extort them. So after that I used to go into the forest with an Akha tribesman who was bald with a little rat-tail at the back, he's make up the bowls and I didn't feel so guilty as he never smoked himself. It was a bit tricky at times getting back home in the pitch black whacked-out.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
- Phuket2006
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How will you get up there? Not that interesting a town nor big, but u can get a pretty good meal at a restaurant run by some Americans, Good trekking if ur into walking, (https://www.greendiscoverylaos.com/ ) . IF you have the time head a bit up north and visit Muang Sing ( 60 kms) which has a great market with lots of hill tribes people visiting daily.
You wont see any poppies... I was there in 2012,2014,2016
You wont see any poppies... I was there in 2012,2014,2016
"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer." HST
- Lucky Lucan
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There's a road from Ban Huay Xai on the Thai border across the mountains, it wasn't surfaced when I was there so took 14 hours or something, it's probably less than half that now. There's a small airport there as well. It's a long drive from Luang Prabang/ Vientiane.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
Cool. Thank you guys.
Initially was thinking go in from Chiang Rai area but maybe car from Vientiane to Luang Prabang then hop on a flight and rent motos locally. Robbie don't bus. Lao Aviation give me the conniptions however so maybe.
Initially was thinking go in from Chiang Rai area but maybe car from Vientiane to Luang Prabang then hop on a flight and rent motos locally. Robbie don't bus. Lao Aviation give me the conniptions however so maybe.
- Phuket2006
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Are you driving? Thai car?
go up to Chiang Khong,cross over the bridge, 4-5 hours drive to Luang Namtha
IF you go via Vientiane make sure u stop in Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, parts of the road than to Luang Namtha are very bad,( average speed 25 ms/hour for about 80 kms.)
IF i were you i'd contact green discovery and ask about rental bikes, Laos has some strange laws about bikes..
go up to Chiang Khong,cross over the bridge, 4-5 hours drive to Luang Namtha
IF you go via Vientiane make sure u stop in Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, parts of the road than to Luang Namtha are very bad,( average speed 25 ms/hour for about 80 kms.)
IF i were you i'd contact green discovery and ask about rental bikes, Laos has some strange laws about bikes..
"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer." HST
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The Chinese might be exploiting the fuck out of the resources of Lao PDR, but they built a bloody excellent road through it to do so. Also, there is now a Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge over the Mekong at Huay Xai so now northern Thailand is swarming with self-drive Chinese tourists.Lucky Lucan wrote:There's a road from Ban Huay Xai on the Thai border across the mountains, it wasn't surfaced when I was there so took 14 hours or something, it's probably less than half that now. There's a small airport there as well. It's a long drive from Luang Prabang/ Vientiane.
In 2012 I stacked my bike on a gravel track in the wilderness northwest of Luang Namtha, right up in the corner country where Laos meets China and Myanmar. Broke my fucking scapula but still managed to ride 350 k's all the way back home to Chiang Rai. I'm fucken hard, me...
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- Phuket2006
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"Thailand is swarming with self-drive Chinese tourists."
USED to be, till they made it harder for them to drive in
USED to be, till they made it harder for them to drive in
"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer." HST
Like the Thai crossing suggestion, Phuket. Thanks.
And Randwick. Would you recommend it even for the less tough?
And Randwick. Would you recommend it even for the less tough?
You cannot ride a bike into Laos from Chiang Khong any more. Closest crossing is in Uttaradit.
- Phuket2006
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not true;Cope wrote:You cannot ride a bike into Laos from Chiang Khong any more. Closest crossing is in Uttaradit.
Consider renting bikes>>>>>If you're doing the North, then until the situation changes in Xayaboury province you basically have only 2 choices :
1. Chiang Khong / Houei Xai
2. Vientiane / Nong Khai.
Rent & ride across international borders only a few shops will let you take their bikes out of the country. You can try these shops
In Chiang Mai
Pop Motorcycle Rent
C&P Motorcycle Rent
In Chiang Rai
ST Motorcycle Rent
Chiang Rai Big Bikes CR Big Bikes also have provide a drop off & pick up service.
lots of info here,
https://www.gt-rider.com/se-asia-motorc ... ing-81268/
https://www.thegtrider.com/touring-info ... -crossings
"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer." HST
- John.Sweden
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Have been in Luangh Namtha at the end of January 2013.
Stayed in "Villa Hotel" along the main road. Chinese owned, but run by a helpfull young local family with two small kids. No Wi-FI then, but seems they have now. Budget option.
Also stayed in The Boat Landing, nice location but little bit remote.
I did a lot of cycling in the area. Very quiet en relaxing. During the day perfect weather. Early mornings grey and chilly.
Even Luang Prabang was quiet, except when I returned there was a Chinese invasion around Chinese New Year.
Ate most times in Manychan Guest House in the centre of LN.
Googled for some online maps with names of the minority villages. Was very helpfull.
The villages around Muang Sing have more colorful minorities. So worth to stay there also.
Stayed in "Villa Hotel" along the main road. Chinese owned, but run by a helpfull young local family with two small kids. No Wi-FI then, but seems they have now. Budget option.
Also stayed in The Boat Landing, nice location but little bit remote.
I did a lot of cycling in the area. Very quiet en relaxing. During the day perfect weather. Early mornings grey and chilly.
Even Luang Prabang was quiet, except when I returned there was a Chinese invasion around Chinese New Year.
Ate most times in Manychan Guest House in the centre of LN.
Googled for some online maps with names of the minority villages. Was very helpfull.
The villages around Muang Sing have more colorful minorities. So worth to stay there also.
No white man hides himself in the wilderness without a reason
Did the Lao clamp down on all drugs when Vang Vieng got out of hand or would that be due to the open Chinese border?Phuket2006 wrote:How will you get up there? Not that interesting a town nor big, but u can get a pretty good meal at a restaurant run by some Americans, Good trekking if ur into walking, (https://www.greendiscoverylaos.com/ ) . IF you have the time head a bit up north and visit Muang Sing ( 60 kms) which has a great market with lots of hill tribes people visiting daily.
You wont see any poppies... I was there in 2012,2014,2016
I remember paying some Akha women a few USD worth of kip in '96 to take us to a big field so we could harvest our own, good times
None but ourselves can free our mind.
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