Northern Lao

Northern Lao is a funny place... like stepping into a time-machine that whisks you back to the Lao of 20 years ago. Much like Southern Lao, the people in the North tend to take things... really... easy. Take, for instance, the 7am bus that was to travel 8hrs to the Thai border crossing. There was, contrary to the posted schedule, no 7am bus... the next bus was at 9:30am. But... the 9:30am bus doesn't leave until 10:30am, which doesn't get to the Thai border until 6:30pm. And, since the immigration office closes at 6pm, you'll need to stay an extra night in Lao. Oh, but your visa expires today? That's a bummer... just pay the (gulp) $10 fine at immigration tomorrow morning when it opens at 8am. Don't sweat it. I didn't.

The winding, bumpy dirt roads can be nerve rattling, but that's what riding the time-machine feels like. Instead of the expansive Mekong River, the northern "cities" of Luang Nam Tha and Muang Sing are surrounded by rolling mountains and endless rice paddies.

The towns aren't especially charming, though the people are. What really draws you here is the nearby Nam Ha National Park. The eco-tourism in Lao is in it's infancy, and unlike many of the guiding companies in Thailand, Lao has done an incredible job of developing an eco-tourism industry that is culturally sensitive and responsible in its interactions with the hill-tribes that reside within the Nam Ha N.P.

A 2-day guided trek will allow you to visit, and not intrude upon, the Kamu and Hmong tribes that reside in small villages that can only be reached on foot or small boat. More than 50% of the money you pay the government sponsored Eco-tourism Project goes directly to the villages. The group I went with included Caro (Aussie), Lucy (Brit), and our two guides Tah and Noi. Groups are kept small, and visitations are staggered to minimize the intrusiveness of Western visitors.

The villages have no electricity, running water, or roads. They are self-sustaining communities who grow the rice, vegetables, and fruit that they need. Animals (pig, chicken, and dogs) roam the village freely... they are all considered communal food, and no one takes ownership. The hill-tribe villages we visited were clearly accustomed to seeing Western trekkers; however, they did not seem to resent our presence. Children were coy and shy, later becoming curious and playful. Adults were friendly or indifferent.

When not trekking, my time in Northern Lao was spent bicycling around the dirt roads that snaked their way through rice paddies... there's little else to do besides eat, read, and sleep. I enjoyed my time immensely.


A one-cylinder "truck" parked along a dirt road leading out of Luang Nam Tha.
Our guides, Noi (left) and Tha as we return from our trek.
Caro carried one of those old-school Polaroid cameras, giving away pictures to the Kamu kids. Many had never had seen a picture of themselves. What a sight... a dozen kids laughing and shaking their Polaroids.
Kamu children.
Hmong children.
I told her the one about the Priest, lawyer and scientist who walked into a bar and...
One last rice paddy pic.