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Travel Laos Luang Namtha Luang Namtha (Luang Namtha)
Project gen by hotsia
Luang Namtha (Luang Namtha) http://www.hotsia.com > Mr.Hotsia Trip Traveling Luang Namtha, Muang Sing, Muang Long, Chiang Kok, Exploring Luang Namtha City, Evening Market and Night Market Luang Namtha, Delicious Food in Luang Namtha, Luang Namtha Bus Station, Delicious Pho Restaurant in Luang Namtha, Luang Namtha Market 2013, Muang Sing Morning Market, Muang Sing Evening Market, Authentic Lue Fermented Rice, Muang Sing Bus Station, Traveling to Laos. I traveled from Huay Sai, Bokeo Province by a regular non-air-conditioned bus.
The weather was comfortably cool and Laos has no air-conditioned buses on this route. Along the way, the bus stopped twice by the roadside for bathroom breaks. Both men and women found suitable spots according to their preference. Lao women usually wear sinh skirts, which makes it easier and more discreet to relieve themselves as the skirt covers them. The bus arrived at Luang Namtha Bus Station around 4-5 PM (departed Huay Sai at 12:30 PM). From the bus station, you need to take a tuk-tuk into Luang Namtha town, which is about 7 kilometers away.
The tuk-tuk fare is about 20,000 kip. Luang Namtha is an important transit town in Laos because from here you can continue by bus to Yunnan, China, Xishuangbanna, and Jinghong. Most tourists visiting Luang Namtha, especially Westerners, buy tours to visit hill tribe villages, offered by several companies. Northern Laos and Luang Namtha have many ethnic groups living closely with nature. I plan to stay here and visit hill tribe villages to experience life in Laos for a while.
I like the atmosphere of Luang Namtha. Besides buying tours for trekking, rafting, and elephant rides in the forests around Luang Namtha, you can also explore the town itself. Luang Namtha is a peaceful, clean, and very pleasant town to stay in. Although it is not a World Heritage site like Luang Prabang, lacking old houses, ancient temples, and beautiful riverside views, its atmosphere is just as charming. The town also has an evening/night market, with signs in English saying "Night Market."
This market operates from the afternoon until around 8-9 PM. I will write more about it later. Besides the market, there are temples and the Luang Namtha Stupa. The stupa is located on a high hill, accessible by a walking trail for exercise and sightseeing, offering beautiful views of Luang Namtha town. This stupa was built in 2008. In the past 4-5 years, Laos has built at least three stupas: one in Luang Namtha, and others in Phongsaly and Oudomxay (Muang Xay).
From what I have seen, the Luang Namtha stupa is the largest. Houses in Luang Namtha look like this. Students walk to school. Exploring Luang Namtha’s atmosphere can be done on foot around the town, but renting a bicycle helps you explore alleys without getting tired. I recommend renting a bicycle for about 10 baht per hour, much cheaper than in Luang Prabang (50-100 baht). Renting a motorcycle in Luang Namtha costs about 200 baht per day.
If you don’t plan to travel far to hill tribe villages, a bicycle is sufficient. Looking at the map, Luang Namtha is located north of Chiang Rai, so the weather is cooler than Chiang Rai, the northernmost city of Thailand. The cost of living here is low. Accommodation costs about 200 baht per room, and food is cheaper than other places. For example, Lao Beer sells for 10,000 kip nationwide, but here it’s only 9,000 kip or 36 baht. I enjoyed walking around greeting and chatting with locals from house to house.
The locals are very friendly. I highly recommend visiting this town. Luang Namtha is similar to Pai in Thailand in many ways: the Nam Tha River flows through it, surrounded by mountains, a valley town. Various ethnic groups come to shop in the town, but Luang Namtha remains peaceful with fewer tourists than Pai. Accommodation is cheaper, the weather cooler, and Lao women, whether young girls, women, or elderly, all wear sinh skirts.
At all school levels, students must wear sinh skirts to school. On my tuk-tuk ride from Luang Namtha Bus Station to town, I saw students riding motorcycles wearing sinh skirts returning from school. It was a very atmospheric sight. Wearing a sinh skirt (called 'pha thong' by Thais) is safe for riding motorcycles, safer than short skirts because you don’t have to hold the skirt to cover yourself. Wearing a sinh skirt allows safe motorcycle riding. Luang Namtha is close to China,
which attracts more Chinese tourists than Thai tourists. This has led to many Chinese restaurants. Chinese people eat steamed rice, so finding steamed rice here is easy. There are also several pho restaurants, or you can buy food from the evening market at good prices. At night, there are food stalls open, such as the Banana restaurant where I tried the food. The food was quite good. I enjoyed watching Thai TV dramas while eating and chatting with the cook about the shows, which was fun. This restaurant was where I had a delicious dinner.
Backpackers need to secure their doors like this before sleeping. Backpacking means not bringing many clothes and washing them as you go. Most tourist towns offer laundry services charged by weight. In Luang Namtha, laundry costs 40 baht per kilogram, washed and folded but not ironed. This style of travel is economical, allows longer trips, and importantly, helps you connect with locals. Hotsia encourages friends to travel independently like me more often.
If you’re not confident yet, I recommend the book "Backpack Asia" written by a top Thai backpacker named Marpin. Try reading it and travel independently like me; you’ll enjoy it. I hope this gives you enough travel information about Luang Namtha. Today I finished eating at Banana restaurant. Tomorrow I will take you to the morning and evening markets of Luang Namtha.... Mr.Hotsia mr.hotsia recommends hotels in Luang Namtha on the road from Luang Namtha Bus Station into town.
Luang Namtha Night Market - Easy to find food here, mostly grilled skewers. View from the stupa down to Luang Namtha. Traditional Lao food in Luang Namtha. The Bank of Laos has ATMs here. Accommodation like this costs 200 baht per night. Night atmosphere in Luang Namtha. Banana restaurant where I ate. I woke early and walked to the stupa, passing a school first. Samakkhi Thai Temple is on the way up to the stupa. I wonder why it has this name. View from the top of Luang Namtha Stupa.
Sweet desserts at Luang Namtha night market. In front of the stupa is a statue of ethnic groups. Photo with tall Lao tribes before the real trip next time. Walking down from the stupa is a school football field. Map of Luang Namtha town. Map inside Luang Namtha town. Luang Namtha route map.
