TrekPhongsali.com

Tel Code: 088
Pop: 25,000
Elevation: 1400m

Enclosed on three sides by China and Vietnam, Phongsali is a visual feast, kept pristine by arduous journeys and unwieldy terrain. The road north from Udomxai ribbons around infinite hills; their lush counterparts cascading into the distance beyond the line of sight In parts the forest is so congested that vines and trees clamor on top of each other in competitive and glorious mayhem. Tiny baan appear around random bends, tumbling down dusty slopes, and villagers are still a little flummoxed at the sight of foreigners. This will change if road conditions ever improve, but for now this neck of the country remains relatively remote to the tourist trail.

Phongsali’s population density is just 9.4 per square kilometre, the lowest in the country after Sekong and Attapeu Provinces. Twenty-two ethnicities make up the province’s population of approximately 166,000, among them Kheu, Sila, Lolo, Hanyi, Hmong, Pala, Oma, Eupa, Loma, Pusain Mien, Akha, Haw, Thai Dam, Thai Khao, Thai Lu, Phuan, Khamu, Phai, Vietnamese and Yunnanese. The Phu Noi (recognizable by their white leggings) are by far the most numerous, followed by the Thai Lu, Haw, Akha and Khamu. As in Udomxai ui Luang Nam Tha, the Chinese presence has increased steeply with recent road and construction development. In fact Chinese-style tea continues to replace poppy farm as a significant cash crop.

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Sights

The Museum of Tribes
Admission US$0.20 – Open: 8 – 11.30am & 1.30 – 4.30pm – Mon-Fri)
displays locally curated exhibits on the Phongsali Province’s diverse cultures.

If you wander through the town’s back- streets and alleys you’ll find some interesting old Phu Noi (similar to Tibetan) and Chinese brick-and-wood architecture.

The hike to the top of Phou Fa is glorious, if punishing, but the 400-odd stone steps are mercifully interrupted by shady rest areas. Towards the top is a grassy plateau with picnic tables and a carer’s residence – you need to pay him US$0.30/0.50/1 per person/ camera/video camera to climb the remaining steps to the summit. The dramatic views from the top show the town dissipating into  a hazy, hilly film.

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Sleeping

Yu Houa Guest House
Tel: 210186 – Room: US$3 – 5
This friendly Phu Noi-owned guesthouse near the bus terminal has plain but clean rooms. Those on the top floor have cold-water showers and Western toilets and those on the low levels share squat toilet bathrooms.

Sengsaly Guest House
Tel: 210165 – Room: US$3- 5
This small and simple guesthouse has rudimentary rooms with mosquito nets an attached bathrooms containing squat toile and scoop nientary Lao tea and the beds are dressed in warm covers.

Phongsali Hotel
Tel: 412042 – Room with/without bathroom US$3 – 5
The Chinese-bunt Phongsali Hotel, in a centrally located four-storey building, has austere but bright rooms owing to large windows – the upper storey rooms afford decent views. Most rooms have three beds and the most expensive have hot water. The whole place could do with a scrubbing, but it’s tidy. The staff are indifferent though.
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AIR
Lao Airlines
Tel: 210794 – Boun Neua airport
Operates a Y-12 to/from Vientiane (one way/return US$92/175, 1.5 hours, Thursday and Sunday) to Boun Neua, about 36km west of Phongsali on Rte 1B (the main road). You then need to wait for the bus heading to Phongsali from Udomxai, which arrives anywhere between 4pm and 6pm and costs US$5. You may also find a sawngthaew  to do the trip for a similar fare.

BOAT
Hat Sa can be reached by boat along the Nam Ou from Muang Khua. In Muang Khua you can choose between slow boats (US$10, six hours) and speedboats (US$13, three hours, departures depend on passenger demand), Either type of boat may be chartered from Muang Khua to Hat Sa for US$80 to US$100, carrying up to 15 passengers in a slow boat or six passengers in a speedboat. Bear in mind, however, that river traffic is sporadic and you may need to wait a day or two for passage. When the river level is low, particularly from March to May, the boat service may be canceled altogether. [...Read more]

UDOMXAI TO PHONGSALI
Sixty-two kilometers northeast of Udomxai, Rte 2E reaches a three-way junction at the village of Pak Nam Noi. From Pak Nam Noi, Rte 3 continues east-northeast to Muang Khua and to the Vietnamese border, while route 1B proceeds north-northeast to Phongsali.

From Udomxai to Pak Nam Noi about two-thirds of the road is now sealed, and before long this entire stretch will no doubt be I sealed. On the way to Pak Nam Noi you’ll I pass through scenic Muang La (25km from Udomxai), a tidy Thai Lu village with a classic Thai Lu temple and a couple of restaurants built alongside a river.

In Pak Nam Noi the Pak Nam Noy Guest House (Room: US$2), near the three-way junction, can provide a room if you miss a bus connection and become stranded here.

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