Laos - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 374

route is by boat down the Mekong River
- boatmen congregate at the bottom of
Inthasone Road and at the tip of the
peninsula near Wat Xieng hong, and
charge 100,000K per person return (for six
people), which should include the final
portion of the journey by tuk-tuk.

downriver towards the city. It's a bit of a
tourist trap, but once you've seen a cave
full of Buddhas you may be ready for a
good, stiff drink.

5

The northeast
Once di cult to reach and still short on
proper tourist sites, the remote northeast
is one of the least-visited parts of Laos.
his area was heavily bombed during the
Second Indochina War, particularly at
the strategic Plain of Jars , which takes its
name from the fields of ancient, giant
funerary urns which are now the
northeast's main tourist draw. Few
travellers make it here, unless en route to
or from Vietnam - either at the crossing
near Ban Nong Het, near Phonsavan, or
at Na Meo, near Sam Neua.

The Pak Ou Caves and around
Numerous caves punctuate the limestone
cliffs around Pak Ou - the confluence of
the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. he
best-known caves are the “ Buddha
Caves ”, ham Ting and ham Phoum
(daily 8am-sunset; 20,000K). hey have
been used for centuries as a repository for
old and unwanted Buddha images that
can no longer be venerated on an altar,
and the hundreds upon hundreds of
serenely smiling images covered in
dust and cobwebs make an eerie scene.
Tham Ting , the lower cave, just above the
water's surface, is light enough to explore
without artificial light, but the upper cave
is unlit, so bring a torch.
Boat trips (70,000K/person) can be
arranged with the boatmen at the bottom
of Inthasone Road - most boats leave
around 8.30am. Later in the day you'll
need to charter one yourself (300,000K
per six-person boat, but be prepared to
haggle). It's possible to make the journey
by road, but there's little point as the boat
journey is at least half the fun.
Boatmen usually combine a visit to the
caves with a stop at Ban Xang Hai, the
so-called Whisky Village , some 6km back

PHONSAVAN
he capital of Xieng Khuang province ,
PHONSAVAN has emerged as the most
important town on the Plain of Jars since
the total devastation of the region in the
Second Indochina War. Hastily rebuilt in
the aftermath of decades of fighting,
Phonsavan is only now beginning to
recover economically, thanks in large
part to international interest in the
world-famous jar sites scattered around
the perimeter of the plain. Although
most visitors come only to see these,

INTO VIETNAM FROM THE NORTHEAST
There are two o cial border crossings into Vietnam from northeastern Laos, though both can
be long and slow-going.
NONG HET TO NAM CAN
The easiest way to cross in to Vietnam from Phonsavan is on the direct bus to Vinh , which
leaves Phonsavan's inter-provincial bus station at 6.30am each morning (except Tues), taking
around 10 hours to reach Vinh (150,000K), from where connections to Hanoi are available.
The border is open 6am-6pm daily, and to enter Vietnam you'll need to have arranged your
visa in advance.
NA MEO CROSSING FOR THANH HOA PROVINCE
To get to Na Meo from Sam Neua, the nearest big town, catch the daily sawngthaew (3hr;
50,000K) from Sam Neua's Nathong bus station. There's also a daily bus service to Thanh Hoa
from Sam Neua's main bus station, which takes nine hours (180,000K). Make sure you have
obtained your Vietnamese visa in advance.