Laos - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 377

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called Phou Salato. Nearly a hundred jars
are scattered across the twin hills here,
lending the site the name Hai Hin Phou
Salato (“Salato Hill Stone Jar”).

entering from hailand travel straight to
Luang Prabang from here, via slow boat
along the Mekong , but if you've got time,
the north rewards further exploration.

Site 3
Site 3 (10,000K), the most atmospheric
of the three sites, lies 4km up the road
from Site 2, just beyond the village of
Ban Xieng Di. Here you'll see Wat Xieng
Di, a simple wooden monastery that
holds a bomb-damaged Buddha. A path
at the back of the monastery leads up a
hill through several fields to the site,
Hai Hin Lat Khai , where there are more
than a hundred jars on a hillside with
sweeping views of the plain below.

NONG KHIAW
Resting at the foot of a striking red-faced
cliff, amid towering blue-green limestone
escarpments, the dusty town of NONG
KHIAW on the banks of the Nam Ou
River lies smack in the middle of some of
the most dramatic scenery in Indochina.
Part of Nong Khiaw's attraction has
always lain in reaching the town itself
- the eight-hour journey up the
picturesque Nam Ou from Luang
Prabang is one of the best river journeys
in Laos. Unfortunately, boat trips were
suspended in late 2013 owing to work on
a Chinese-constructed dam, one of seven
that will radically change life along the
Nam Ou over the next decade; services
were rumoured to resume by mid-2014.
Although the old town stretches for
1km parallel to the main highway, most
of Nong Khiaw's tourist facilities are
located by the big bridge over the Nam
Ou. At the northern end of the bridge,
you'll find the boat mooring, a few
guesthouses and the more local side of
town. Across the bridge, on the opposite
bank, are the majority of guesthouses
and restaurants.
A five-minute walk south of the bridge,
a path leads off the main road up through
thick jungle to the stunning Nong Khiaw
View Point (daily 6.30am-3.30pm;
20,000K) atop Phou Phadeng, a tough
but rewarding ninety-minute climb;
bring suitable footwear. A further 2.5km
walk or cycle will take you to the
atmospheric Pathok Caves (daily
7am-5pm; 5000K), where villagers hid
during the Second Indochina War - take
a torch, as they are very dark.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus The bus station is a 15min walk from the bridge,
on the northwestern edge of town. All buses depart from
here, though a minibus comes down to the boat landing
to meet boats from Muang Ngoi, and will take passengers
up to the bus station. Most guesthouses also offer minibus
services, which include pick-up from where you're staying.

The far north
Until recently, decades of war and neglect
had kept Laos's isolated far north from
developing, unwittingly preserving a way
of life that has virtually vanished in
neighbouring countries. Although inward
investment from China is beginning to
transform the landscape with large-scale
agriculture and dam projects, the hills
and mountains up here remain the
domain of a scattering of animist tribal
peoples , including the Hmong, Mien
and Akha. It is largely the chance to
experience first-hand these near-pristine
cultures that draws visitors to the
region today.
By far the most popular route out of
Luang Prabang is by road or (if services
are running) by river to Nong Khiaw ,
perhaps with a side-trip to tiny Muang
Ngoi , then through Oudomxai to Luang
Namtha , a popular base for trekking,
owing to decent accommodation and
easy access to Akha, Mien and Tai Dam
villages. Travellers en route to Vietnam are
able to cross at Tay Trang, accessible by
bus from Muang Khoua (see box, p.382),
and those bound for China are able to
cross at Boten, reached by bus from
Luang Namtha or Oudomxai. From
Luang Namtha, it's just a few hours on a
fast road to Houayxai , a major border
crossing with hailand. Many travellers