Luang Namtha Rounds out the whl.travel Coverage of Laos

whl.travel
30 June 2010

Lounging peacefully on the banks of the Nam Tha River in northern Laos is the city of Luang Namtha, the leading city in the province of the same name. Although widely considered a stopover town for backpackers travelling between China and Laos, Luang Namtha is a great destination on its own for anyone interested in a more rugged and mountainous version of Laos. Richly endowed with Mother Nature’s finest, the province is blessed with virgin rainforests, flowing waterfalls and a thriving biodiversity of both flora and fauna.

Children from one of many ethnic minority groups look on happily from their home near Muang Sing in Luang Namtha Province (photo by Stanislas Fradelizi)

Luang Namtha is gaining particular notoriety for its hill treks, as the area is home to 39 ethnic groups, each with a distinct culture, dialect and lifestyle. Many of the tours in Luang Namtha allow travellers to immerse themselves in the activities of different villages; they can live, breathe and even eat with the locals. One special highlight is a day tour in the Nam Ha Protected Area – 200,000 hectares of forestland, 104 villages and hundreds of species of endangered animals and plants. Another amazing place off the regular tourist trail is the small town of Vieng Phouka. A trek to this town includes an introduction to the limestone caves and animals in the area, plus the many area tribes. For the more active travellers, a biking tour to the picturesque town of Muang Sing is a great opportunity to meet and greet the different cultural minorities two hours closer to the Chinese border.

At the top of the list of things to see and do in Luang Namtha are appreciation of authentic Lao cuisine and shopping for locally made souvenirs, two activities that also support the local economy. Of course, enjoying the hospitality in the great-value Luang Namtha hotels and guesthouses is another.

The last rays of the day's sunshine fall across Luang Namtha's beautiful paddy fields, a common sight throughout Laos (photo by Stanislas Fradelizi)

Lee Sheridan and his team at Teamworkz Consulting have once again expertly assembled a selection of accommodation and tour choices in Luang Namtha. “Teamworkz are very happy to have launched the Luang Namtha website and hope to be able to both generate more business for our partners in Luang Namtha and raise the general profile of this fantastic destination – the leading province in Laos for ecotourism,” said Sheridan. “Luang Namtha marks our sixth site in Laos, and Teamworkz continue to lead the way in promoting tourism in Laos via our multitude of online channels. We are very excited for the prospect of our partners in 2011 and beyond.”

Luang-namtha-hotels.com rounds out the whl.travel coverage in the beautiful land of Laos, following Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Champasak and Xieng Khouang.