Country scenery, Sam Neua, Northern Laos

Taken on: 1st November, 2012. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See travelfishery's page of Flickr

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Hua Phan and its capital Sam Neua rival Phongsali for the title of Laos' most remote province. Mountainous and particularly scenic, the province has a mish-mashed network of dirt and sealed roads and lacklustre public transport to match. Hua Phan is all about slow travel.

During Pathet Lao times, Sam Neua (also spelt Xam Nua) and the nearby caves at Vieng Xai formed the Pathet Lao capital, and it was here and in equally remote Phongsali, that the Pathet Lao forces regrouped after the Geneva Accord.

Sam Neua is primarily visited by those travelling to or from Vietnam, a shame as this province is worth a visit even for those not planning to head to Vietnam, especially when combining it with a visit to Phonsavan to make a loop that heads through Nong Kiaow.

Sam Neua sits in a small picturesque ... Read our complete Sam Neua travel guide

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