Sam Neua

Hua Phan rivals 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. The going is slow in Hua Phan.

During Pathet Lao times, the provincial capital of 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 sits in a small picturesque valley, a town of white concrete houses topped with red roofs, surrounded, by the vibrant green of young rice fields and the grey-green of the mountains. The town is famous for two major reasons.

Firstly, for the beauty and originality of the locally-woven fabrics, which are sought after by women all over Laos, and are now to be found as the most eye-catching and beautifully crafted pieces in markets and shops countrywide.

 

Secondly, Sam Neua is perfect as a base for exploring nearby Vieng Xai, where the current government lived, worked and ran the war from inside caves deep in stunning karst limestone cliffs from 1964 to 1975. A number of these caves are open for visitors, so with an official guide you can see their stark living environments and the dark, damp conditions they had to put up with to avoid being bombed. After the war, a number of so-called re-education camps were established in the region, where members of the old regime were "rehabilitated". Most camps were closed down by 1989, but it is believed two may two still be in operation near Sop Hao and the Vietnamese border.

Not too many foreign tourists visit Sam Neua, so infrastructure is not as developed as in other Lao towns. There is, however, quite a number of decent guesthouses, and a limited selection of restaurants.

It's definitely worth a visit if you're interested in visiting the caves or as part of a tough travelling loop across the rooftop of Indochina.

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