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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. The going is slow in Hua Phan.
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.
Hua Phan gets only the most determined travellers passing through, as the going is slow and the delays common. Nevertheless many find it a very rewarding part of the country -- certainly one of the least-touristed parts of Laos.
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, from 1964 to 1975, the Pathet Lao lived, worked and ran the war from inside caves deep in stunning karst limestone cliffs. 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.
Here are some discussions off the Travelfish forum, perhaps related to Sam Neua. You can find the full forum here.
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