Vieng Xai

About an hour by tuk tuk from Sam Neua is the small town of Vieng Xai. It is set among beautiful karst limestone mountains that rise out of the rice fields like hulking monoliths.

During the Secret War this area was the seat of command for the most powerful members of the Pathet Lao, the nationalist party that won the war and now runs the country. The caves are the major reason for visiting Vieng Xai, either staying overnight or traveling as part of a package from Sam Neua.

It is not possible to see the caves without a government guide, so you'll need to swing by Vieng Xai Cave Visitor Centre, just past town heading toward the largest limestone mountains. Tours can be arranged on arrival, but they will only depart tours between 09:00 and 11:00 and after lunch at 13:00 until 16:00.

Done on foot, with a guide of good English-speaking ability, the tour takes you into the caves of the most important government leaders, including Prince Souvannaphoum and the venerated Kaysone. The dank, dark rooms are a stark reminder of the hardships these people were prepared to endure to fight for their country.

Freestanding houses at the entrances to each cave, in use from when the bombing stopped in 1972-3 until the capital was established in Vientiane in 1979, merely reinforce how suffocating it must have been to live enclosed by concrete for all those years.

Orientation
There are no internet cafes in town, but there is a post office.

Money can be changed at the China Market, next to the traditional market. Head for the motorcycle shop and wave your money around, the folks will comprehend.

At feeding time, the Naxay Restaurant has an exclusively Lao manu of dubious quality and virtue. The prices are also a little steep, however it is the only restaurant in the area of the guest houses. There is a loud karaoke system which will annoy in daylight hours because of the ridiculous volume.