Muang Khua sits on the bank of the Nam Ou River, near the mouth of the Nam Phak. It is a beautiful, peaceful spot halfway up the river between Nong Kiaow and Phongsali. This is the main reason foreigners visit: to experience the beauty and serenity of this spectacular journey. Muang Khua itself is rarely a destination in its own right but nevertheless quite a few things can be seen and done locally, and you're fairly guaranteed to be, if not the only, then one of just a few foreigners in town.

For those interested in trekking, the region is a great place to explore for a few days. Untouched and rarely visited mountains which were once part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail are now host to a number of hilltribe villages.

The town can sometimes be a little cold and unfriendly, particularly compared with the rest of Laos, and the mounds of rubbish that have been dumped by the river's edge are off-putting. But if you stick around and wander the small side alleys, or trek through the mountains, you may discover a side to Muang Khua not easily visible at first glance. Muang Khua is a great place to go if you want to step off the road well-travelled, without going to far off the track.