Luang Namtha, gateway to Nam Ha

Luang Namtha is a quiet valley town at 552 metres, surrounded by rice fields and forested hills. Most visitors come for one reason: the Nam Ha National Protected Area, 2,224 square kilometres of forest rising to 2,094 metres, designated in 1993 and expanded in 1999.

Trekking in Nam Ha was shaped by the Nam Ha Ecotourism Project, started in 1999 by UNESCO and the Lao National Tourism Administration. Its model is simple: trained guides from the villages lead the walks, groups stay small, villages receive fixed payments for meals and beds, and part of the income goes into community funds. At the time of the project's case study, 57 villages took part. The project won the Equator Prize in 2006.

This is not a place for long-distance hiking on marked trails. It is a place for two- to four-day walks with local guides, through forest and into villages that do not see many outsiders.

The trekking seasons page compares this with the other regions.

Luang Namtha is inexpensive. Guesthouses and noodle shops in town cost little. For treks, a travel wiki lists the provincial guide service's own trips at an average of around USD 30 a day for groups of four to eight, with the cost per person falling as the group grows; check before you travel. Private treks with an English-speaking trek guide cost more per head. Our quote includes guides, fees, meals and transfers to the trailhead; town nights are extra.

North of Luang Namtha lies Phongsaly province, reaching up between Vietnam and China. Its capital sits at about 1,300 metres, with a mean annual temperature near 20 °C and a subtropical highland climate. The ridges around it are farmed and forested, with villages connected by footpaths, and it sees far fewer visitors than Luang Namtha.

The reason we do not sell a fixed Phongsaly trek is access. From the railway or the nearest airport it is a long travel day each way, so a three-day walk turns into a five- or six-day trip. For travellers with a week or more in northern Laos, we plan it on request, usually after a Nam Ha trek.

• From June to September if muddy trails and leeches would spoil the trip.
• If you want to see big wildlife. The forest is rich but animals are shy and rarely seen.
• If you have only two days in northern Laos. Getting here and back takes much of that.
• If you need comfort on the trail. Village nights have no hot water and sometimes no power. Pu Luong is a softer homestay experience.