Laos
Northern Laos
March 2010 • Traveling through northern Laos during the month of March was pretty gloomy business. Luang Prabang felt like tourist flypaper, with all the authenticity of a side street in Disneyland, except for the dingy yellow skies from fires that were being set to clear land for upland rice cultivation. Some days it rained black ash for hours. Nong Kiew was marginally less touristy and post-apocalyptic, but attempts to befriend a local were dashed by the mentality that foreigners are potential sponsors. Things got a lot better when I reached Houaphanh Province, which is much less developed for tourism and didn't seem to be as charred as elsewhere. The provincial capital, Sam Neua, has a good hotel, a good Internet cafe, and a great Indian restaurant. But more important, it's the gateway to Vieng Xai—the single best reason for visiting northern Laos.
