The Hidden Tribes of Northern Laos
Laos
Embark on a captivating journey across Laos, along the road less travelled. Discover some of Northern Laos’ fascinating tribes, spanning centuries and a multitude of ethnicities. You’ll eat local food and stay in authentic guesthouses, you’ll interact with villagers and get an insight into their everyday life. To give you a taste of your exclusive journey:
Start in Luang Prabang and journey Northwards; along the way you’ll have the chance to visit the silk-weaving village of Ban Nayang, consisting of ca. 200 households and populated by Thai Lu who originally came from Southern China. Continue to Nongkhio, a small town located along the banks of the Nam Ou River. Take a local riverboat towards Muang Khoua and enjoy the stunning views on the Nam Ou River with limestone cliffs and rock formations rising dramatically above the forest. Along the Nam Ou River towards Phongsaly you’ll stop at beautiful traditional villages with wooden houses towering on high stilts. Once at Phongsaly, climb 413 steps to the top of Phou Fa Mountain to enjoy a breathtaking view over the dense forests that cover the range and are home to an abundant wildlife such as fowls, sambar deer, barking deer, Java tigers and bears, including a very rare species of white reindeer. En route to the Chinese border, visit a village where local people breed bees and distill rice wine. Continue by a soft trek to the Ikhor minority village of Houei Yo. The Ikhor belong to the ethnic Khor group, where the women are skilled in weaving, knitting and ornamental sewing, while the men are excellent woodcrafters. The men are often dressed in baggy pants, dark brown long sleeved shirt, with silver ornaments. And then there’s Muang Sing, a traditional Thai cultural nexus as well as a trade center attracting a large variety of hill tribes. Visit the colorful local market where the various minority people come early in the morning to sell their products.