Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua - A Road Less Travelled
If you are looking for a less travelled route through Northern Laos, you have come to the right place. Read our guide and story of the journey between the mountain backpacker town of Nong Khiaw and Sam Neua and finally the caves of Vieng Xai. The journey is not for the faint of heart!
The mountainous, river-laced region of northern Laos can sometimes be a bit of a headache for tourists to navigate. Transport between places frequently seems to require shuttling to and from the city of Luang Prabang. If you want to go to most places, the advice will be to travel through or via Luang Prabang. On our third trip to the beautiful country of Laos, we wanted to avoid doing the "Luang Prabang shuffle".
We were staying in Nong Khiaw, one of our favourite places on Planet Earth (read all about it here). We knew we wanted see more of the north before, eventually, heading down to Phonsavan and its mysterious Plain of Jars. The only issue was that there was no obvious route between Nong Khiaw and Phonsavan, we thought that we would need to go back to Luang Prabang and then catch an onwards bus.
As we have mentioned, we did not want to do the Luang Prabang Shuffle. We had just spent nearly a fortnight in the amazing Laotian cultural capital (read more about that here) and did not want to go straight back. So we broke open the maps (ok the Google map at least) and had a look at our options.
After checking with Google, the Nong Khiaw bus station and the minibus operators in town we quickly found that the only routes away from Nong Khiaw that did not involve Luang Prabang were:
North, taking a boat trip up to Muang Ngoi, Muang Khua and the border with Vietnam
West to Luang Namtha (or on further still to Huay Xay)
East towards Sam Neua and Vieng Xai. From Sam Neua we could see that there were buses down South to Phonsavan.
The choice for us was easy, we had already been to Luang Namtha and had spent three months in Vietnam (check out what we got up to!). We had found our route to Phonsavan, we could go from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neau, From Sam Neua stay in and visit the caves at Vieng Xai and then catch a bus to Phonsavan. We would take the road less travelled, we would head East.
Sam Neua is the hub town for the less visited north-eastern corner of Laos. The town itself has a market and a few guest houses but it acts as a gateway to mountains, national parks and the beautiful, cave-riddled town of Vieng Xai. Sam Neua also has bus links to Phonsavan and onwards further south, it sounded like the perfect cure for the Luang Prabang Shuffle. We decided that we would take the slow road, travel from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua and then take the short hop on to Vieng Xai.
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It is hard to leave Nong Khiaw, but eventually you will have to!
Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua - Getting to Vieng Xai
Decision made we had to buy our bus tickets. The first issue is that the Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua bus does not stop at the Nong Khiaw bus station. The bus departs from Luang Prabang and, if it is not completely full, will stop just after the bridge in Nong Khiaw to pick up more passengers. We had heard that this can be a little bit of a gamble, if the bus was busy there would be no space for us let alone our large, backpacking rucksacks! We (inventively or shamefully depending on your outlook) solved this issue with money. We, through an agent in Nong Khiaw (see the end of the article for all the practical tips and information) bought tickets from Luang Prabang to Sam Neua, with the driver being informed that we would actually get on the bus at Nong Khiaw. This would mean we were guaranteed actual seats on the bus and that there would be space for our bags. It really helped having local assistance with this, our agent phoned the driver and made sure what time he would arrive and that we would have proper seats. The seats were just as well due to issue number two...
We were warned that the road between Sam Neua and Nong Khiaw is atrocious, like completely awful. Imagine a mud crusted, crater-pocked landslide of a road, then constantly run massive haulage lorries across it and you get the idea. From Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua it is only around 320km but we had been warned that the journey could take around 16 hours. Oh and that it would be happening overnight so we would have the fun of a bone breaking, heart shaking ride in the dark!
We do love an adventure and were very determined not to retrace our steps to Luang Prabang so we paid up and booked on the bus to Sam Neua.
Crammed in the minibus and ready to go! - How little we knew….
The Journey - Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua
Our overnight journey started off well enough. The minivan pulled up exactly when our travel agent in Nong Khiaw said it would. We were not relegated to the beer crate seats but had normal car seats. The leg room was Laos-typical, as in there was some but not much, especially not if you have brought enough snacks and supplies for a 16 hour road trip! We folded ourselves into our seats and settled in for the long ride.
The scenery around Nong Khiaw is breath-taking, deep forest-shadowed valleys and soaring cliff edge roads. The initial ride was fantastic, with beautiful views and stunning scenes only occasionally interrupted by spine wrenching collisions with potholes.
Just as the shadows were lengthening and the light was turning gold we pulled into a small village. We hopped off the bus and stretched out. There was a small restaurant and a couple of stalls selling crisps and drinks. We had eaten just before leaving Nong Khiaw and were fully stocked with snacks and supplies. The shops out there in rural Laos were very different, there was the occasional recognisable brand but mostly it was brands we had never heard of, imported from China or Vietnam.
The minivan driver; a tiny man apparently made entirely of steel (he had lifted Ellie's bag in one hand whilst balancing on the minivan roof), had another motive for the village stop. Whilst we perused the shops he was with the local mechanic, checking and refilling the spare tyre, it was almost as if he knew what was ahead....
As the night drew in the road got worse and worse. Initially we had been on badly maintained roads but the tarmac had now all but disappeared. We were now on mud and gravel roads which were very much unsuitable to the heavy haulage running alongside us. Deep wheel troughs were gouged out of the muddy road surface and potholes the size of bomb craters littered the way. We bounced and crashed through these obstacles, being frequently flung out of chairs and crushed back by the seat belts. It was worse being sat near the back, you could never see what it was that caused the crash; you would just be dozing off and smash! We would be jolted into full panic wakefulness. We did not get much sleep.
We had nearly no stops at all, after our short spare-tyre-check at the start of the ride we had only stopped once and that was for a five minute toilet break. We had been travelling for 9 hours but had nearly no breaks from the bone bouncing ride. Luckily our hard working drivers stamina finally gave out just before dawn and we pulled over for a nap. It was only an hour and a half of respite but it was like water in the desert, very very needed!
As the first light of dawn started to turn the black sky grey we were treated to a fantastic sight. Sam Neua is at a much higher altitude than Nong Khiaw (1200 metres v.s 400). We had climbed though the night and now had incredible views across the cloud filled valleys below. We were on a mountainous island in a sea of clouds. Other little hill tops punctured the ocean of clouds around us. It may have been the sleep deprivation but it seemed magical!
We pulled into the cold and misty bus stop at Sam Neua at around 5 in the morning, 12 hours after setting off from Nong Khiaw. Around us the breakfast barbeques of food stalls were just lighting their charcoal. We had been bounced, shaken and rattled but we had got there. We were feeling all adventurous and smug when we were brought swiftly down to earth; the lady who had just spent 12 hours wedged between the door and another passenger, whilst sat on a beer crate, cheerfully hopped on a waiting motorbike and sped off into the dawn. For us it was an adventure, for her it was Thursday.
It may not look like much, but this little warrior got us through the rough roads to Sam Neua!
Sam Neua to Vieng Xai - One last stretch
Of course we werent done yet! We had made it to the hub town of Sam Neua but not our final destination - the limestone cliffs and caves of Vieng Xai. From Sam Neua it was another 30-40 minutes to the east by bus before we would get dropped off near Vieng Xai.
To complicate matters further, the bus to Vieng Xai did not leave from the bus station we had arrived at in Sam Neua. Our bus station was a good hours walk from where we had been dropped off. We therefore did what we always do when unsure of our next move - Went to find food.
We had hung around the bus station for a little while and the fires of the stalls were now wafting the small of roasting meat at us. We resisted the urge to just stay put and gorge on grilled meats, hoisted our backpacks on and set off for the short walk into town.
After our Vieng Xai adventures we found ourselves back at the original Sam Neua bus stop for our connection to Phonsavan. On this second occasion we did get some sticky rice and grilled pork - It was delicious, filling and the perfect pre-bus meal!
15 minutes walk down the road and we found ourselves in the slowly waking town of Sam Neua. We headed first for some noodles at a busy early morning street side eatery. The noodles were just what we needed, warming and comforting after our long journey. On the wall of the noodle shop were a selection of phone numbers for local taxi firms, we jotted down some numbers for later, finished our bowls and headed back out into the morning light
Sam Neua, as we have said, is a lot higher up than Nong Khiaw and was positively chilly in the early morning. This unexpected cold was the perfect excuse to treat ourselves to some upmarket coffee! We had spotted the Yuni Coffee Co Cafe on Google maps during our research and our noodle stop had given it time to open (7am). The coffee, which was made from locally grown beans, was delicious and desperately needed.
The coffee at Yuni’s was desperately needed!
Not fancying a long walk with our backpacks we started casting about for a taxi. Dialling the numbers we had got from the noodle shop, we quickly heard back from one firm and booked our ride to the Nathong Bus Station.
From the bus station multiple buses go to (or rather past - see later), Vieng Xai. We bought two tickets (30,000 kip each), boarded a bus and waited for it to fill up with locals.
The bus set off in the glow of the morning and wound up and around incredible mountains, passes and gorges. After only about half an hour we came up to the turning for Vieng Xai, the bus rumbled to the side of the road and decanted two weary backpackers.
The bus dropped us on the main road where a smaller road forks off for Vieng Xai (around here), it was not a long walk (luckily!) into town from there. We trudged the final 10 minutes to our guest house and collapsed. After 12 hours on the worst roads we have experienced, 3 and a bit hours in Sam Neua and a final bus ride we had made it!
We had avoided the Luang Prabang Shuffle and now found ourselves somewhere completely new, unknown to us and exciting. This is what our kind of travel is all about!
The Practical Stuff
Why Go to Sam Neua?
Sam Neua Town is the gateway to Northeastern Laos. It is not on the normal "tourist trail" but is an amazing jumping off point for several hard-to-reach locations. From Sam Neua you can:
Explore the incredible Nam Et - Phou Louey National Park. This is now on our list of missed opportunities. We would love to explore the waterfalls, pools, jungles and amazing biodiversity of this National Park. It is best explored with a guide. Have a look at the tours (and unique accommodation) on their official site. It just didn't fit our plans or budget on this trip but looking back we are regretting not trying harder to accommodate it.
Technically part of the above; the Night Safari at Nam Nem is meant to be absolutely stunning. Travellers we met on the road told us it was one of the best things they did in Laos. Again a missed opportunity for us :(.
Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars. This is what made us look into the area around Sam Neua, if you are coming from Northern Laos - Nong Khiaw or Luang Namtha, then the only way to get to Phonsavan is to shuttle back to Luang Prabang and catch a long bus from there. Sam Neua provides another possible route, allowing you to skip going back to Luang Prabang. Of course this route only really makes sense to do if you then make the most of the area around Sam Neua, speaking of which...
Vieng Xai - This was what brought us to Sam Neua on that long and bumpy bus journey. Vieng Xai is a gorgeous little town surrounded by towering, dramatically shaped limestone mountains. You can find Vieng Xai on a map here. The area is the birthplace of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary party and the caves and mountains became homes, classrooms and cabinet offices for the party as it fought for independence from the French, then against the Americans in the "Secret War". The area is stunning, with amazing waterfalls, viewpoints, caves and history.
Sam Neua offers a route out of Northern Laos that not only saves you from traveling back and forth to Luang Prabang but also takes you to some 'off-the-beaten-path' destinations you might not have considered. It brings you out of the well-trodden places and let you see a little more of the country than the average traveller.
How to get to Sam Neua From Nong Khiaw
You need to ask at one of the tour offices in town. The bus stop does not sell the tickets as the bus does not technically stop in Nong Khiaw. We would recommend finding a tour office that does this regularly and knows the driver / company. After a couple of visits to different offices that did not fill us with confidence, we found this place. We are pretty sure that the google listing is for the wrong name but it is in the right place and you cannot miss it on the side of the road - just look for the sandwich boards offering tours and you will be in the right place. The helpful man on the counter booked us seats right from Luang Prabang so we were guaranteed an actual seat (as opposed to a mid-aisle beer crate) on the long journey. He also had the drivers phone number and let us know exactly when the minivan would be arriving.
How much do tickets from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua Cost?
Our tickets cost 225,000kip each. This was for guaranteed seats and space for our two sizable backpacks. This was worth paying for the peace of mind, we did not want to find ourselves balanced on beer crates for 16 hours whilst rocketing through potholes!
Can you catch the minivan without using a tour agent?
If you are feeling lucky and want to chance doing it by yourself, just wait at the bridge around 5-7pm (bus timings are seldom exact in Laos) and flag down the minivan as it passes. It would be worth making a sign with the Laotian for Sam Neua (sometimes called Xam Neua or Samneua) written on it. It will be cheaper than buying tickets through an agency but you run the risk of a beer crate seat!
How long is the bus ride from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua?
Our journey took 12 hours including a couple of shorts stops and a mini-nap for the driver. We were warned the journey can, if the roads are especially bad or busy, take up to 17 hours.
Ellie and our bags - safely deposited at the Southern Bus Station in Sam Neua
Can I stay in Sam Neua - Is there accommodation
There are plenty of guesthouses and hotels in Sam Neua. Staying in Sam Neua would be a great idea if you need somewhere to recuperate from the long journey before moving on to the national parks or elsewhere. You can find your accommodation choices here.
Sam Neua has markets, temples and even a viewpoint to explore. It is a much more industrial feeling town than Nong Khiaw - much less picturesque. However, it is a true Laotian town full of great food, coffee and people. You could easily spend a night there
How to get from Sam Neua to Vieng Xai
If you are coming from Nong Khiaw You will arrive in Sam Neua at the Southern Bus Station (located here). This is not the station that the Vieng Xai bus leaves from! You need to get to the Nathong / Na Thong Bus Station - located here. From the Nathong bus station several buses a day leave that will take you past the turning to Vieng Xai. Bus tickets from Sam Neua to Vieng Xai cost 30,000 kip per person. We caught the 10:30am bus, but beware - the schedule changes frequently and the times are just a suggestion! We would advise to check with a local when you arrive.
Our bus to Vieng Xai, waiting in Nathong Bus Station.
You can take a taxi from Sam Neua to Vieng Xai. Taxi’s cost around 500,000 kip so the it is a much more expensive option. However, a taxi may be necessary for your return to Sam Neua as there was no information on flagging down a bus to get back to the larger town! We caught the bus to Vieng Xai and took an early morning taxi for our bus connection in Sam Neua to Phonsavan.
Another option is to rent a scooter in Sam Neua and ride it to Vieng Xai. There was no where we could find to rent scooters in Vieng Xai so this might not be a bad idea. Just make sure you can carry your luggage safely on the bike and be careful on the mountain roads! Also be warned - the scooter prices are a lot higher in Sam Neua (250,000 - 350,000 kip per day) than elsewhere in Laos.
Tips for Long Journeys in Laos
Eat beforehand, the bus does not stop often and, on our journey at least, did not stop for a meal.
Bring snacks and plenty of water / drinks. It is a long journey, have some snacks available. You have much more choices of bus snacks in Nong Khiaw than you will get at the few roadside stops the minivan makes.
Bring a charger, the ride is long and can be delayed significantly by road conditions - make sure you don't run out of battery.
Bring a jacket or a hoodie - you will be travelling high up in the mountains overnight and it will get chilly.
Headphones are a must. You won’t want to be reading from a screen as it will be liable to be catapulted out of your hand when the minivan hits another pothole! Stock up on downloaded music and podcasts for the journey.
If you suffer from motion sickness then bring and take your meds! The roads are forever winding up or down the mountains of Laos.
Go with a sense of adventure - you will need it! All joking aside this is not a restful or "pleasant" bus ride it is a real adventure!
The road may be rough but the destinations are worth it. Happy trails!
Thanks for reading.
John & Ellie xxx
#adventuresofJellie
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