Located in the middle of the rice center in northwestern Laos and surrounded by mountains, Luang Nam Tha city, the provincial capital of Luang Nam Tha is a must-see destination for voyeurs, especially those who like to discover the natural wealth of the region.
The name of Luang Nam Tha means "area (Luang) to turn the river Tha (Nam Tha)". To reach this city, you can take a bus from Luang Prabang, Vientiane; flight or a boat trip on the Nam Tha River.
Luang Nam Tha is known by the museum which exhibits significant local objects, the night market - the perfect place to discover local food, traditional villages outside the city center such as Nam Dee (well-known for papermaking) where you can make a trip to Phoum that Puk, a stupa on a hill surrounded by rice fields and waterfall. The landscape is authentic and wild. You will see many ethnic people here like the Kamu, the H'mong, the Thai Dam, Thai Lu…
Evening market
This market is open every evening from 18h to 22h.
At night, sellers come to their places and spread their foods. This is really a good place for those who want to taste the Lao cuisine: noodle soups, fish, meat, papaya salad, fruits...and especially fresh and pleasant beer.
Luang Nam Tha Museum
The museum is open from 8.30 am to 12 am and from 13.30 to 15.30, Monday to Friday.
A quick visit to this museum will offer a panoramic view of the history and culture through a collection of objects: tools, religious, traditional ethnic clothes, coins, Khmu drums...
Nam Ha Protected Area
Established in 1993 by the government, Nam Ha Protected Area is supported by UNESCO and aimed at limiting the impacts of tourism on the environment. The park has the area of about 2224 km2, of which 96% is rainforest with many unique flora and fauna.
Several activities available in the area: trekking, kayaking, bike tour or boat trip...
Nam Dee Lanten village
About 6km from Luang Nam Tha, Nam Dee is well-known for the production of bamboo paper. Visiting the village, you will have chance to explore the steps to produce this kind of paper, through the introduction by the Lanten - the dominant population of the region. After sightseeing, you can take a trip to the waterfall behind Nam Dee village or spend one or two night discovering the daily life of local people.
Phoum Pouk Stupa
The original stupa was constructed in 1628 to demarcate neutral territory between the Kingdoms of Lane Xang (centered in Luang Prabang) and Lane Na (centered in Chiang Mai). In 1966, the old stupa was destroyed when an American plane dropped a bomb on it. The new monument seen besides the older, ruined stupa was constructed in 2003.