Hidden Valley

Location

Xam Nua is in the far northeast of Laos, near the borders with Vietnam and China. Unlike the rest of Laos, it is on the eastern side of the Annamite Mountains, thus offering a quite different geographical environment, which in some aspects is closer to Vietnam than to Laos.

History

During the American War (the local name for the Vietnam War), the area supplied cover to the Communists, especially in the Viang Xai Caves, which can still be visited.

Present

Due to those events, the town is quite prosperous in Laotian terms, enjoying even the luxury of a constant supply of electricity.

Highlights

The town offers relaxed Laotian countryside surroundings, which are pleasant enough for a few days at least. Although there's little to see in town itself, it serves as a comfortable base for exploring the Viang Xai Caves, as well as the nearby forests, the hill tribe villages, and for trips along the Vietnamese frontier.

Reaching Xam Nua from Abroad

Thailand is the best entry point to Laos; there is an open cross in the deep south, where the only land cross between the countries - in Chong Mek - leads to Pakse. Mukdahan in Thailand has a new bridge crossing the Mekong River; the Friendship Bridge connects Nong Khai with Vientiane, and the town of Huay Xai has a ferry connecting it to Northern Thailand, a couple of hours away from Chiang Rai. Lao people use sometimes the better infrastructure of Thailand's roads to advance faster, especially to move from the far north of Laos to its central or southern parts.

Traveling in Laos

Within Laos, the main towns are well connected to each other through an efficient network of buses and narrow, paved roads; Xam Nua is no exception to this rule, but the buses here are a somewhat older than usual and for nearby locations only trucks are available.

The buses work on a regular and reliable basis, and the tickets are inexpensive. The journeys provide unforgettable opportunities to contact the locals. In trips to remote areas - like Xam Nua - the buses load a gasoline barrel to their roof, and from time to time the driver sucks fuel through a plastic tube to fill the insatiable belly of the bus. The trips within Laos takes time, however, the sights more than compensate for the effort.

Reaching Xam Nua

Xam Nua can be reached directly from Vientiane, however due to its remote location it is better combined with a trip to Phonsavan in the northeast or to Udom Xai in the far north. Since Phonsavan is on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, combining it with Xam Nua assures a wide perspective on the Laotian angle of the Vietnam War.

Climate

Xam Nua is on the eastern side of the Annamite Mountains, which is the wetter side as well. Since it is colder and wetter than most of Laos some warm clothes and rain protection should be brought.

Food

The Lao food is a glorious variation of the Thai one; the best place to taste it is within the local markets; the food there is always clean and safe to eat. Xam Nua is beyond the Laotian coffee-belt, and the famous Lao coffee is hard to find here; even when found it bears little resemblance to the original item. The remoteness of the area means traditional dishes already hard to find in other parts of the country - like wild rats- are still found here.

Why Phonsavan?

There is no much sense in asking yourself: "Why should I visit Phonsavan?" after having reached northern Laos. It is obviously nearby, later you may regret missing the visit if skipping it, it is located on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the Plain of Jars is next to it. Isn't that enough?

What is Phonsavan?

Phonsavan is the young capital of the Xieng Khouang Province; the original one - named after the province - was destroyed during the fighting between the Pathet Lao and the American backed royalists.

The area was the worst bombed one during the American-Vietnam war, and the scars are still visible in the surrounding deforested area; the effects of Agent Orange - especially on the road to Luang Prabang - are still evident. Unexploded ordinance adorns several of the guesthouses and is a reminder of the need to walk around carefully.

Scenery

The little town is set amidst mountains partially covered with sparse forests instead of the typical rainforest on the southern part of the country. The naked or green grass patches mark the spots where Agent Orange was used.

Phonsavan is a typical rural town in Laos, with little to distinguish it from other towns, except for the unexploded ordinance in display everywhere, especially within the counted guesthouses serving the few travelers reaching the area.

Air America, Hmong and Bombs

During the Vietnam War, Laos was a split country. The Pathet Lao were collaborating with North Vietnam; Xam Nua was one of their strongholds, while Phonsavan was one of their main routes to the south. The Royalists stronghold was in Luang Prabang and they got help from the USA. The USA recruited the Hmong people as guerrillas against the Prathet Lao; the CIA's Air America offered its service to transfer abroad their main product - poppy seeds - in exchange.

From 1963 to 1974, two million tones of ordinance were dropped on Laos, more than the US dropped on Germany and Japan combined during World War II. The Laotian part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail was the worst affected area; even nowadays the area is not safe due to remaining unexploded ordinance.

The Plain of Jars

Near Phonsavan are around 160 archeological sites usually referred to as the Plain of Jars due to the roughly four thousand carved limestone jars scattered around. The two main theories regarding their use claim they were funerary urns or grains containers; the theories are not mutually exclusive. The fact that they come in all type of shapes and sizes hints that they were aimed for more than one use.

The best approach is to dedicate a day o the exploration of sites 1 to 3; they are close to Phonsavan and offer the best views. Site One hosts most of the jars as well as the biggest one - nicknamed Hai Cheaum. This site features a small kiosk but is the worst in respect to views. Site Two allows views of the surrounding area from a small hill within it. Site Three features the best views as well as bomb craters.

Despite the warnings, I found no problem in renting a bike and exploring the sites by myself. The area is rather flat and the altitude ensures a pleasant weather. Daily tours covering the main three sites can be booked at any of the guesthouses in town.

Traveling Around

The most practical way of exploring the area is by making a loop between Luang Prabang, Udom Xai, Xam Nua and Phonsavan.

From Luang Prabang are daily direct buses to Phonsavan and Udom Xai. The most complicated link in the loop is the one connecting Phonsavan and Xam Nua; trucks leave from each one on opposite directions at around 7:30am from the bus terminals, the trip costs 40000 kip.

The trucks leave the terminals half empty, but once outside would soon be filled with passengers that do not wish to pay the terminal fee. If traveling from Phonsavan to Xam Nua, then around nine it would turn northward, into a road going downwards among narrow valleys. Since the trucks are open and the way is at a considerable altitude, it is freezing cold; warm clothing is recommended. Arrival is at 4pm: the appearance of the Xam Nua is dramatic, since it suddenly appears while descending a steep road into the narrow valley it occupies.

Traveling in modern South East Asia can be confusing without having at least a basic understanding of the parties and forces that shaped the area in the last century. Laos was home to one of the most complex realities.

Colony

The Lao kingdom was divided into three principalities in the eighteenth century; in 1828, Vientiane - the central one - was ransacked by the Thais, who took away the Emerald Buddha. By the end of that century, the French colonized Laos by stages, since they considered it crucial in the protection of their Indochina colony from Siam. The Japanese conquered Indochina during WWII; after the war, independence was inevitable.

Independence

The Franco-Lao Treaty of 1953 gave Laos independence, and a unified kingdom was established for the first time in two centuries. Soon, struggle between the neutralist Prince Souvanna Phouma, the right wing Prince Boun Oum of Champosak, and the left-wing, Lao Patriotic Front under Prince Souphanouvong and future Prime Minister Kaysone Phomvihane appeared and led to a creation of a "tri-coalition" government was in Vientiane.

In those years, Vientiane was the administrative capital, while Luang Prabang was the Royal one. Champosak served as a center for right-wing princes. Thus, despite the formal re-unification of the kingdom, Laos maintained a political structure that was very similar to the three principalities that characterized it during the eighteen and nineteen centuries.

Civil War

After the French withdrew from Indochina, they handled this hot potato to the Americans; an international conference in which all the interested sides participated was called. The Geneva Conference established Laos as a neutral territory, but all the sides to the agreement violated the decision and used Laos for their own interests.

The country deteriorated into a civil war between 1962 and 1975, a war that was heavily influenced by the events across the Annamite Mountains - the US-Vietnam War. The Communist Pathet Lao was supported by North Vietnam, while the Americans and South Vietnam supported the Royal Lao Government. The North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao emerged victorious in 1975.

Shhh... Secrets

In what became known as the "Secret War," Laos became a clandestine theater of the Second Indochina War (another name for the US-Vietnam War). North Vietnam established the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which passed partly on eastern Laos and allowed contact with the National Liberation Front in Southern Vietnam. Moreover, they helped the Pathet Lao; the last had a stronghold near Xam Nua in the Viang Xai Caves, which was beyond the reach of their enemies and provided easy access to Vietnam.

In parallel, the CIA trained thirty thousand Hmong tribesmen led by Royal Lao Army General Vang Pao, a Hmong military leader. This army was supported by the CIA controlled Air America, which transported the Hmong's poppy seeds crops to finance the operation.

In 1968, North Vietnam launched a massive attack on the Royal Lao Army and took it out of the equation until the end of the war. Meanwhile, the USA carried massive bombings – mainly over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Many of the bombs scattered Agent Orange – a defoliant – over the forests causing them a damage that can be seen even nowadays. Laos became the worst bombarded country in the history of the world – more bombs were dropped there than over the combined Germany and Japan during WWII. The Secret War was the largest American clandestine operation prior to the Afghan-Soviet War.

Epilogue

As predetermined by the Paris Peace Accord, the US withdrew from Laos in 1973. Pathet Lao – with the support of North Vietnam forces supporting it in Laos – got a place in the Laotian government side by side with the Royalists. In 1975 North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces began attacking government strongholds until a deal was achieved conceding the power to the Pathet Lao.

Once in power, the Pathet Lao cut its economical ties with all its neighbors with the exception of the now united Vietnam and signed a friendship treaty with that country. The Vietnamese kept troops and advisors within Laos. Only in the 1980s, Laos began opening to the outer world, tourism was re-established in the late 1990s.

Meanwhile, in Washington DC

On May 15, 1997, the US inaugurated a memorial in honor of the Hmong contributions to the Vietnam War on the grounds of the Arlington Cemetery between the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Isaan, Thailand

Many Hmong fled Laos to Thailand; many of them are concentrated in several locations within Isaan, where Lao is the main language. A few were granted refuge in the US.

Location

Xam Nua offers several basic accommodation options. Among them is the Phouluang Guesthouse, just along the main axial road of the town, conveniently located one block from the bus terminal.

Shop Houses in South East Asia

In Bangkok they are hard to spot, but in small South East Asian towns, shop-houses abound. Often these are French colonial structures of two or three stories owned by a single family. The entrance is dedicated to a shop while the family uses the rest of the space as living quarters. In big enough structures, simple guesthouses can be placed, as is the case with Phouluang.

Booking in Advance

One of the first forced behavior changes after landing for a long tour in South East Asia is to stop worrying about hotel reservations. Big cities – like Bangkok and Hanoi offer plenty of options; booking there in advance would result in a loss of travel flexibility without any substantial benefits. Complementing the picture, small towns are seldom a main attraction and thus its hotels would always have a room to offer.

In any case, would anybody fool himself into trying to phone a hotel in Xam Nua, Laos, and attempting to book a room in English? Forget it.

Phouluang is just the perfect home for a couple of days at the almost end of the world and considering the humble 20000 Kip per day cost (about two dollars per day), a very economical one as well.

The Name

Phouluang is a complex name including two Lao words. "Luang" – as muang – is a term in Lao and Thai designing towns – especially provincial capitals. "Phou" – pronounced "P’oo" – means "sacred" or "Buddha." Thus Phouluang means "Town of Buddha" or "Sacred Town."

The Hotel

Phouluang Guesthouse is an adapted shop-house, which imparts a sense of authenticity to the whole experience. Despite that the family is living there, the guest’s privacy is fully respected; while there I could not see or hear them, and in fact I needed to thoroughly search the house for any of them when I wanted to pay and check out. Apparently the checks in and check out times do not have any special meaning in this relaxed place.

The rooms are basic, clean and comfortable and include an electricity socket; the bathroom is rather basic but that is expected in such a location. An important point is that the rooms could be darkened completely, thus enabling to sleep until late.

Electricity Supply in Xam Nua

More important is the fact Xam Nua has electricity during all the day and night. This is a change from the usual situation in Northern Laos, where the supply is usually limited to a few hours per day; maybe this is a result of the supporting role of Xam Nua during the Communist revolution.

Electricity means that recharging gadgets is possible, as well as reading or writing during the night. More important, that brings to life a portable electrical kettle; being able to prepare hot drinks in a cold place is a small and important luxury.

Climate Considerations

Xam Nua is cold at night; extra blankets are available upon request from the helpful family. The whole area is very humid as well, thus if planning to leave laundry at the guesthouse, take into account that the drying process is slow here, and allow for a couple of days to be on the safe side; traveling with wet clothes in a backpack is a heavy experience.

Eating Out in Rural Laos

Laos features very few cities; the only ones deserving the title are Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet and even those are tiny. Beyond them, the only towns in the country are the provincial capitals; below these are small villages that often lack even a market. This is a crucial point for the assiduous traveler, since even in the provincial capitals little food is available beyond the market.

The town markets are open mainly during the mornings and always feature a basic food plaza with a few stalls selling noodle soup or rice dishes. The restaurants in town - if existing at all - would be near the market.

Coffee in Northern Laos

Laos offers a superb coffee. However, the crop grows in the Bolaven Plateau, in the Laotian deep south. North of Vientiane the coffee quality deteriorates rapidly and north of Luang Prabang it becomes an oddity.

If arriving from central Laos, or even from nearby Phonsavan, the traveler would be surprised of the lack of coffee stalls; the secret is simple: this area was not under the French influence - at least not a strong one - and the coffee was not adopted by the locals. This fact caused also the lack of baguettes in the area.

Xam Nua's Market

The market in Xam Nua is placed along the riverside, beyond the expected stalls, two restaurants occupy are located there near the bridge.

The food in the market is generally safe, but the fermented fish sauce, should be avoided (not that you would taste it after smelling it), due to its possible contamination with various river parasites.

Overall, as always, a close check of the local markets, seeing what the locals eat and buy, opens a wide window to their culture. The experience is recommended with all my heart.

Proteins

The name of the meat used is always added to the name of the dish, making easy to recognize the variations offered. The main four options are almost identical in Thai and Lao and are worth memorizing: "Kai" is chicken, "Sin" is beef, "Moo" – strangely enough - is pork, and "Pa" means fish.

Chitthavanh Restaurant

Below the bridge and facing the river, is the Chitthavanh Restaurant, which is considered the best restaurant in town with a range of reasonably priced dishes and an English-language menu. Most dishes are adaptations of local delicacies to Western tastes. However, having traveled so far in order to eat at a place serving adaptations of Western dishes seems wrong to me.

Yiensingchien Restaurant

Right next door, Yiensingchien Restaurant is strikingly similar in shape, but specializes in Lao food and thus was my preferred option. The agricultural valley in which the town is located is obviously rich in crops and provides vegetables of exceptionally high quality to the market; it would be a sin not to eat there a noodle soup, while watching the slow flow of the local river.

Soups are an integral part of every meal; the beef noodle soup served here was especially good, and can be accompanied by other popular dishes. The Lao staple food is sticky rice; it complements practically every meal. Next to it are placed fresh raw greens served undressed, especially mint which seldom appears in other South East Asian cuisines.

Three types of soups ("tom" in Lao and Thai) characterize the Lao cuisine: cheut, keng, and keng soua. Tom cheut is the mildest soup; it lacks any strong spices. Tom Keng contains ginger and padek; the last is a fish sauce. Tom keng soua is similar to the former, but it contains galangal and ginger; it may be regarded as the local version of the Thai Tom Yum.

In season, you may notice the appearance of tomatoes in the form of a thin slice added to the soup: it has an electric effect on its overall taste. The tomatoes are typical of northern Laos, and are absent; similarly to carrots and potatoes, from all the southern parts of South East Asia, which do not offer a suitable land for such crops. To compensate for the subsequent loss of vitamin A in their diet, the tomatoes and carrots lean areas consume larger quantities of chili; that may be a good explanation to why northern Laos uses less hot spices than other parts of the country.

Manners

The ubiquitous presence of sticky rice in the Lao cuisine means that much of the eating is made using hands: otherwise, the rice is hard to handle. However, soup is consumed using the deep Asian spoons. Occasionally, chopsticks would be available; then they are used for picking up the chunks of meat and vegetables out of the soup as well as for handling the noodles.

Bon Appetite!