Muang Khua

Muang Khua is a small town in the Phongsali Province of northern Laos. Most people use it as a transit town (the halfway point between several other places), but it has its own charm.

Get in

Muang Khua can be reached from four directions: the Nam Ou river crosses through it from north to south, while the roads head east and west.

By Bus

To the west, lies the transit hub of Muang Xay. Buses travel fairly frequently throughout the day, and cost 35,000 Kip. Travel time is between 2-3 hours (depending on the size of the bus). The Muang Khua bust station is 2km from Muang Khua itself in a village called Ban Dan Neua. Tuk tuks can take you from the station to the village for 5,000 Kip.

In the east, the road connects Muang Khua to the northenmost border crossing with Vietnam, near the Vietnamese city of Dien Bien Phu. Buses are supposed to leave daily now from Dien Bien Phu's bus station early in the morning. Travel time should be around 4-5 hours. The road is good quality to the Vietnamese border but it is still a bit of a bumpy journey from there to Dien Bien Phu.

By boat

Muang Khua is about halfway between in the north Phongsali and the backpacker-popular village of Muang Ngoi Neua, with connections further south to Luang Prabang. A boat from Muang Ngoi Neua upstream costs between 120,000 and 150,000 Kip depending on the number of pessengers, and from Nong Khiaw costs 120,000 Kip. These boats typically only run when there are enough tourists to make it worth the drivers' while, so you may have to wait a few days for one travelling in your desired direction.

Get around

Muang Khua can be covered by foot.

See

• The suspended footbridge.
• The market, in the centre of town tucked in down a small side alley. There are good local fruits and vegetables and cheap Khao Soi is available.

Do

Trekking and visiting native villages can both be done in the area. The town's tourist information (open Mon-Fri) has information on what is available.

Source http://wikitravel.org/en/Muang_Khua