Viengthong

Viengthong is a district and a town in Houaphan Province in north-eastern Laos. It is the gateway for the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area, which is home to a number of endangered species including tiger. The protected area headquarters are located in the Viengthong (Muang Hiem) town.

Very few people visit Vieng Thong in northern Laos, but it’s a nice enough town that breaks up the journey between Nong Khiaw and Xam Neua. If you do find yourself here, you’ll likely be the only foreigner aside from the occasional NGO workers and you’ll get a taste of a real Lao village, far removed from the tourist trail.

Get in

The roads are narrow and winding but are in surprisingly good condition for such a remote area. The views are always scenic. Good quality public busses leave Luang Prabang, Sam Neua and Phonsavan regularly, with drop-offs regularly along the entire route.

• From Luang Prabang:

Public Bus: Take the bus heading to Sam Neua, which leaves daily between 7-8 am from the Luang Prabang northern bus station. The bus trip to Viengthong is about 10 hours. An addition 1.5 hours to Ban Son Koua (the Night Safari start). Car/Motorcycle: From Luang Prabang go north on Road #13 about 100 km and turn right onto Road #1C at the Pak Mong junction (follow the sign towards Nong Kiau). Travel 200 km on Road #1C northeast to Viengthong about 7-8 hours. An addition 1.5 hours to Ban Son Koua the Night Safari start.

• From Sam Neua:

Public Bus: Buses and public mini vans leave from the Sam Neua bus station towards Viengthong daily between 7-8 am. The trip is about 4 hours, with an addition 1 hour to Viengthong (HQ). Car/Motorcycle: Follow Road #6 southwest towards Muang Kham/Phonesavanh. Turn right at the Ko Hing junction and follow Road #1C for another 7km. With an additional 1 hour drive to Viengthong.

• From Phonesavanh:

Public Bus: There is a daily bus leaving Phonsavan at 8:30 am from the Bus station of Xiengkhouang province to Muang Hiem (Viengthong). The bus drive to Ban Son Koua is about 5.5 hours and an additional 1.5 hour to Viengthong.

Car/Motorcycle: Follow Road #6 northeast towards Sam Neua passing Muang Kham. Turn left at the Ko Hing junction and follow Road #1C for 7km until Ban Son Koua. The trip is about 4 hours.

Attractions

• The Hot-spring - located just 2km from the town is accessible easily by foot.

The only access for visitors to visit the protected area is by doing a tour organized by the protected area ecotourism unit.

• Nam Nern Night Safari boat tour-(24 hour overnight tour) This innovative and adventurous journey by traditional long-tail boat offers some great nature activities that include bird watching, wildlife tracking, nighttime wildlife spotting, medicinal plant exploration and moderate hiking. We are proud that this tour has won the prestigious ‘World Responsible Tourism Award’ at the World Travel Mart in London, England, both in year 2013 and 2014!

• Trekking tours The Nests - Option 2 days & 3 days) is a family friendly hike with overnight in cozy spherical baskets hanging from the trees. The trip is perfect to enjoy wildlife viewing from the wildlife observation tower (currently under construction) at the nearby Poung Nyied salt lick, which attracts animals such as the rare Sambar deer from far and wide.

• Cloud Forest Climb - (Option 4days or 5 days including ‘The Nests’) is a hiking trail up to the summit of Phou Louey (Forever Mountain) to one of the few cloud forests in the region, and is an option for the more adventurous ones. The hike goes through the evergreen forest and offers a rare opportunity to track wild species such as white-cheeked gibbon, leopards, bears and wild dog using camera traps, which will be set up along the trail and maintained by tourists.

The best time to visit Vieng Thong is during the dry season from November to March, when temperatures are cooler. March to May is the hot season and the temperatures can reach 40ºC or higher. The wet season runs from May to October and if you’re planning on taking the tour into the Nam Et – Phou Louey NPA, avoid this season, as there’s a high likelihood they will be unable to run the tour due to bad weather.

Accommodation

Vieng Thong has a couple of very basic guesthouses that are all very similar. The town gets few visitors, so you will not have a problem getting a room. Just check out all the places (there’s only 3 or 4 of them) and pick the one you like best.

Drinking

The town has two restaurants where you can have some beers; or you can have them on a balcony of your guesthouse.

Eating

Vieng Thong has two restaurants. One serves noodle soup (although the sign promises Korean food, strangely enough) and the other serves noodle soup and a few additional Lao dishes.

Do

Morning Market: might be worth seeing if you’ve only experienced the tourist markets in Luang Prabang; you’ll have to get up early though: 4:00 – 5:30 am

Walk Around: you can take a nice walk to see a dam in the area, which takes you through several ethnic villages.

For more information contact the protected area headquarters

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