'''Muang Xay''' (aka Oudomxay, Udomxai etc), the capital of the multiethnic province of Oudomxay, located in the Nam Ko River Basin and surrounded by scenic mountains. It's the largest city in northern Laos and, if you're travelling by land, you'll probably end up here at some point.

Understand

The town is formed by small villages at an important intersection between China and Vietnam, and the city has a unique multicultural atmosphere.

A free city map can be obtained in the bus station, with basic information and "things to do".

Get in

By plane

Lao Airlines has three flights a week to/from Vientiane (1 hr, full fare US$98).

By bus

Buses from/to Luang Namtha cost 28,000 kip takes up to 3.5 hours. Departures from Muang Xay are at 08:30, 11:30 and 15:00.

Buses from/to Luang Prabang leave once a day and take about 5 hours.

See

Do

The local Provincial Tourist Office (in Oudomxay City, or Muang Xay) has been offering since November 2006 some very nice hiking including nightstays in khamu family houses (not guest houses, as in other more touristy hike places, which makes the experience very special and intimate). Although not as colorful as other ethnic groups of Laos, the khamu people are very nice and happy to have foreigners visiting their villages.

Buy

There are three banks and one post office offering change for cash and travellers' cheques, BCEL , about 1 km north of the bus station change travellers for 3% commission (minimum of US$3). It might be worth checking Lao Development Bank (which might offer a better value).

There is a market located opposite the Tourism Office where you can buy stuff mostly from China and Thailand. Get your daily necessity stuff at the market and please do some bargain when you buying from them.

Eat

Quite a few restaurant practice dual pricing, often with ridiculously high "foreigner" prices. Check the menu first and just walk away.

  • Sinphet restaurant (700m north of the bus just after the second gas station) has a restaurant offering good food for reasonable prices. The lady owner named Ah Sin is very friendly and her husband is well verse in English, Mandarin and French.
  • Just 10m north of the Sinphet restaurant there is a really good soup shop owned by a friendly (though not smiling) local guy offering meat and vegetarian noodle soups (vegetarian soup for 5000 kip).
  • Just about 1 km from the bus station (road to Luang Namtha), there is one steamboat restaurant offering good Lao's style Korean BBQ.
  • Sleep

    There are a number of decent guesthouses in town. Basic rooms with showers and hot water should cost around 30,000 kip.

  • '''Phanmixay Guesthouse''' - inside the bus station compound. Has clean and nice rooms. US$4 for a double room with shower, hot water and cable TV).
  • Cope

    The town has two laundromats (one just a few meters south of the bus station) which charge per item which makes the service very expensive.

    Contact

    There are two Internet shops in the city (one located in the bus station), both charging 400 kip/minute.

    Get out

  • There is a province bus station here in the town offering many bus services to Luang Prabang, Pak Beng, Meuang La, Phongsaly, Vientiane.
  • Beside that, just opposite the Sinphet restaurant, there are international bus from China plying the route from Kunming to Luang Prabang and Luang Prabang to Kunming. Time is around 12.00 p.m. The international bus will stop around 15 minutes for lunch at the Chinese restaurant just opposite Sinphet restaurant.