• Understand
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Sleep
• Cope
• Contact
• Get out

Muang Xay also known as Oudomxay, the capital of the multiethnic province of Oudomxay, located in the Nam Ko River Basin and surrounded by scenic mountains.

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

[edit] Understand

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

Unfortunately the multiethnic culture of the city , made some businesses have different prices and menu for Western tourist, the best thing to do when you get to a place like this (when you get a menu with amazingly high prices, though not as high as in Vang Vieng) is to nicely walk away since the price might not really be a problem but the quality of the food you'll get probably will be (make sure the carrot your eating is not a chili pepper since some places might throw whole ones into your food).

[edit] Get in

[edit] 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.

[edit] See

[edit] 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.

[edit] Buy

There are three banks and one post office offering change for cash and travellers' cheques, BECL , 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).

[edit] Eat

• Sinphet guesthouse (700m north of the bus just after the second gas station) has a restaurant offering good food for reasonable prices.

• Just 10m north of the Sinaphet guesthouse 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).

[edit] 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).

[edit] 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.

[edit] Contact

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

[edit] Get out