Home » Laos » Muang Sing, Hill-Tribe Trek, Plain of Jars, Vang Vieng, Vientiane, Champasak, Don Khong, Don Khon

November - December 2002

Muang Sing, Hill-Tribe Trek, Plain of Jars, Vang Vieng, Vientiane, Champasak, Don Khong, Don Khon

Brett Voegele
2005-11-17 14:07:39

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Journey to Muang Sing

Leaving Chiang Mai I caught a van for the 5-hour trip to the border town of Chiang Khong, crossed the Mekong River on a long-tail boat, and arrived in Huay Xai, Laos. The following day I started heading northeast by truck, the standard mode of transportation in Laos. Basically it's two benches in the back of a small Toyota pickup, with a canopy overhead. As you'd expect, they pack people in beyond tight, so the driver can get the most money for the trip over the bumpy roads. The first day was 7 1/2 hours to the town of Luang Nam Tha, followed the next day by the 2-hour trip to Muang Sing. As if the lack of space isn't bad enough, the Lao seem to be uneasy travelers - often leaning over the edge of the pickup, or out bus windows, to paint the side of the vehicle with their most recent meal. The chain reaction that this invariably sets off had 6 of the 17 people crammed in the back of this particular truck getting sick. And you thought it was all fun and games.

Muang Sing

Muang Sing is a remote village near the Chinese border. At one time it was the largest opium market in the golden triangle, though now it is a standard market, which attracts people from the various tribes of the region. One tribe are the Yao, who's women wear dark headdresses and a red, fuzzy 'boa' draped around the neckline of their dress. There are several tribes of Akha, most of whom wear distinctive hats - either a cylindrical one, or one with many coins and other silver doo-dads attached. The women usually wear short skirts as opposed to the long longyi preferred by other tribes, and there are some that paint their cheeks very rosy. There were also various Thai (Tai) tribes represented, as well as many rural Chinese from across the border. It was a fascinating place to simply sit and watch the people in their colorful, traditional outfits going about ...