Samneau Hotels

Hua Phan rivals Phongsali for the title of Laos' most remote province. Mountainous and particularly scenic, the province has a mish-mashed network of dirt and sealed roads and lacklustre public transport to match. The going is slow in Hua Phan. During Pathet Lao times, the provincial capital of Sam Neua (also spelt Xam Nua) and the nearby caves at Vieng Xai formed the Pathet Lao capital, and it was here and in equally remote Phongsali, that the Pathet Lao forces regrouped after the Geneva Accord. Sam Neua sits in a small picturesque valley, a town of white concrete houses topped with red roofs, surrounded, by the vibrant green of young rice fields and the grey-green of the mountains. The town is famous for two major reasons. Firstly, for the beauty and originality of the locally-woven fabrics, which are sought after by women all over Laos, and are now to be found as the most eye-catching and beautifully crafted pieces in markets and shops countrywide. About an hour by tuk tuk from Sam Neua is the small town of Vieng Xai. It is set among beautiful karst Limestone Mountains that rise out of the rice fields like hulking monoliths. During the Secret War this area was the seat of command for the most powerful members of the Pathet Lao, the nationalist party that won the war and now runs the country. It is not possible to see the caves without a government guide, so you'll need to swing by Sam Neua Tourism Agency. Tours can be arranged on arrival, but they will only depart tours before 11:00 and after lunch until 16:00. If you come slightly outside this time, it is possible to have a tour anyway, by paying the guide a further 10,000 kip. Guess that's their special overtime rate. Done on foot, with a guide of good English-speaking ability, the tour takes you into the caves of the most important government leaders, including Prince Souvannaphoum and the venerated Kaysone. The dank, dark rooms are a stark reminder of the hardships these people were prepared to endure to fight for their country.