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Stroll down Luang Namtha’s main street near the Night Market and step into a postcard world of a laidback tourist hub: a cluster of clean and comfortable guesthouses, small restaurants serving local and international dishes, and tour operators in tidy, open-front shops with tour-menu slates out front.

Those lists of activities have grown over the years, but trekking and homestays in the Nam Ha National Protected Area (NPA) still dominate the charts.

Trails and villages are within reach of all ages. A short tuk tuk ride from town leads to Ban Nam Dee’s homestay, and the short hike to its waterfall, perfect for families and baby boomers. Hardcore adventurers can sign up for rigorous multi-day treks with overnight stays, forest retreats, and jungle camps. More moderate two-and-three-day programs offer similar experiences without steep climbs.

Kayaking on the mountain-lined Nam Tha River remains a big hit, especially during Adventure Season (June-October) when the water level is high. Trips range from paddling on calm waters to navigating challenging whitewater, and overnight village stays await those on multi-day expeditions. You can also hire a long-tail boat to do all the work. Cycling tours visit ethnic villages and pedal on to Sing District. Travelers can also rent bicycles and motorbikes to reach communities and attractions closer to town.

Adventurers are increasingly climbing onboard new multi-day combination tours, which offer trekking, kayaking, and cycling components selected from existing programs.

To help you navigate the choice of tours available from Luang Namtha Town, check out the adventure activities we spotlight, which can be booked at the Visitor Information Center.

Ease into a kayak and paddle down the province’s main artery, the Nam Tha River. You’ll stop at ethnic villages and tackle rapids, as the river winds through steep, tree-lined shores, while skirting the Nam Ha NPA.

A handful of Luang Namtha tour operators offer one- and two-day kayaking tours, each unique in its way, but all pass through the green-filled landscape. Of course, the longer you sign on for, the further you’ll go, the more villages you’ll visit, and the greater the choices you’ll have for spending the night.

Kayaking tours begin south of Luang Namtha Town with basic lessons, before entering the river with oars at the ready. The first stop is the Lanten village of Ban Sop Tod, where you can experience the people’s lifestyle and purchase their crafts.

The kayaking continues over the Tiger Leaping Rapids and through the thick forest to Ban Sop Sim, a Khmu villa ge where the Nam Ha River empties its waters into the Nam Tha. Some one-day tours end here with a ride back to town, while five-hour expeditions continue to Ban Houei Luat or Ban Hat Yawng.

Those on a two-day program can overnight at a forest camp, homestay at Hat Yawng or Houei Luat, or a community lodge in Ban Sop Sim. The second-day continues downriver to Ban Sin Oudom and returns to Luang Namtha by motorboat or pickup truck.

Consider an Adventure Season (June-October) kayaking tour when the river is high and the whitewater presents a greater test.

Embark on a three-day outdoor odyssey that combines two or more sporting activities – trekking, kayaking, and cycling – and adds overnights at village homestays, community lodges, forest or river retreats, and jungle camps.

When tourists started asking for combination tours, Luang Namtha tour operators quickly acted, piecing together parts of existing treks, kayaking trips, cycling tours, and accommodation options to come up with a logical and exciting lineup.

Though some offer one- and two-day combination tours, three-day versions immerse you in the area’s nature and culture, and efficiently fulfill your Luang Namtha plans, leaving more time to explo re the province’s other highlights.

Trekking often stars in combination tours, with one operator splicing the original Ban Nalan Trek, with the village’s updated community lodge, into the show. Another takes off from Ban Nam Ha and spends the night at a forest retreat on the Nam Ha River before continuing through the NPA. Others explore the area around Ban Sop Sim (Khmu), where the Nam Ha and Nam Tha Rivers meet.

Cycling segments include sites in the Luang Namtha Valley, and while some tours offer a homestay in Ban Nam Ngaen (Tai Dam) near town, others continue south on Route 3 to the Khmu villages of Ban Chaleunsouk or Ban Nam Ha for the night.

Kayaking components are often slotted in after cycling, but can kick off cycle-less tours or wrap up a Nam Ha trek. Overnights can be at forest retreats or a jungle camp near Ban Sop Sim, where a well-earned sleep preps you for the next day.

An early-2012 chat with members of Luang Namtha Districts’ Sustainable Tourism Network – a group of tour operators committed to responsible tourism – uncovered what tourists really want and what was new to meet their needs.

Responses were similar across the board. More and more tourists are asking for “combination tours”, which mix two or more activities: mountain biking, cycling, trekking, rafting, kayaking, bird watching, and visiting ethnic villages. People continue to like waterfalls, swimming, and exploring caves, they said.

The one or two-day Nam Tha riverboat cruises with an optional overnight in Nalae District’s Khone Kham Village are increasingly popular, and one guide noted a jump in riverboat traffic between Luang Namtha and Houei Xai, a border checkpoint with Thailand, located on the Mekong in Bokeo Province.

Tent camping, jungle camps, and forest retreats have joined homestays and village lodges as nighttime options on multi-day excursions. Some tour companies even own eco-lodges and mid-range bungal ows, taking the heat off of finding a place to stay when returning to town from a tour.

For travelers looking for something a bit lighter, but still yearning adventure, many tour operators in Luang Namtha and Sing offer minivan, tuk-tuk, and cycling tours of the towns and their environs. You can also go on short, easy hikes to waterfalls and caves, and even play games of pétanque, the national pastime.

Several tour companies have also begun offering longer 4WD excursions in trucks and on off-road motorcycles, or you can hire a vehicle with a driver/guide and become the king of the road.

Lao food has become a tourist attraction, and learning how to cook it is the hottest new activity in Luang Namtha. You can sign up for a short course in Luang Namtha Town or learn how to turn plants you gather on the trail into meals and the implements to cook them.

A local chef teaches half-, one-, and two-day courses and short evening classes. The hands-on experience shows you how to cook a starter, a selection of main courses, and dessert. You can also learn how to whip up vegetarian dishes by substituting greens and tofu for meat and fish.

Cooking has also made the activities list at Ban Vieng Neua’s Tai Yuan community house located about 5 km south of Luang Namtha Town. The village also offers baci ceremonies, dance and music performances, lunch, dinner, and homestays on its activity menu. Go to the Luang Namtha Tourist Information Center to arrange a Ban Vieng Neua cooking-class tour.

Treks spending the night at forest retreats or campsites rely on “mountain meals” with ingredients you pick along the trail. Guides now encourage trekkers to try their hands at fishing and creating bamboo-and-leaf kitchenware including cooking vessels, spoons, and chopsticks.

Then they’ll teach you how to whip up a lunch or dinner of soup, mountain rice, and organic vegetables purchased in villages. You’ll brew medicinal tea from gathered herbs, perform the stove-work in your bamboo crockery, and learn how to barbecue tasty fish.

Be sure to include cooking in its many forms on your Luang Namtha itinerary.