Bustling streets of Hanoi Old Quarters

Arrived at Ben Xe My Dinh bus terminal at about 8:30am after a nine hours journey from Vinh.

Do avoid drinking too much water before travelling at night as there won't be any toilet break unless someone in the bus requested and you have to do it beside the roadside.

The long distance bus stopped inside a depot just across the terminal which is opposite Toyota My Dinh Showroom.

There are four long-distance bus stations in Hanoi, all located a few kilometres from the centre of the city.

 Giap Bat bus station, on Giai Phong to the south of town, serves most places to the south, while Gia Lam bus station, to the southeast of the centre, serves destinations to the northeast such as Ha Long City, Haiphong and Lang Son.

Luong Yen bus station, just southeast of the city centre, serves routes north to Ha Giang and Cao Bang, as well as Cat Ba Island on the edge of Ha Long Bay.

Finally, the newest is My Dinh, located about 10kms west of the centre, which also serves several destinations in the north.

While the majority of new arrivals in Hanoi choose to do so by plane, landing at Noi Bai Airport about 35km north of the city, it is also worth considering arriving by train, as in this way you can get a good look at the surrounding countryside of the Red River Valley as you pull in to the city.







Ben Xe Khach My Dinh bus terminal is located at Pham Hung Road.

This is a very new and modern transport hub located quite near to Vietnam National University.(about 4km).

Outside the terminal were lots of xe om (pronounced as "say om") or motor taxi but Vietnamese meaning means "hug the driver"

Trying to catch a local Hanoi bus is quite problematic at this main terminal during rush hour because the moment the buses arrived,loads of passengers will be scrambling into the bus and was packed within minutes.

 Feeling undecided while hanging around here for quite sometime,I thereby approached a Vietnamese student for direction but was told that Hanoi is a very big city and quite tedious to walk .

She offered me a mint candy sweet and was very kind in her hospitality greeting me with 'Welcome to Hanoi'.

This really brightens up my day. It was about 9:30am when a xe om rider came zooming on me and offered a ride for 70,000 Dong compared to a local bus ride that cost 3,500Dong.

Feeling exhausted due to lack of sleep from overnight travel,I did not make any bargain but just followed him with a helmet on.







Bus Routes from Ben Xe Kach My Dinh to:
 Yen Bai :every half hour from 06:30 - 17:00hr

Forestry and farming are the main economic activities of Yen Bai.
Located in the northern part of Vietnam. Railway line passing through here acts as the main freight corridor to China.
Located about 183km from Hanoi.

Phu Tho :every half hour from 06:00 - 16:30hr 80km from Hanoi in North eastern region with Viet Tri city as the provincial capital.
The birthplace of the Vietnamese race and famous for the Hung Pagoda Festival.  

Da Chong : 06:30,07:00,08:30,10:00,12:00 and 15:00  

Lao Cai and Sapa : 04:30 and 05:00hr
The most famous mountain peak of Vietnam located at an altitude of 3,143m above sea-level. Next door is China's Yunnan Province.Amazing mountains rich in flora and fauna with the various ethnic communities.  

Ha Giang : 04:00,04:30,05:00 and 05:45hr The poorest province of Vietnam in the northeastern part.
Plums,peaches,persimmons and tea cultivation are the main livelihood of the people.

Lang Son :every half hour from 06:00 till 16:30hr
Bordering Cao Bang Province in the North,Sung Ta Province (China) in the northeast,Bac Giang Province in the south,Quang Ninh Province to the east,Bak Kan Province to the west and Thai Nguyen Province to the southwest. Two International Border Gates: Dong Dang and Huu Nghi.  

Dien Bien :04:00 and 05:00hr. Province in northwestern Vietnam,Dien means solid while Bien means frontiers.

Bai Chay Beach and Halong Bay :every half hour from 07:00 till 17:00hr
Halong Bay is a magnifient scenic spot in the Quang Ninh Province.Bai Tu Long and Cat Ba Islands are two UNESCO World Heritage sites and one of the world's 7 Natural Wonders.

Hoa Binh :every half hour from 07:00 till 17:00hr Rich natural and cultural heritage famous for ecotourism,only 82km from Hanoi. There are more than 50 ethnic tourism hamlets within Hoa Binh.

 Ninh Binh :09:40hr Located at the southern end of the Red River Delta.95km from Hanoi.November to April dry season best time to visit.A very great place to visit for culural explorers. Very attractive sites with many palaces,pagodas,tombs of past dynasties and beautiful karsts mountains.






Sometimes xe om rider don't even know guesthouses names and to find Luong Ngoc Quyen he also has problem figuring out the exact location.

 Initially he brought me to the five star Hotel Metropole,an elegant French colonial building which is along Ngo Quyen.

That's beyond my budget as a backpacker. After asking around from his fellow friends,he managed to turn into this side road and Hanoi Youth Hostel signboard caught my attention.
 What a relief after circling all over the Old Quarters area trying to locate the guesthouse.






This is a eight person mixed dormitory with aircondition for USD5 per night.

Shower with hotwater bathroom outside. Individual locker corresponding to bed number given.
 Checking in the early part of the day has many beds available but not later in the afternoon.

My new found roomates included two Chinese students from mainland China who were attending private colleges and a Japanese boy from Tokyo all of whom were long stay guest.

Veteran traveller Larry Egan from Canada who was here nearly a week occupied adjacent lower bed.

Larry despite his age was very adventurous having travelled nearly half of the globe alone. 
 






Map of Old Quarters in Hanoi. Why is this part of Hanoi called Old Quarters? 

 In the early days this area was very swampy with lots of snakes and alligators.
No wonder there were so many lakes like Ho Hoan Kiem,Ho Tay(West Lake),Thien Hung near train terminal,Thien Quang lake and Bay Mau lake in Hai Ba Trung District and many others.

 The Song River(Red River) that flows through the city has the Long Bien Bridge with railway lines connecting to the other side of the districts.

 Underneath Long Bien Bridge were cluster of villages made up of houses on stilts, and was unified by Chinese administrators who built ramparts around their headquarters.

The area was named "Dominated Annam" or "Protected South" by the Chinese. “Old Quarter” or “36 Old Streets” (as consisting of 36 member streets) has specialized type of businesses so they were named after that particular nature of business like Pho Hang Bun (Vermicelli), Pho Hang Ma (Paper Product), Pho Hang Bac (Silver), etc. are examples of the streets carrying the name of the products sold there.

“Phố” means a street or a place for merchants to gather to do business, while “Phường”, a district or a guild of artisans specializing in a particular trade (phuong cheo, phuong tho, etc.).

Hang Gai Street offers silk clothing ready-made and tailored, embroidery, and silver products.
 Hang Quat, the street that formerly sold silk and feather fans, now stuns the visitor by its brilliantly colored funeral and festival flags and religious objects and clothing.
To Tich Street connects the above two and is still the wood turner's street.

Hang Ma glimmers with shiny paper products, such as gift wrappings, wedding decorations and miniature paper objects to burn for the dead.

Lan Ong Street is a sensual delight of textures and smells emanating from the sacks of herbal medicinal products: leaves, roots, barks, and powders, etc.
Coming here, you may feel as if you were in a classical-styled area in terms of both architecture and product types!
Although many of the streets no longer sell the products after which they were named, some still do.

Today, the Old Quarter has become the unique classical feature of Hanoi, and the inspiration of numerous writers, poets, and painters, and one of the desired tourist destinations in Hanoi.
 Inside a modern and dynamic city, there appears an antique quarter, the Hanoi’s Old Quarter – the represented eternal soul of the city.
These days, most Vietnamese and Westerners are familiar with the phrase “Hà Nội – Ba mươi sáu phố phường” (translated as “Ha Noi – 36 districts” or “Hanoi – 36 Old Streets”), or “Phố cổ Hà Nội” (translated as “Hanoi’s Old Quarter”).

Thanh Long-the City of Ascending Dragons.
 It would be a big surprise should you know that Hanoi's Old Quarter came into being at the time King Ly Thai To selected Thang Long as the country’s capital in 1010, that is, the streets have a nearly 1,000-year old history and became crowded and lively in the 15th century.

What makes them unique is that many of them remain in their very ancient architecture of the 15th century. Up to now, it has been the oldest continuously developed area of Vietnam.







Entrance arch to one Chinese Guild Association.

Bach Ma Chinese Temple along Hang Buom Street at the corner road junction.

Hang Buom Street runs east-west and cuts with Hang Duong and Ma May at two ends.

Hang Buom means Store of Sails,the street used to sell mattress and bags made from hemp whose materials were delivered by Chinese boats passing by.

There still remain a few shops on the left from the temple that were doing wholesale while further up on the right were shops dealing with confectionaries.

 Nice cosy restaurant in a Chinese settings.

Tuoi Tho food outlet popular among the Hanoians during lunch hour.

Colonial style residential house.

Bus stop at the mainroad (Tran Quang Khai) near guesthouse. Bus number and the respective routes were displayed.

BX stands for Ben Xe or bus terminal.
Confidently I should say that if you're a newbie in Hanoi and wish to head for Old Quarters area,just hop into any of the noted buses without fear so long as you get ready with the 5,000 Dong fares for travel within city area.
Bus Routes:
03: BX Giap Bat - BX Gia Lam
11: Cu Thong Nhat - DH Nong Ngep 1
18: Kim Ma - Long Bien - Kim Ma
23: Nguyen Cong Tru -Van Ho - Nguyen Cong Tru
34: BX My Dinh -BX Gia Lam
40: Cu Thong Nhat - Nhu Quynt
14: Co Nhue - Bo Ho
22: Vien 103 -BX




Gia Lam Hanoi local buses have three main colours namely red,white stripes and yellow. Bus number is red in a white circle.

The price of ticket varies depending on distances possibly between 5,000 to 10,000 Dong. Bus #09 to Hoan Khiem Lake Bus #33 or #02 to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Vinh to Hanoi sleeper bus.

The non-aircond minibus fare was 100,000 Dong to Vinh in Central Vietnam.

There were many stops along the way to pick up passengers and slightly after an hour into the journey at about 5:00pm while nearing Hoa Binh,the minibus conductor start collecting the money and ask for our destination.

I was given a hint by one Vietnamese worker while at the Nam Khan Immigration Post that if my plan is to head for Hanoi,there were buses in Hoa Binh.

 Being a first timer in this alien territory,it might be a difficult task in this late evening to walk around and locate Hoa Binh Bus Terminal.

 Furthermore in the event that I managed to get a ticket,chances is that it will be around midnight to reach Hanoi.

 At about 5:30pm,passed through Tuong Duong District with towns like Na Tong,Quang Yen,Quang Thanh,Tam Quang,Ban Long,Thah Dao and Dinh Son.

It was already getting dark at 6:30pm when we passed through Anh Son District,with Anh Son being the main town centre and then Kai Son.

Can you imagine some of the limestone karst mountains extended close to the main road and at one point there were communities living close to it.

Finally at about 8:45pm after a nine hours minibus journey,arrived in the outskirt of Vinh which is in the Nghe An Province.

 It was a big city with good road infrastructure.

Bounded in the north by Thanh Hoa Province while the south is Ha Tinh Province.

Vinh was an industrial port city and was flattened completely during the Vietnam War due to it being a supply source for the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Vinh is also the birthplace of Ho Chi Minh.





Vinh is located along Highway 1, 197 km north of Dong Hoi, and just under a hundred kilometres from the Lao border at the NamCan / Nam Khan crossing.

 It's about 290 km south of Hanoi, 1,430 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, and its an express stop on the train line.

 There is
National Highway No. 6 from Hanoi via Ha Tay to Hoa Binh, Son La,
National Highway No. 15 from Mai Chau to Thanh Hoa,
National Highway No. 12B from Hoa Binh to Nho Quan (Ninh Binh).

Hoa Binh Town is 76km from Hanoi.


Well I booked a 10:30pm sleeper bus to Hanoi and the fares was 150,000 Dong.

 A look at Vietnamese sleeper bus.

There were three rows of upper and lower individual bunks,that is two-tiered.

The very end of the bus were with no seat numbers,just a flat cushioned platform which can accomodate five people.

There is no toilet inside the bus.

 By right my ticket has a number but knowing that a foreigner couldn't argue about it, I was shown the end rows.

Immediately my aim was the corner beside the window so as to avoid being squeezed in the middle.

Unfortunately throughout the journey, the Vietnamese guy sleeping beside me tend to roll over too often giving me a miserable night.

Compared to a normal upright seats bus,a sleeper bus has the disavantage of not being able to sit up as the berth are in an inclined position just like the hospital bed.

One more thing to consider is the bunks were customed made to Asian size and if you are around six feet in height,this can be problematic.

Tuyen Ngoai Tinh 2 destinations bus timetable. (place/km distance/price(VHD)/time)

1) Saigon - 1430 -500,000 -05:00hr Old name for Ho Chi Minh City(HCMC).

2) Vang Tau -1500 -380,000 -05:00hr
Located near HCMC and Binh Duong Province majoring in shipping,oil and sunny beaches.

3) Binh Duong -1500 -430,00 -05:00hr
North of HCMC,agricultural and animal husbandry major economy.

4) Bao Loc -1285 - 470,000 -05:00hr
Central Highlands,Lam Dong Province-famous B'lao tea.130km from HCMC and 100km from Dalat.

5) Da Lat -1225 -460,000 -05:00hr
South central highlands once a popular playground during the French colonial powers.

6) Dak Lak -119 -360,000 -05:00hr
Dak Lak(Dac Lac) Province is 183km from Nha Trang (by National Highway No. 26), 180km from Pleiku (by National Highway No. 14), 352km from Ho Chi Minh City (by National Highway No. 14), 200km from Dalat (by National Highway No. 27), and 1,390km from Hanoi.Rich in National biodiversity.

7) Hanoi -291 -130,000 -04:30 till 16:00hr Second largest city in Vietnam,old name Thanh Long.

8) Hoc Gluong Nam -160,000 -05:00 till 21:00hr (can't figure out where is this)

9) Dak Nong -1260 -450,000/500,000 - 05:00hr Central highlands province with capital Gia Nghia,has large fields and lakes.

10) Gia Lai -960 -360,000 - 05:00hr and 13:00hr Pleiku,the capital of Gia Lai Province in Central Highlands.
Strategically important during Vietnam War,primary terminus of military logistics corridor.

11) Da Nang -470 -170,000 -05:00hr
Major commercial and port city.
The city's origins date back to the ancient Champa Kingdom, established by Indonesian settlers in 192 AD

12) Hue -370 -130,000 -05:30 and 11:00hr Imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty.
Located right in the centre bordering North and South Vietnam in the early days. Rich in historic monument,one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites.

 13) Dong Hoi -220 -85,000 -12:30,13:30,14:30hr Capital of Quang Binh Province,north central coast of Vietnam,500km southeast of Hanoi.Lanching pad for air raids against Viet Minh forces in the Central of Vietnam and Laotian communist forces Pathet Lao in the Central and Southern Laos during First Indochina War.

14) Son La CLC -530 -259,000 - 18:00hr Ngay 1 Chuyen
325km north west of Hanoi bordering Lao Cai and Yen Bai in a mountainous region.

15) Son La G Nam -130 -300,00 - 18:00hr

16) Dien Bien -760 -450,00 - 17:00hr
Near Lao Cau and Son La Provinces and the capital city is Dien Bien Phu.Best known for the victorious war against French colonist on 07.05.1954.
Very mountainous with fascinating sceneries.

17) Lao Bao - x - 120,000 - 07:15hr A small town in the Hướng Hóa district of Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, located in the North Central Coast region, near the border with Laos Savan Province.

18) Ven Chan - x -280,000 - 06:00hr ngay chan am lich Vieng Chan or Vientiane,the capital city of Laos PDR  
 






Chat Luong Cao buses timetable:(towns/km distance/fares/departure)





1) Hai Phong -396 -130,000 05:00,05:30,06:00,07:00,07:30,08:00,09:00,10:45 and 12:00hr.
Vietnam's third most populous city.
The city's name means coastal defence. 120km north east of Hanoi near the Gulf of Tonkin and just about 20km to the famous Halong Bay.One of the biggest port city.

2) Dak lak -1101 -420,000 -06:00hr Đắc Lắc,Coffee, fruit, and rubber play an important part in its economy.

3) Hanoi -291 -130,000 -04:40 and 18:00hr

4) Hanoi Huong Nam -291 -150,000 - 12;30,13:00,13:30,14:00,07;00,07;30,08:00,08:30,22:00,06:30 and 09:00hr

5) Saigon - x

 6) Mong Cai Quang Nam -630 -240,000 -18:00,19:00hr

7) Thai Nguyen G Nam -380 -170,000 -07:30,15:00hr

8) Pon Xa Van -403 -280,000 -06:00hr Thu 2-3-5-6, Gluong Nam 350,000VND,Ngay 1 chuyen 290,000VND.

Phonsavan Province is in the north of Laos and the capital city is Phonsali.

9) Luang Pha Bang -690 -450,000 -06:00 Thu 2-4-6-7, Luang Prabang is in Laos.

10) Danang CLC nhe ngoi - 470 -120,000 - 05:30 and 06:30hr

11) Danang Gluong nam -470 -205,000 - 18:00,18:30,19:00,19:30,20:00,20:30 and 20:45hr

12) Saigon Gluong nam -4130 -780,000 -08:00hr 13) Hai Phong Gluong nam -396 -170,000 -08:00,10:00,20:00,20:15,21:30 and 22:15hr.





 Cam Hut Thuoc La bus schedule:

1) Muong Xen -250km-90,000Vnd-04:00,04:30,05:00,05:30,06:40 and 07:00hr Town at the foothill near Nong Het-Nam Khan border checkpoint.


2) Hoa Binh (Thuong Duong)-195km-75,000Vnd-04:00,04:30,05:00,05:30,06:00,06:30,07:00,07:30,08:00,08:30 and 09:00hr
Mountainous terrain with Thac Bo, Hoa Tien grottoes, Ret Cave, Pu Nooc Primitive forest and many clean springs are suitable for swimming, climbing, walking, and hunting.

Hoa Binh is a mountainous province in the North. It is bordered by Phu Tho and Ha Tay in the north, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa in the south, Ha Nam in the east, and Son La in the west. Apart of these, scientific tests have shown that the mineral water at Kim Boi Hot Spring is good for drinking, bathing and treatment.

3) Con Cuong -140km-60,000Vnd-05:00 till 17:00hr Nghe Ann District near Dinh Son.Nghe Ann Province highest peak is Pulaileng (2,711m high) in Ky Son District, the lower is the plains of Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Yen Thanh districts.


4) Phuc Son -108km-50,000Vnd-05:00 till 17:00hr

5) Do Luong -75km -40,000Vnd-05:00 till 17:00hr-4:30 till 17:00hr Đô Lương is a rural district of Nghe An province in the North Central Coastal region of Vietnam.

 8) Yen Thanh -70km-36,000Vnd-06:30 till 17:00hr

North Central Coast region,Northern border districts of Tan Ky , Quynh Luu , Dien Chau ; east Dien Chau District; southeast district bordering Nghi Loc , south district Luong , the west district of Tan Ky .

7) Dung (Thanh Chuong) -50,000Vnd-04:30 till 17:30hr. A rural district of Nghe An province in the North Central Coastal region of Vietnam

6) Lat (Tan Ky)-90km-50,000Vnd  

Ban Phieu Xe Ra Cong bus schedule: 

 1) Hanoi-291km-130,000Dong

2) Kam-230km-94,000Dong

3) Thai Binh-250km-110,000Dong

4) Thai Ngyyen-380km-154,000Dong

5) Quang Ninh-460km-150,000Dong-05:00,05:30hr

6) Bac Ninh-342km-144,000Dong-04:00,ngay 1 chuyen

 7) Hai Duong-354km-121,000Dong-06:00,ngay chan am lich

8) Dung Hoi-230km-85,000Dong-12:30,13:30,14:30hr

9) Hue-370km-130,000Dong-05:00 till 11:00hr 10) Thanh Hoa-153km-75,000Dong.

Bus ticket to Hanoi,sleeper bus('gluong nam')

Phonsavan to Vietnam border

Heavy mist engulfed the whole of Phonsavan's town this morning with visibility of less than a kilometre.

 Phonsavan is roughly about 1200 metres above sea level surrounded by lush tropical rain forest.
Traffic on the road were still very quiet except for the hive of activities at the main market area.

The pedestrian walkway was quite wide and well paved and it would be very refreshing to go for a morning walk in this cold weather.

This was about 7:00am when I made my way to the Honsava II Bus terminal hoping to catch a bus to the Vietnamese border.


Xieng Khoung Hotel was nearly covered by the thick mist and hardly to be seen despite being 500 metres away.

During the day ,temperature can be as high as 31 degree celcius while at night can drop to about 15 degree celcius.

The highest temperature will be the month of April and the lowest around December. July and August will be the wettest months.





Monks on the morning alms round.
Walking barefooted on the cold pavement is quite an enduring task and  a specific discipline which is considered very practical and natural way to practice fulltime mindfulness.

 By also going barefoot outside, the practice can be seen as an extension of expanding sacred space beyond the walls of the sanctuary.

The goal of any Buddist is to acheive "enlightenment" which means that any Earthly possesion had no meaning to them.

To achieve enlightenment you must stop wanting everything.

So monks believed that not having anything will relieve them of their earthly desires.

The only bus to Vinh in Central Vietnam is at 06:30am and has left.

This will only be available on Tuesday,Thursday,Friday and Sunday.
 The fares is 150,000 kips.

Now my next choice is through Xam Neua border checkpoint which will be nearer to Hanoi,capital of northern Vietnam where I'll be catching my flight back home.

Minibus departure time is at 08:00am fare price is 80,000 kips.

After waiting at the empty ticketing counter for nearly half an hour,there were no signs of anyone around nor even passengers.

A Vietnamese lady baguette seller was very kind enough to direct me to this bus to Nong Het which was also a border checkpoint that leads to Vinh in Central Vietnam.

The bus driver has his wife as a ticket conductor so I paid her the 35,000 kips bus fare.

I would advise all travellers heading to Hanoi or Vinh to buy the bus tickets from your guesthouses or hotels.

As for Nong Het and Xam Neua,we can just hop in at the bus station and pay the bus conductor the fares.

Muang Nong Het is a district in North-eastern Laos bordering Vietnam via the Nam Khan(Nam Can) border passage.

Nong Het is about 150km from Phonsavan.

General Vang Pao born on December 8, 1929 in Nonghet was a venerated leader of the Hmong people who has also fought along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

In the outskirts of Phonsavan school children were seen all along the road walking to their respective school.

Khan Khay Teachers Training College and a Khan Khay Guesthouse was also in the vicinity.

8:00am:Departure from bus terminal. 8:30am:Milestone says 120km to Nam Khan. 9:05am:Arrived Ban Nong Pet near Tham Xang Cave
9:10am:About 87km to reach Nong Het,25km to Muang Kham.
9:50am:Kham District.A small little town with a few rows of shops as in the photo. Regular songthaews and the odd bus travel between Muang Kham and Phonsavan cost 13,000 kip.
Muang Kham is at a road junction connecting to Nong Het(2 hours journey) towards the east and to Xam Neua in the north(roughly 7-9 hours journey).
As the bus slowly climbed through the winding roads along the highlands,the sceneries were superb and pockets of Hmong communities could be seen along the way. (Hmong Community News). 

 Most of the Hmong people that comes from China are known as Miao.

 Hmong New Year celebrations frequently occur in November and December (traditionally at the end of the harvest season when all work is done), serving as a Thanksgiving holiday for the Hmong people.

It was close to 12:00noon when the bus was nearing Nong Het.
The undulating hills in the surrounding areas seemed to have the effects of the Secret War bombings.

Hardly can you find tall trees and all were grown with bushes and shrubs.

Yellow flowers blended most of the landscapes.

Just across Nong Het small bus terminal,school children were seen going home after school.

 There was only one regular bus parked in the compound with destination Vientiane.

Couldn't see any buses to the Nam Can border except for the many songtheaws around.

 The songtheaw station leader opened a ridiculous price of 50,000 kips and I had to haggle. As I walked along the road standing in front of the post office,managed to ask one of the Lao lady staff whether the Vietnamese border is within walking distance.

The answer is a big No,you better get the songtheaw.

As I walked back to the market and bazaar area where the bus stop was just beside it,couldn't figure out which one to take so have to meet the station leader again.

This time I only agree with 30,000 kips or I don't go,will stay here till I find out from the locals.

 Nong Het small market has one specialty,there were couple of tailoring shops sewing the Hmong tribal clothes and headgears.

This is very unique as you can see them sewing on the spot with made to order. Most Hmong girls in Laos today do not wear Hmong clothing in their everyday lives, but continue to do the Pa Ndau or embroidery.






Well time for my lunch and an opportunity to get some travel details to the Nam Can border.

Noodles (vietnamese:fur) is one of my favourites.

A large bowl for 5,000 kips.It's not that spicy but taste a bit sweet sour,looks like 'tom-yam' gravy.

 It is advisable to order something hot and boiled so that you won't have stomach upset as precaution.

When the Hmong settlers first migrated over here from mainland China,they will stay in the highlands while the Khmu people will be at the lowland.

Many Khmu moved to Luang Prabang province and later joined the communist Pathet Lao against the many highland Hmong on the side of the Royal Lao Government.

By the time Laos became a French protectorate in 1893, the Hmong had settled in greater number in Laos and could be found not only in Xieng Kouang, but also in Sameua, Luang Prabang and Phong Saly provinces.

The system of Hmong paying tax to lowland Lao had been well established.
 Not only was tax paid in the form of two silver coins per households, but those Hmong chiefs who were given village or clan leadership by the Lao such as the Kiatong, the Xophia, the Photong also had to pay occasional tribute with the product of their hunting and gathering: elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, deer meats, etc. without counting a few kilograms of opium.

On 9 March 1945, Japanese troops occupied Laos and systematically attacked all French military and civilian strongholds.

Many local resistance French officers took refuge with the Hmong who hid them in their mountain fortress.







Finally at an agreeable songtheaw fares of 30,000kips ,I was on my way to the Nam Can border at about 1:00pm.

A few local villagers were also heading for the same destination.

The road was very winding and on the way I had a glimpse of Dindang village in the valley.

 Estimated time of travel was 45 minutes to reach the Lao Immigration checkpoint but the songtheaw will only stop nearby the checkpoint.

We had to walk for a short distance along the gravel unpaved road which were badly damaged by those trailers and timber lorries.

Immigration post were closed for lunch and the lorries were parked at the narrow road blocking the access road.

Tad Kha Waterfall in Nong Het is surrounded by spectacular limestone karst.
The water runs down in cascading steps alternating with steep areas for more than 100 meters and flows all year round.
To get to the falls follow Route 7 to Nong Het, at Khang Phaniane Village turn left into a graveled road (100 km from Phonsavan) and drive for about 3 km; take the trail to the left and walk about 30 minutes to get to the waterfall. Taking a guide is recommended. Best ask at the local tourist information, or if that is closed at the Nong Het guest house.






Teak wood timber lorries transporting to Vietnam.
 Nicely sawn without the tree bark. An undercover investigation by United Kingdom-based Environ- mental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Indonesian conservationist Telapak said illegal logging and timber smuggling is widespread in Laos.

 Laos has many laws and regulations to control forestry industry but implementation is confused and enforcement is weak.

Smuggling of logs across the border, mainly to Vietnam, is facilitated by connections with military and officers on both sides of the border, the EIA-Telapak report said. "In Laos, the military remains a powerful institution with wide business interests, including logging, and has close links with its Vietnamese counterpart," the report said.

Vietnam has imposed restrictions on the forestry industry, reducing the supply of timber cut in natural forest from 520,000 cubic metres in 1997, when the policy was enforced, to 150,000 cubic metres last year.

Despite such restrictions, Vietnam has rapidly developed a dynamic wood-processing industry and has in the last decade earned a reputation as a world-class furniture producer, exporting 90% of its products to 120 countries, including the United States, Japan, UK, Germany, France and China. Vietnam's furniture exports reached $2.4 billion last year and the export value is estimated at $3 billion this year, making Vietnam the world's fourth-largest exporter of wood products.

With a wide gap between demand for products and supply of raw material, Vietnam has emerged as a major destination for illegal timber, the EIA-Telapak report said. Laos is a major source of smuggled timber due to geographical proximity and close political relations between the two governments and militaries.










Xieng Khouang Province Nam Kanh(Nam Can) International Border Pass checkpoint.

No officers were around due to lunch break.

 Lorry drivers were all around me and some having a nap.

Only a handful of local crossborder travellers were seen. This is really an off the beaten path being a lone ranger in this rugged high mountain of former Ho Chi Minh's trail.







Laos side Immigration Checkpoint operating hours: 07:30am - 19:00 hours. 11:30am - 13:30 hours must be the lunch break.

No wonder most buses from Phonsavan must leave very early at 06:30am.

Nong Het -Nam Kanh is an official port of entry and exit.

You can get a visa on arrival in Laos if you are traveling for tourism, have two passport-size photographs and pay $35 at the following ports of entry: Wattay Airport, Vientiane; Pakse, Savannakhet, and Luang Prabang Airports; Friendship Bridge, Vientiane and Savannakhet; Nam Heuang Friendship Bridge, Sayabouly Province; and border crossings at Boten-Mohan, Dansavan-Lao Bao, Houaysay-Chiang Khong, Thakhek-Nakhon Phanom, Nong Haet-Nam Kan, Nam Phao-Kao Cheo, Veun Kham-Dong Calor and Vangtao-Chong Mek.

You can also get a visa on arrival at the Tha Naleng train station in Vientiane, which connects to the train station in Nongkhai, Thailand.

If you obtain a visa from a Lao embassy or consulate prior to your travel to Laos, you may also enter at the following international entry points: Napao-Chalo, Taichang-Sophoun, Pakxan-Bungkan, and Xiengkok.

You will generally be allowed to stay in Laos for 30 days after you arrive.

If you were born in Laos, you may be admitted for 60 days or longer. You can extend your 30-day tourist visa up to an additional 60 days for a fee of $2 per day through the Department of Immigration in Vientiane.

If you overstay your visa in Laos, you risk arrest and will be fined $10 for each day of overstay as you leave.
The Lao government calculates visa fees and fines in U.S. dollars. Thai baht and Lao kip may sometimes be accepted for the fees but at unfavorable exchange rates.

If you plan to visit Laos, additional information is available from the Lao National Tourism Administration.

If you enter Laos with a visitor visa issued at a Lao embassy abroad, you will be allowed to stay in Laos for 60 days.

Business visas can only be arranged in advance; a company or individual “sponsor” must contact the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Vientiane and request a visa for you and offer a “guarantee.” Once the Lao MFA approves the request, the approval will be sent to the Lao Embassy in Washington, DC, and business travelers may then apply for the business visa.

This process usually takes one to three months. After you arrive, business visas can generally be extended for one month.

Do not attempt to enter Laos without valid travel documents or outside of official ports of entry. You should not cross the border between Laos and Thailand along the Mekong River except at official immigration check crossings.

If you attempt to enter Laos outside of official ports of entry, you may be arrested, detained, fined, and deported.

Immigration offices at some of the less-used land border crossing points are not well marked. Make sure you complete all immigration and customs requirements when you enter or depart Laos.

If you enter Laos without completing these formalities, you may be subject to fines, detention, imprisonment, and/or deportation.

In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated additional procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship, such as the child’s birth certificate, and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure.






Goodbye Laos,I had a wonderful trip.

 My immigration clearance was less than 10 minutes without any hassle.

Most of the Lao people I presume only use border pass and not passport but they were required to pay a fee. 

Distance to Vietnam Immigration checkpoint was a 10 minutes walk.

 I felt being in a lost world as not even a backpacker nor the locals can be seen walking to the checkpoint. Lorries were screaming all along the way spewing the dusts from the road.

Took a breather at this stone monument marker 405 which must be the demarcation international boundary line.

 Wondering which side is the office after crossing bridge over trouble waters.

By 3:00pm I've cleared all immigration formalities including the efficient Vietnamese side.

No buses,no cars,no songtheaws except for the motorcycle man offering his services to transport me to Ky Son which is the nearest town in the lowlands near Vietnam-Laos border for USD5.00 fee.

Across the Vietnam Immigration office is a minimarket.

A long and winding road downhill to Ky Son town in Vietnam.

The sceneries were superb with the deep valley surrounded by mountains on all sides.

Hmong villages were along most of the higher altitude.

Luckily my backpack was small and accomodative to be a pillion rider.

 Throughout the mountain descend,the clutch system Yamaha motorcycle was at free gear. At about 3:15pm,the Vinh-Phonsavan bus passed by going uphill,must be an overnight sleeper bus.

At 3:30pm we passed by Muong Xen town and finally at 3:45pm arrived in Ky Son just in time to catch the minibus to Vinh which was about to leave. The motorcycle rider demanded another extra dollar but I ignored him.