Sam Neua
The capital of the Houaphan province is Sam Neua – a pretty little town, whose hotels and guesthouses are located along the banks of the Sam River. The town is a leading ecotourism centre.
There are several waterfalls nearby, along with hot springs, and a National Park. It’s worth getting up early to catch the dawn view of the mountains when they are still occluded by fog.
Saleuy is a particularly impressive waterfall, very close to the highway – making it a popular recreation destination at weekends and national holidays. If you don’t get organised to bring your own picnic to eat the picnic locations, there’s a small restaurant here too.
One of the local things to try here is boiling your own eggs in the Viengthong hot springs. We gave it a try – and they came out well done!
They also have baths for bathing, served by hot and cold water pipes. Every bather gets their own fresh bath, of course!