We spoke last week about the Louang Namtha region and the ethnic minorities who came to settle here, at the borders of Laos and China, centuries ago. It is now time to present the environment surrounding these villages that were established. Most of them were created in what is today called Nam Ha National Park, which starts 5 kilometers west of Louang Namtha. This ecological zone of 2,224 square kilometers is protected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is considered an area with abundant renewable resources. This place is ideal if you want to undertake a trek that is not very physically demanding, which can allow you to meet the region's minorities.

Nam Ha National Park is home to ethnic groups from northern Laos such as the Lantens and the Akhas. While you can undertake one-day treks in the park, visiting the villages and the minorities inhabiting them requires more time. Three to five days.

Relative difficulty

Nam Ha is a very hilly area with altitudes ranging from 500 to 2,000 meters. The hills and mountains are all covered with forests and jungles on their flanks, giving the place a very lush and natural appearance, especially after the rainy season from January onward. The jungles you will encounter are often dense and muddy, which can make climbing certain peaks challenging. However, you can easily stumble upon small shelters to take a break. You will spend one or two nights among the trees, and these will be more or less demanding depending on whether you sleep directly on the ground on banana leaves or on raised bamboo beds, which favor insulation from ground moisture.

The guides from the town of Louang Namtha, who obviously know every inch of these 2,224 square kilometers like the back of their hand, are renowned for taking numerous breaks along the way, especially for 5-day treks, which aids in rest and reduces the difficulty of the hikes. You will stop to eat, most often near rivers downstream. You can enjoy sticky rice accompanied by cooked vegetables such as zucchini or carrots, all complemented perhaps by a piece of pork or fish. Your meals will be served on the famous banana leaves and everyone will eat with their hands, in a relaxed manner!

These breaks will allow the entire group to rest but also to prepare for the remaining climbs more easily. This will also allow you to appreciate the destination all the more, because from the summit of certain mountains, magnificent views of the entire region will unfold before you.

Visiting Nam Ha villages

After one or two nights under the stars, you will very likely arrive at the first villages in the park. Here you will be welcomed as you should be; the different minorities in the region are accustomed to receiving travelers and allow them to enjoy lodging and meals. Whether among the Lantens, the Akhas, or any other minority, you will arrive in the afternoon in these villages, often elevated offering breathtaking views of the surrounding forests.

You will stay there until the next morning and sleep either in a lodge arranged for travelers, or directly with a local family; in either case you will have plenty of time to converse with the village people. Do not hesitate to ask your guide's help to overcome the language barrier. You will this time eat at tables and can have an aperitif together by the fire.

Depending on the duration of your trek, you will visit one or more of these villages. They are all different depending on the ethnicity of the people living there, and it is up to you to find out; do not hesitate to talk with the local populations about their habits, their pastimes, try to observe and understand their way of life, and you will have all the more ease in asking questions. This effort is obviously not mandatory but it allows you to know exactly whom you meet when undertaking this kind of unique experience, and the memories remain all the more firmly anchored in your mind.