Luang Namtha tour: Trekking, Kayaking, and Cycling
Luang Namtha is a major starting point for trekking, rafting, mountain-biking and kayaking trips in the Nam Ha NPA. Many of the tours stop for at least a night in a traditional village, which offers a fascinating glimpse of local life and a chance to admire the colourful clothing of the Lao Huay and Akha peoples in particular.
Treks all follow carefully considered sustainability guidelines but they vary in duration and difficulty. Kayaking is a more popular alternative in the wet season, when land trails are muddy and leeches are a minor nuisance.
Tips to find the perfect tour
Namtha agents display boards listing their tour options and how many punters have already signed up, which is very helpful if you're trying to join a group to make things cheaper (maximum eight people). If you don't want others to join you, some agents will accept a 'private surcharge' of around US$60.
There are several things to keep in mind when choosing between the dozen or so agencies in town. Be sure to ask if you will spend more time in the villages or the jungle. If it's the latter, will they take you through primary or secondary forest (and what percentage of the tour will be within the NPA)? How many hours of physical activity should you expect? If staying overnight, what will the sleeping conditions be like? Asking these basic questions will help you select the trip that's best for you.
Ethnic Travel Laos: High-quality ethnic tours
Established in 2010, Ethnic Travel Laos is the most well-known eco-tourism operator, as a result, your guide will take you on an authentic visit to tribes in Northern Laos. The company is run by a local Lanten family and offers a range of activities such as trekking, kayaking, hiking, climbing, and biking into beautiful Laos.
The key is to let you discover nature and learn from local ethnic groups. We have Toured from 1 to 4 days:
Choose the one that fits your needs (click to see the details) :
- TREKKING - easy/moderate
- KAYAK Nam Tha River or KAYAK Nam Ha River
- 1/2 day KAYAK, 1/2 day TREK
- CYCLING
- 4 WHEELS
-
- AHKA trek: moderate hike in the bamboo forest, jungle, village and culture, traditional massage
-
- LANTEN trek: easy hiking, night in the village, rubber plantations, traditional cuisine, panoramas
-
- HMONG trek: night in the village and daily life, sharing of knowledge of the forest life
-
- KHMU trek: Nam Ha National Park, historic site, Nam Ha River, rice fields
-
- WATERFALL trek: jungle, survival techniques, traditional rice alcohol
-
- KAYAK NAM HA or KAYAK NAM THA: visit Lanten and Khmu villages, jungle, local traditional food
-
- TREK & KAYAK: Lanten and Khmu villages, Namtha river
- CYCLE & KAYAK: Luang Namtha valley, local tribes, traditional museum
-
- ETHNIC IMMERSION: villages, traditional food
-
- HOMESTAY AND SURVIVAL CAMP: Hmong camp, camp construction, jungle, panorama.
-
- CYCLE, KAYAK, TREK: local market, museum, temples, Stupa, waterfalls, villages
- 2 TREK and 1 KAYAK: camping, Nam Ha, camp construction, kayak
-
- 3 TREKKING and 1 KAYAKING
-
- 4 DAYS TREKKING/ 2 TREKKING and 2 KAYAKING