Houay Xai Laos – 4 Ideas On What to See and to Do There

Houay Xai has some nice sights in its own right as well as some great activities to be found in the surrounding areas. If you are staying in town then you can wander the local markets and also enjoy the surrounding temples and old buildings, some of which date back to the French colonial period.

Many people also come to Houay Xai to use it as a jumping off point to get to other key attractions in Laos such as Bokeo Nature Reserve, or you can also take a leisurely cruise here along the Mekong River.

1. Morning Market

One of the nicest spots in Houay Xai if you want to check out the local culture is the Morning Market which is located in Ban Muangkeo. Here you will find mountains of local produce and some delicious local street food snacks. With that in mind, and as the name suggests, you need to come here early in the morning as this is when the market is busiest and has the biggest range of items on sale.

2. Fort Carnot

Fort Carnot is a surprising addition to the sightseeing scene in Houay Xai and is made up of a fort which was built during the French colonial period. You can climb up one of the towers here which is the big draw of a visit, and check out the scenery all around Houay Xai. The fort is on the same road as the Morning Market so you can easily combine a trip to both at the same time.

3. The Gibbon Experience

The main reason to come to Houay Xai is to check out the Gibbon Experience which is part of the Bokeo Nature Reserve. You can take a bus or truck to the reserve which takes around three and a half hours to a local village on the outskirts of the reserve and then trek the rest of the way to the actual park. You will need to stay overnight here, although it is more than worth it as you can stay in huge tree houses that sit 40 meters in the air and you can take a cable car to the house from the hill range which gives you amazing views over the forest canopy. There are also various programs here such as New Challenge Discovery which is run by a team of local Lao residents who work to support children in the areas around Houay Xai and you can learn about forest protection and educational initiatives in the area.

4. Boat trips to Luang Prabang

Many people use Houay Xai as the jumping off point for a scenic boat cruise along the Mekong to Luang Prabang. The slow boat will take you 8 hours to Pak Beng and then on to Luang Prabang, and the whole trip takes around two days. Boat fares are around LAK 220,000 per person.

You can also choose a more upscale option such as Mekong Smile Cruse which will take you from Houay Xai to Luang Prabang for USD 130 and which comes with food provided and stops at sites along the ways such as the Khmu and Hmong villages and the Pak Ou Caves.

Another choice is to get a speedboat to Luang Prabang. This is faster than the slow boat, although it does not stop along the way and there have been reports that it can be difficult for foreigners to buy a ticket for the speedboat as many operators prefer to direct tourists to the slow boat as they can charge more for extra items along the way like accommodation, food and sightseeing trips.