In the north of Laos set in the famed golden triangle, Luang Num Tha and the surrounding hills are home to a huge variety of tribal groups, many still speaking their own languages and donning traditional dress. It is a wonderful place to travel for an insight into the life of these timeless tribes, and the social and cultural impacts of modern day Laos on their old ways.

Your riverside guest house in Luang Nam Tha is ideally placed to offer many varied day trips. Visiting the local villages of the Thai Lu tribe is an intriguing anthropological experience. Hidden from the outside world in the forest, they build their houses on stilts. Little has changed in their lives over the centuries.

Thai Dam, Lang Ten, Hmong and Khamu tribes all live in the surrounding forests, only coming together to trade in the Luang Nam Tha market. It is possible to visit the villages of many of these tribes.

A great way to explore the Luang Nam Tha valley is on bicycle, the main transport of the region, mountain bikes are available at the guest house. An easy ride can incorporate the villages of the Tai Leu, Lao Bit and Lanten tribes, where you can witness the locals weaving silk using only natural dyes.