The Charm of Phongsaly

OF PHONGSALY

Laos’ highest provincial capital is also highly unique

TEXT BY GERRY PASTER PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHOONSAB THEVONGSA

Right up in the far north of Laos, amid spectacular mountain scenery, you will fi nd one of the most delightful little towns in all of Laos. It's built on the side of Mount Phou Fa, some 1625 meters high, and the capital of the little-visited Phongsaly Province which pokes like a fi nger into China.

Phongsaly town is a rather special place, with its historic old town made up of charming stone-paved streets and traditional one and two-story houses, tumbling down the hillside. It's a traditional Yunnanese settlement that is largely inhabited by the Phounoy and Haw minorities who fl ed there from famines and wars in China in the 19th century. Many of their prosperous houses display richly decorated facades, carved wooden doors, windows, and balconies, making a very attractive street scene. It is notable for being one of the last surviving traditional Yunnanese towns, as those in China were mostly destroyed during China's Cultural Revolution.

Phongsaly has been by turns a Chinese, Vietnamese, and French outpost. A treaty brought it into French Laos in 1895 but it’s always been an edgy remote neighborhood, with revolts and insurrections taking cover among the mountains and forests. You can still visit the impressive French Fort which dominates the town.

It is probably the most rewarding part of Laos for trekking as it is certainly one of the least visited, most unspoiled, and ethnically diverse provinces. Every day you will see many of the colorfully dressed ethnic minority women in the streets and markets of the town. The neighboring forests, limestone mountains, and nearby Ou River valley are home to at least 22 ethnic groups, but some count up to 40, and there are said to be 14 types of Akha tribes.

It's worth pointing out that the Museum of Phongsaly Ethnic Groups describes the ways of life, clothing, customs, and traditions of the many different ethnicities of the province and is a most rewarding visit.

Every square meter is precious and used, for little gardens or drying the green tea, for which the town is famous, packed in the traditional wicker containers, ready for transportation. You can rent a bike and pedal to Ban Komaen, about 15 kilometers away to see the extensive 400-year-old tea plantations. And there's also a tea factory in the town where you can see how the tea is processed.

Towering over the town is the Phou Fa Stupa, which gives awesome views of the surrounding misty mountains after you have climbed the 800 steps to the top. There is also a road to the top and a welcome picnic spot halfway up.

Nearby places to explore are a few old Leu and Haw temples. Only about 5 kilometers from town on a rough road is Ban Khounsouk Noi where you can visit the distillery which makes the green rice alcohol which is the very drinkable specialty of the region.

What is more, it is only about 20 kilometers to the headwaters of the Ou River where you used to be able to take a boat all the way downstream to the Mekong,

GETTING THERE Phongsaly is only a few hours drive from Oudomxay. Lao Airlines has daily fl ights to Oudomxay from Vientiane.

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one of the wildest and spectacular river journeys in Southeast Asia. Nowadays a number of dams providing hydroelectricity would break up that voyage and make your trip more diffi cult.

On the other hand, as the road has been much improved, you can get there easily in a day from Oudomxay. And being high in the cool mountains, as climate change progresses, Phongsaly could easily become a summer resort, like the hill stations of Vietnam and India.

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1. A beautiful heritage building in Phongsaly's old quarter 2. Market sellers displaying their wares 3. Phou Fa Stupa, the highest point in the city 4. The streets of the old quarter resemble a movie set 5. The Museum of Phongsaly Ethnic Groups 6. A hillside tea plantation

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ທາງດ້ານຊ້າຍ: ແ��ຍິງເ�� າອາ ຄ�າໂ�ມາ 1. ເ�ືອນແ�ບຢຸນນານຢູ�ເ�ືອງ ຜ� ງສາລີ 2. ຈຸດຊ�ມວິວຢູ�ພູຟ�າ 3. ຊາວສວນຊາ 4. ວ�ດຫ� ຢູ�ເ�ືອງຜ� ງສາລີ

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TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY SKILLS FOR TOURISM PROJECT (LAO/029)

MORE INFO The Academy Training Hotel & Restaurant, Vang Vieng tel.: +856 30 522 1052, email: theacademytraining hotel@gmail.com facebook: @TheAcademy. VangVieng T he Academy Training Hotel and Restaurant in Vang Vieng has recently opened and is now welcoming guests for overnight stays, meals, and hosting meetings and workshops. The Academy is part of Vientiane Province Technical College, offering students of tourism and hospitality programs a unique practical training environment in the heart of Vang Vieng. Staffed by students, these budding young professionals are overseen by their teachers and an international management team while developing their core skills and preparing to enter the workforce.

While guests experience The Academy as a unique hotel and restaurant offering delicious food with enthusiastic staff, it's much more than that – this really is all about education. By staying and dining here, it allows students to acquire skills and knowledge more directly linked to their future.

Developed to provide a "real-world" hotel environment The Academy provides students with a unique practical training opportunity using a fully integrated teaching and learning education approach. Students are prepared to become future hospitality workers, providing the industry with a cohort of well-trained, enthusiastic graduates.

The hotel, with rooms available from 150,000 LAK per night, offers six guest bedrooms that blend style and comfort with simplicity. Each bedroom has a private balcony and is equipped with A/C, LCD TV, WiFi, minibar, complimentary tea/coffee

making facilities, and ensuite bathroom, with the price including breakfast as well. Not only will you get a comfortable night’s sleep in one of the charming bedrooms, but you will sleep soundly in the knowledge that your money (and your time) spent in The Academy is contributing to the futures of the young people working here.

Chef Serge Selbe, the owner of Vientiane’s Pimentón Restaurant and a professional with over 30 years of industry experience, has been working with the teachers and students to set up a delicious fusion menu blending international and local produce, combining fresh ingredients, native herbs, and spices to create innovative yet simple dining options. Just by sleeping and eating delicious food here, you are contributing directly to supporting educational opportunities for young Lao students!

With the current border closures and lack of international tourist arrivals, The Academy is looking to supplement the domestic visitors and utilize its fully equipped meeting facilities for hosting Government, Embassies, NGOs, and corporate workshops. Only a one-hour highway drive from Vientiane, The Academy offers a delightful spot to host your upcoming training workshop or meeting.

The essence of responsible tourism is not just that it does no harm, but that it enhances the destination for the benefi t of

left: Students of the Academy Training Hotel and Restaurant 1. The bar and dining room 2. A comfortable guest room 3. The Academy Training Hotel and Restaurant local communities and tourists alike. The Academy attempts to do this by offering an international quality hotel and restaurant, while at the same time enhancing the practical skills of the students, many of which are from poor family backgrounds. This practical training and experience provides the students with the key foundational skills they need to embark on a professional career in tourism and hospitality – one that can provide for themselves and their families, and as is often the case in Laos, supports younger siblings to be able to continue their own education.

So why not look to host your next meeting or workshop here and support the development of these young students? Your patronage of The Academy will support training and encourage students to reach their full potential and become providers in their families and have a brighter future.

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The Academy Training Hotel and Restaurant is supported by the Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029) Project, co-fi nanced by the Governments of Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Switzerland, and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency (LuxDev).