Development on
Viengxay tourism agenda

Jutarat Tongpiam



The Viengxay area comes under a Lao government tourism development project in conjunction with the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Netherlands International Development Organization (SNV).

The project not only aims to promote sustainable tourism, but also to eliminate poverty by improving the local economy, specifically for the benefit of the local population.

Dr Paul Rogers, senior adviser/practice leader of SNV’s pro-poor Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism activities in Laos, said Viengxay is remote and extremely poor – the district is one of the poorest districts in Laos, while Laos is the second poorest country in Asia. 

The population of the area includes several ethnic groups, including Lao, Hmong, and Kmuh, amongst others. The local population leads simple agrarian lives, growing staple crops, such as rice and corn, on the steep hilly land, or hunting and gathering from the wild. The people are also involved in weaving textiles.  

Pere Wirman, Asian Trails’ account executive for Laos, said the country has numerous excellent destinations for tourists to discover. It also boasts a wide range of historical sites to visit, as evidenced by the caves of Viengxay, the Plain of Jars and Hintang Archeological Park. 

“The tourism industry can help bring in more income for the local people and the country as a whole. This joint project [between the government, UNWTO and SNV] can play a key role in attracting tourists from around the world and help them see Laos as a world-class tourist destination,” he said. “To achieve that, the country needs to have good short- and long-term plans and the necessary infrastructure in place to facilitate visitors and tourism businesses. This is particularly significant in attracting high-end tourists to travel to those destinations located in remote areas.”

Somkhit Bouaviengxai, the tourist guide and information officer featured in our main story on the caves in Viengxay, supports Wirmen’s view.

“It [tourism development] will help the world learn more about the ‘hidden city’ [of caves]. So more people will also learn about our tragic history and the Americans heavy bombardment of the area and the devastation it caused,” he said. He said that it would also help to eliminate poverty among locals and develop the area’s economy.

According to the Viengxay Visitor Center, 15-17 tourists per week on average visit the caves. More than 60% are locals, the remainder tend to come from Europe. British tourists account for the majority of foreign visitors.

Viengxay has four small guesthouses and previously had a 16-room hotel, which together could accommodate about 50-60 people.  The capacity has fallen since the hotel closed its doors.

However, Somkhit said most visitors don’t tend to stay overnight in the remote town. After visiting the caves or other nearby attractions, they prefer to head off for other destinations.

“It is more convenient for them to catch buses or take other transportation from other places, such as Sam Neua, or they head for Vietnam,” he said. 

Sam Neua, which is the capital of Houphanh province, is just 45 minutes from Viengxay. It has more accommodation options for tourists, such as three hotels and 15 guesthouses. Nameu, a Vietnamese border town, is just 55 kilometers away from Viengxay. It is also possible to travel direct to Hanoi overland from Viengxay. The 300-km trip takes about eight hours.

Information for the independent traveler

Viengxay Caves Visitor Center is open daily during 8 am-4.30 pm. English-speaking tours are available at 9 am and 1 pm, while local language (Lao) tours are available at 9 am, 10.30 am, 1.30 pm, and 3 pm.

The cost of the cave tour depends on your nationality. Locals pay 10,000 kip (US$1) per person or 5,000 kip for Lao students. Visitors from Greater Mekong Sub-region countries, including China, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam pay 20,000 kip person, while “other” foreign nationalities pay 30,000 kip per person.

Independent travelers may also may interested to know that bicycles are also available for rent around this quiet rural area. For further information, you can contact the visitor center directly by calling Tel: +66 (0)6 431 4321.