Things to do in Xieng Khuang Province
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Craters Bar & Restaurant
This very cosmopolitan eatery has a mostly falang menu of club sandwiches, pizzas and even an Australian T-bone. There are also Thai and Lao dishes tamed to Western palates. Two shell cartridges mark the entrance so you can’t miss it. You can also exchange money here and book bus and air tickets.
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Nisha Restaurant
Tuck into delicious aloo ghobi, dosas, tikka masalas and rogan josh at this spacious Indian diner. The list of vegetarian options is long and you can down a whole tandoori chicken for US$4.
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Diethelm Tours
Plain of Jars and Muang Khoun tours plus kayaking on the Nam Nguen from May to September.
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Site 3
Site 3 is impressive and has 150 jars. It’s about 10km south of Site 2 (or 35km from Phonsavan) on a scenic hill-top near Lat Khai, southeast of Phonsavan. Ban Xieng Di contains a small monastery where the remains of Buddha images that were damaged in the war have been displayed. The villagers, who live in unusually large houses compared with those of the average lowland Lao, grow rice, sugar cane, avocado and banana. Villagers can lead you on a short hike to a local waterfall called Tat Lang. To reach the jar site you must hike around 2km along rice paddy dykes and up the hill.
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Lao War Memorial
Just south of the town Phonsavan, is Lao War Memorial, a major war memorial in the shape of Lao-style stupas. The hill-top with this Memorial affords sweeping views of Phonsavan. Built in 1998, the monument is inscribed with the slogan ‘The nation remembers your sacrifice’. Large, polished granite slabs standing nearby bear the inscribed names of PL soldiers who died in the area. The stupa-like monument allegedly contains the bones of 4500 who died during the war.
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Site 1
Site 1, the biggest and most accessible site, is 15km southwest of Phonsavan and features 250 jars, most weighing 600kg to one tonne each. The largest jar weighs as much as six tonnes and is said to have been the victory cup of mythical King Jeuam and so is called Hai Jeuam. The site has two pavilions and restrooms that were built for a visit by Thailand’s crown prince.
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Baw Nyai
A hot mineral spring can be visited near Muang Kham. Baw Nyai is large and lies 18km east of Muang Kham, 51km from Phonsavan. The spring source is in a heavily wooded area where several bamboo pipes have been rigged so that you can bathe nearby, although the experience is a little disappointing owing to the muddy texture of the water.
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Vietnamese War Memorial
Just south of the town Phonsavan, is the Vietnamese War Memorial. The faux stupa contains the bones of Vietnamese soldiers who died in battle in northeastern Laos, and is emblazoned with the inscription ‘Lao-Vietnamese solidarity and generosity forever’. If the gates are locked, wait for a caretaker to come along and unlock them.
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Fresh Market
The Fresh market stocks exotic fruits you won't typically see elsewhere in Laos, such as Chinese pear. Other local delicacies include nok ąen dąwng (swallows stored whole in jars until they ferment), and hét wâi (wild matsutake mushrooms), which grow wild around Xieng Khuang and fetch high prices in Japan.
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Sanga Restaurant
The clean and well-run Sanga, near the market and post office, offers an extensive menu of Chinese, Thai and Lao food, including good yám (a tart, spicy Thai-style salad), tôm yám (spicy lemon grass–based soup), khào khùa (fried rice) and fǒe, plus a few Western food items.
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Hmong Market
About 30km east of Phonsavan en route to Muang Kham (northern side of the road) is Nong Pet, a Hmong village with a picturesque spring surrounded by rice fields; it’s said to be the source of the Nam Ngum. A sizable Hmong market is held here every Sunday.
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Site 2
Site 2 is readily accessible by road from Phonsavan. This jar site is about 25km south of town. It features 90 jars spread out across two adjacent hillsides. Vehicles can reach the base of the hills, so it’s only a short if steep walk to the jars.
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Simmaly Restaurant
Simmaly’s menu may be simple, but what it whips up it does well. Fried spicy meats, rice dishes and good noodle soups. Service is friendly and speedy and it’s popular with both tourists and locals.
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Chinese Market
West of the main strip, the chinese market is over two storeys tall and sells plenty of plastic tack and souvenirs, although you can also get some decent gold and silver.
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Sousath Travel
Trips further afield include Tham Piu, Muang Sui, Sam Neua and Long Cheng (former site of the CIA’s infamous mountain base during the Second Indochina War).
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