Hi Giora and all travelers,

i will be travelling alone for 2 weeks in the north of Laos and my main interests is to do trekking for visiting the different ethnic groups.
For all i have read, i think i will start/end in Luang Prabang and make a loop: Huay Xay, Muang Sing, Luang Namtha, Phongsali, Muang Khua, Nong Khiaw.
I will try to use the boat as much as i can for moving from place to place.
My questions are:
1- two weeks are enough?
2- would you suggest skipping anything and add something?
3- since i will be traveling alone and would like to track without a guide, how easy/difficult is to do it? Here, all the suggestions are more than welcome (getting lost, easy to find places to eat, places to sleep,...).

Thank you very much in advance

qualify as quiet. the 4000 islands region included.

We were on Don Det in the 4000 Islands just before Xmas and I wouldn't call it quiet. Certainly not as crazy as Luang Prabang, but full of the 20-something University crowd on winter break. We overheard a young couple at a restaurant saying they had a tough time finding a room. Cycling around the island we were constantly passing other tourists and at each spot mentioned in the guide books, there were plenty of others there already. However, we moved to Don Khong to get away and it was much quieter. Cycling there we saw almost no other tourists.

We then flew from Pakse to Luang Prabang the day before Xmas and things got much crazier.

Given your interests, you might do better to head straight for Nong khiaw or Muang ngoi neua, where you can trek out to different villages without a guide. However, Luang phabang is lovely, and a day trip to the Kuang si falls is a good option, as is simply wandering around the Riverside and temples in town.

Yes but I figure the OP needs to get from border to Chang Rai, then can reverse this links transport options. Stay in CR a night, then head out in morning to CM...

There is not a direct bus from border to Chang Mai...is there?

Yes but I figure the OP needs to get from border to Chang Rai, then can reverse this links transport options.

There is not a direct bus from border to Chang Mai...is there?

I suggest you stick to North Vietnam. Weather in dec is cool but very cold in Sapa as it is in the mountain.
Hanoi- 2-3 days - good food and interesting sights in town
Ninh binh - 2-3 days . Take the train from Hanoi (cheap and comfortable), visit Bich Dong temple, hike up hang mua, do a boat ride in Trang an, cycle around countryside and villages.
Mai Chau- 2-3 days. Stay in an ethnic minority homestay. Visit Pu Luong nature reserve.
Sapa - wanted to go but it was too cold and raining so went to Mai Chau instead.

If you have time, Include Cambodia in your itinerary. Angkor Wat / siem reap is worth 3-4 days.

More details and photos on https://bigsmallmoment.wordpress.com

From a cultural point of view Myanmar wins hands down over Laos. As for landscapes, they are similar, unfortunately February comes after the harvest and no lush green paddy fields anywhere in both countries.
Shewedagon Pagoda in Yangon is worth a trip to Myanmar by itself, other highlights were Bagan and the the trek from Kalaw to Inle. I wasn't impressed by Inle lake and there are no cats at the Cats' temple. South of Yangon it was very hazy and, anyway, not much to see.
Highlights in Laos were Van Vieng, Kong Lor, and the 4000 islands, all of them for the relaxed atmosfere. Luang Prabang temples are interesting, but not so much after Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Phonsavan was interesting for the recent history of Vietnam war, not so much for the plain of jars.
Laos is much cheaper then Myanmar and, to me, has better food and people is more friendly (not that Myanmar people isn't).
I would go back to both.