2025 Muang Xai Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in May)

Address: Unnamed Road Muang Xai Atmosphere/Facilities: Open and relaxed Recommended points: All-you-can-eat yakiniku for only 99,000 yen, free soft drinks Average price: 99,000 yen (just under 800 yen) Evaluation: This restaurant is great The meat is fresh, the restaurant is in the suburbs, and in an open atmosphere, you can eat all-you-can-eat charcoal grilled yakiniku and hotpot for only 99,000 kip Plus, free soft drinks, seafood, and plenty of food It's a hidden gem, so it's not well known among foreigners, but it's the most popular restaurant among locals I've taken a screenshot of the location on the map for reference If you come to Muang Xai, you'll regret not going to this restaurant There are two types of sauce and plenty of vegetables #all-you-can-eat #charcoal grilled yakiniku #mookata #buffet

Name of restaurant: Souphailin Restaurant Search for Souphailin Restaurant on Google map for the location. It is located on the north side of the city center. This restaurant is a long-established local restaurant in Muang Xay that has been loved by locals and tourists for a long time. The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere and a tasteful design that gives off a sense of history. The menu includes traditional Lao and Thai cuisine, as well as some Western dishes. It would be nice to think about history while drinking Lao coffee or beer Lao at this restaurant on a hot Lao afternoon. #Restaurant #Lao cuisine

Name: Luxay Market Location: Along the national highway, in the city center Luxay Market is a huge market also known as Talat Sao in Oudomxay, and is crowded with many customers. If we foreign tourists are looking for a money exchanger, it would be a good idea to go to the metal store in this market. Most souvenirs and miscellaneous goods can be found here. Fresh food is not sold here as it is separated from the nearby local market. Clothing and other items were sold on the second floor of the building. There are ethnic minorities, and it was a market that was fun to look at. This is an essential place for sightseeing in Oudomxay. #market #shopping

Name: Wat Ban Cheng Location: City center on google map Wat Ban Please search for "Cheng". It is a quiet and beautiful temple in the center of Udomxay. Young monks are practicing inside the temple. The temple is well-maintained and has a quiet atmosphere. It is good for temple lovers. It is quite a popular place in Udomxay city. I think it's a temple #Temple #Visit

#springitinerary Hey off-the-beaten-path chasers! 🚐 Just got back from Muang Xai (Oudomxay) – northern Laos' rugged hidden gem where few tourists venture. Think jungle-clad mountains, cascading waterfalls, and authentic hill tribe encounters without another backpacker in sight**. Here's my raw, real, and totally unfiltered adventure in Laos' wild northwest! 💦 The Waterfall That Became My Private Swimming Pool Hiking to Tad Lak Sip Et (11-step waterfall), I expected company... but had the entire emerald cascade to myself for hours! Climbed to the top tier where the water pounded my shoulders like a natural massage. Pro tip: The rocks are crazy slippery – my graceless butt slide entertained some local kids gathering wild mushrooms. 🍄 🧺 The Morning Market That Felt Like Time Travel At Oudomxay's sunrise market, Akha women in elaborate headdresses sold: • Forest honey still in the comb • Bamboo worms (nope, didn't try) • Hand-dyed indigo fabrics (yes, bought them all) The smell of woodsmoke, fresh herbs and roasting coffee beans was intoxicating. 🍲 The Soup That Rewired My Taste Buds Or lam – a thick, herbal stew with 24-hour simmered buffalo meat, eggplants, and mak khaen pepper. At a roadside stall, the cook grinned as I teared up from the spice: "Now you taste real Lao food!" 🔥 ⏳ My Wild Northwest Itinerary Day 1 – Arrival & Waterfall Chase 3:00 PM: Rolled in on a local bus from Luang Prabang (think: chickens in aisle) 5:00 PM: Rented a rickety motorbike ($8/day – no questions asked) 6:30 PM: Sunset at Phou That Stupa (360° mountain views) Day 2 – Tribal Villages & Hidden Lagoons 7:00 AM: Market breakfast (khao piak + iced coffee) 9:00 AM: Trekked to Hmong village Ban Phavang (helped harvest rice!) 1:00 PM: Swam in Tad Thong Waterfall's turquoise pools 6:00 PM: Hotpot dinner with local teachers (learned Lao drinking songs) Day 3 – The Road Less Traveled 8:00 AM: Nam Ko River bamboo rafting (soaked but smiling) 12:00 PM: Lunch at Lao-Lao Distillery (sample at your own risk) 3:00 PM: Bus to Nong Khiaw, covered in dust and memories 💡 Oudomxay Survival Tips Hire Mr. Khamphone (+856 20 23 023 022) – best local guide for tribal visits Pack a headlamp – frequent power cuts after dark Bring small bills – change is scarce in villages Learn "Kin khao" ("Let's eat!" – instant friend-maker) Muang Xai isn't polished – it's authentic, untouristed, and alive with stories. For those who want Laos before the crowds discover it. Who's joining me next time? #NoTouristsJustTribes #WaterfallHunter #RealLaos P.S. That magic moment? Sharing a sunset Beerlao with Hmong kids who taught me to shoot bamboo slingshots. No filters needed. 🌅

Mongxay, Manxay, Oudomxay, it is amazing that a city name has so many translations. The current English pronunciation is Oudomxay. Northern Laos is very suitable for cycling or motorcycles, and there are also many mountain hiking routes, and Mengxai is one of the stops. Nearby are the karst Chom Ong Cave and Muang La with hot springs, as well as ethnic minority villages. 🚘Transportation: 1. The slow train of China-Laos Railway stops in Laos 🇱🇦 section, with 2 trains per day. LCR can purchase tickets and check train schedules. 2. For the long-distance bus schedule to other cities, see Figure 8 (Tourist Center Information). There are also cars going to Vietnam🇻🇳. 3. The city is small and you can just walk. The tuk-tuk ticket from the high-speed rail station to the city center is 30,000k. Show the address to the driver and he will drop you off at the hotel. 🌅City attractions & experiences: 1. Wat Phu That is on a hill, where you can watch the sunset. Watching the sunset and listening to the monks chanting scriptures makes one feel relaxed. There is a pink house under construction on the way to the temple, which is the best place to watch the sunset, woods and river views. 2. Like Luang Prabang, there are also alms giving activities here in the early morning. The monks of several temples carry out various operations, on a much smaller scale but more local. Around 7:00, the locals on the street will prepare items for donations, and you will see them after a while. 3. The local visitor center seemed to organize papermaking and cooking experiences, but it was closed on weekends and I didn't ask. 4. You can buy kudzu bags and other things at Tailue Handicrafts by the river, watch local people weaving and visit their houses. 📸️Very good photos! 5. Red Cross runs an NGO project that teaches locals first aid, and is also a very popular herbal sauna and massage shop. Massage costs less than RMB 20💰 per hour. The environment is very local, suitable for those who like novel adventures. 🥗Food: 1. Udomxay Night Market has everything from barbecue, rice, noodles and hotpot. I tried two of them and they both tasted great and didn’t look like Splatoon. 2.Souphailin Restaurant sells northern Laotian dishes. The lady boss is very calm. I ordered a salad with freshly picked and washed vegetables...it tasted really good! The guestbook in the store is very interesting, with many talented contestants from various countries. 3. There is a decent cafe downstairs in Charming Lao Hotel☕️. 🏡Accommodation: 1. Online stores are few and expensive, so just walk-in. The city is very small. When you click on the map, the area with concentrated pink dots is the best location. 2. The newly opened wild luxury NamKat Yolapa in Muang La is suitable for friends who like to get close to nature or stay in a hotel. Other Tips: 1. See Figure 7 for the city map❗️❗️Very useful! 2. It is difficult to communicate with local people in Chinese or English, but I can communicate in Thai. 3.🐶The guard is very fierce, be careful.

Address - 4-way intersection of Ban Na Wan Noi, Mueang Chai, Udomxai District Atmosphere/Location - It is a coffee shop ☕️ decorated in a Chinese teahouse style. The shop is easy to find 🚩 because it is located at the corner of the 4-way intersection before reaching Mueang Chai Airport. Highlights - There are both food and coffee menus. In addition, at night, the shop sells beer and opens as a bar with music in the style of a pub. Average price per person - Starting at 20,000, not expensive Score - 7/10 #oudomxay #laos

Address - Ban Nong Mang Da, Muang Xay, Oudomxay Province, Lao PDR Atmosphere/Location - It is a large 5-storey hotel near Muang Xay Airport, with a spacious area and breakfast service. Highlights - It is a hotel with a lot of rooms and quite a lot of regular guests. There are both banquet rooms and meeting rooms. Average price per night starts at 200,000 per night. It is recommended to choose a room on the front side of the hotel because it has been recently renovated. Score -7/10 #oudomxay #laos