Travel Guide and Transport Info for Sam Neua (Xam Neua), Laos by Hobo Maps -

Visiting Sam Neua (Xam Neua)
- Sam Neua is a nice clean modern town quite removed from the main tourist trail which makes it an interesting place to visit. There's a strong governmental influence here as it's the Huaphan Province capital and the "birthplace of the Lao PDR". Visitors have several good accommodation options at reasonable prices but very few good dining options. English is a rare commodity in Huaphan Province. The town is small enough to be able to walk to all points which is good because we couldn't find bicycles for rent during our visit in May 2011 although one place was renting motorbikes. The area outside of town is rather hilly and scenic and a nice river runs thru town with good hiking along the river as it flows south out of town. We found no nightlife in Sam Neua. Internet service was quite good and cheap at one internet cafe that only seemed to be open late afternoons and evenings. The Provincial Tourism Office in central Sam Neua is at grid code HD169 on this map HERE and is open from Monday to Friday, 08.30-12.00 and 13.00-16.00. Tel: 064-312567

Air Travel
- Sam Neua has an airport referred to as Nathong Airport but when we were there in May 2011 there were no flights available and it seems that is still the case now in Sept. 2011. In prior times there were flights to and from Vientiane by Lao-Air (not to be confused with Lao Airlines). Not sure when and if air service will resume. You can still fly into Xieng Khouang Airport near Phonsavanh with Lao Airlines and take a bus from there to Sam Neua.

Bus Transport
- Sam Neua has two bus stations. The Phou Tanou Bus Station is located about 2 km southwest of town on a hilltop at grid code HJ166 on this map HERE and is often referred to as the Upper Station. It has buses going to Phonsavanh, Nong Kiew, Vieng Thong, Luang Prabang and Vientiane with indirect connections to Oudom Xai, Luang Namtha and Huay Xai. There is also an international bus to Thanh Hoa, Vietnam from this bus station. The Nathong bus station is located about 4 km northeast of town at grid code GV193 on the same map and has mostly smaller buses going to Vieng Xai, Sop Hao, Muang Et, Nam Nua and Ma Meo at the Vietnam border. We haven't found any English language bus schedules posted at either bus station and the two schedules shown below were copied from those at the Tourism Office in central Sam Neua at grid code HD169. These schedules were also posted in the window there so you may be able to stop by at any time to see the most recent posting, even if the office is closed. Both bus stations are a bit too far out of town for walking with baggage but you can usually find a songtaew bus waiting around the area near the guest houses at grid code HE170 on this map HERE. Trying to make reservations or get advance info from either bus station may be difficult as we found the ticket window closed after most of the daily buses had departed from the Phou Tanou station.

Songtaew Buses to Vieng Xay
- the official bus schedule shown below has many daily songtaew buses starting a 30 km trip to Vieng Xay from the Nathong Bus Station in Sam Neua. The cost is listed as 10,000 kip with a 1 hour travel time but we paid 15,000 kip for this trip in May 2011 and the frequency of departures was much less than the times posted. We suspect they only depart when there are enough passengers to justify a trip. The last bus back from Vieng Xay was at 13:00 for us in May 2011.

Songtaew Buses to Nameo at the Vietnam Border
- the official bus schedule below shows a daily songtaew bus starting an 84 km trip to Nameo at the Vietnam Border from the Nathong Bus Station in Sam Neua at 08:00. The cost is listed as 25,000 kip with a 3 hour travel time and the bus is scheduled to return the same route departing Nameo at 11:00 AM.

Travel toVietnam
Daily buses are listed on the Phou Tanou bus schedule shown below on this web page as going to Thanh Hoa, Vietnam departing at around 08:00 - 09:00 with a stop at the road junction outside Vieng Xay and arrival at Thanh Hoa around 17:00. Cost was 180,000 kip in April 2011. The Vieng Xay bus schedule has a note advising passengers to wait by the Highway where the road to Vieng Xay joins the highway to flag down the bus to Thanh Hoa but it also said the bus leaves Sam Neua at 07:40 and only goes on Saturday so we have conflicting info. Even more conflict - the Huaphon Provincial website info says this bus to Thanh Hoa only goes on Saturday at 07:00 from Phou Tanou station and arrives in Thanh Hoa at about 20:00. So we have 3 different versions of this trip from Sam Neua to Thanh Hoa, Vietnam, all from the Provincial Tourism bureau. To try and sort this out we posted a query on an internet travel forum in Sept. 2011 regarding this bus trip and received the following response: "I've crossed here several times. No hassles at all as long as you have a Vietnam visa for going into Vietnam. Bus leaves Sam Neua in the morning (I'd guess 8 but don't trust me), lunch at noon just across the border in Nameo, Thanh Hoa by 7 PM, and can be in Hanoi by 10 or 11 PM."

The 2010 Houaphanh Provincial Tourist Map folded brochure has the following info regarding the Vietnam border crossing at Nam Soi, Laos & Na Meo, Vietnam - note that one or both of the immigration checkpoints is apparently closed for 2 hours for noon lunch and the border crossing closes at the early hour of 17:00.

Transport Schedule from Other Places to destinations in Houaphan Province is shown below - dated Aug. 2011