Travel Guide and Transport Info for Muang Sing, Laos by Hobo Maps -

Travel to Muang Sing
- Muang Sing is located in a rather remote corner of NorthWest Laos and although there are decent roads coming into it, it's beyond the range of the big buses. Most visitors arrive by minivan or songtaew bus service from Luang Namtha via Highway 17, a nice paved road. There is also a nice paved road connecting to the Chinese border but this border crossing isn't open for nonresidents. A decent road also connects to the Mekong at Xieng Kok, far to the southwest but most of it is not paved and quite dusty in the dry season but there is regular songtaew bus service for the adventuresome. The problem for visitors with the Xieng Kok connection is getting to Xieng Kok by boat travel on the Mekong which is difficult and expensive from Ton Phueng or Ban Mom after travel there by road from Huay Xai.

Bus Service
- The bus station in Muang Sing is located near the traditional market in town at grid code FF174 on this map HERE. Small and mid-sized buses go to Luang Namtha daily in the mornings and mid-day every couple hours or so depending on how busy things are. Similar buses head to Muang Long and Xieng Kok on a less regular basis. See the schedule posted at the bus station below.

Cycle Yourself to Muang Sing
- It's only 58 km from Luang Namtha to Muang Sing on Highway 17 which is an excellent quiet paved road perfect for cycling by peddle bike or motorbike. I've done the trip in 7 hours with a single gear rental city bike. Much of the trip is up and down hilly terrain along and above a river but most of the grades are not that steep. There is a very long slope going up to a peak area about 20 km east of Muang Sing that is demanding on the uphill part but rewarding with a glorious long downhill glide. There were bicycles for rent on my last trips to Muang in 2010 & 2011 but they weren't available on prior trips.

Highway Numbers and Kilometer Markers
- There are 3 nice paved asphalt roads going out of Muang Sing that all have excellent systems of km markers beside the roads to guide you along and we have included them on our maps but unfortunately all 3 roads are called Highway 17 on these markers. Some other maps refer to the roads as Hwy. 17A, 17B & 17C but we haven't found any authority for this so we just copy what we see and all are called Hwy. 17 on our maps. Too bad that the new markers just put up in 2011 on the road to Muong Long didn't start a better identification system.

Cycling Around Muang Sing
- If you like peaceful quiet cycling on roads with little traffic then the Muang Sing area may be good for you. Some of the main roads are paved with asphalt and are in great condition but most of the more interesting roads are unsurfaced dirt roads, either dusty in the dry season or muddy in the wet season. Most roads leaving town go out thru rice fields and then into areas with rubber trees, corn or sugar cane crops. Local people are quite friendly outside of town and seem surprised to see tourists cycling in the rural areas. We are still doing map research for the outlying areas and are trying to make connecting cycling loops on our Area Map but many of the routes we now show just go out into a remote village and require a return trip to town on basically the same route. But one loop we can recommend is the one going southwest out of town on the paved road towards Muang Long and Xieng Kok, then turning off onto a smaller dirt road near the Wat at Ban Khouang just before the km 6 marker and heading northeast towards an eventual junction with Hwy 17 near another Wat at Ban Nam Keo Noy around km 53.8 on the main paved road going from Muang Sing to Luang Namtha. You need to make a couple turns on the small dirt roads between the main paved roads but just keep following the 3-wire electric power lines and carry a compass and a copy of this Hobo Map if possible. These dirt roads go thru Ban Hom Say (at map grid code HC155)and Ban Nam Lek (grid code HJ159).

Dusty Roads
- Many of the dirt roads around Muang Sing are quite dusty in the dry season from other vehicles on the road, especially fast moving 4-wheel vehicles. It's not a big problem when there's little traffic or just slow moving agricultural vehicles but the busier roads such as the road to Muong Long and Xieng Kok after the asphalt ends at km 6.4 can be a real health hazard with clouds of billowing dust coming with every passing vehicle. For cyclers we suggest bringing a dust mask or a fine cloth scarf you can make damp and tie around your face. We just read a news article on Nov. 5, 2011 that talks of a planned bridge over the Mekong between Xieng Kok, Laos and Myanmar and if it ever becomes a reality they'll probably have to pave Hwy. 17 the entire way from Muang Sing to Xieng Kok and not just out to km 6.4 as it is in 2011.