LAOS -NORTHERN HERITAGE SAYABOULY

SAYABOULY

CAPITAL : SAYABOULY

TOTAL AREA : 16389 SQUARE KILOMETRES

POPULATION: 374 666

Sayabouly Province, located in northwestern Laos sharing a border with Thailand, is known for its rugged landscape and large tracts of teak forests. The province is also an important agricultural producer of rice cotton, peanuts, sesame , maize and oranges. 

The Malabri, one of the last remaining hunter gatherer groups in Southeast Asia inhabit the forest in the province’s western region. Other ethnic groups located in the province include the Khmu,Tai Dam, Tai Lue, Htin ,Phai, Kri and Akha. In Muang Ngeun District are ethnic Tai Lu Villages , which still build traditional houses constructed with characteristic high –sloping roofs.Muang Ngeun’s old Tai Lue style temples include Vat Ban Khon with its unique natural fiber murals and decorations and Vat Salibun Nyeun with its charming view of the town.

Sayabouly has the largest number of elephants in Laos, which are commonly used to carry heavy items to and from fields and forest. In Hongsa district, elephant riding tour can be arranged and a visit to the Lao Elephant Conservation Center is a nice half day trip. 

Also of interest in Hongsa is Vat Simungkhoun with its astonishing collection of Buddha images and the old city walls of an ancient settlement whose history is shrouded in mystery. In Sayabouy town, located on the banks other Nam Houng River and a beautiful backdrop of green fields and the Pha Xang Mountain range are Vat Si Boun Heuang with its ancient foundations dating back to the 16^th century or perhaps earlier; Vat Si Phan Don with its unique diamond shaped stupa and Vat Sisavang Vong. 

Between Vientiane and Sayabouly town is PakLay, a small town located on the Mekong Riverbanks with French colonial buildings, traditional Lao-style wooden houses.

The 1912 square kilometrs Nam Poui National Protected Area has steep and rugged ridges composed mostly of Mesozoi sandstones and shales with summits along the Thai border that reach 179m. The NPA has a substantial wild elephant population, with an estimated 350 animals. Gibbon ,gaur, tiger , dhole, serow, silvered langur, Asiatic black bear and possibly even Simatran rhinos are some of the other large animals found in the area. 

Don’t miss the scenic waterfalls Nam Tok Na Kha, Nam Tok Ban Kum and Tad Ham found in the southern part of the province.

The art of Tai Lue weaving is still practiced in many Tai Lue villages throughout the province.Villages can be visited to learn about the production process and to purchase textiles. Many villages also work in cotton, organically grown in the province.