Phonsavan

Phonsavan (ໂພນສະຫວັນ) (pronounced Pon-savan) is the capital of Xieng Khouang Province in Central Laos. It is known primarily as the gateway to the Plain of Jars.

Understand
Phonsavan is the capital of Xieng Khouang Province. It was built in the late 1970s and replaced the old Xieng Khouang, which had been destroyed during the Second Indochina War. It is in the center of the Plain of Jars and has a pleasant climate all year around, although it can become chilly on winter nights due to its elevation of. The long winding main street of Phonsavan looks like the setting of a David Lynch-inspired spaghetti western minus the tumbleweeds. As soon as you leave town the countryside is dominated by green hills and pine forests. Villages consist of colourful wooden houses where ranching is the primary occupation. You will see more than one Hmong cowboy with brown and violet cowboy hats. During Hmong New Year there are bullfights.

The best-known tourist attraction is the nearby UNESCO world heritage site Plain of Jars. The main economic activities are governmental administration, mining (by Australian and Chinese companies), tourism, and the work of NGOs clearing unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Phonsavan is home to various ethnic groups, such as the Phuan, whose ancestors once founded the kingdom of the same name; the Hmong, whose New Year's celebrations in Xieng Khouang are famous throughout Laos; the Khmu, and the Tai Dam. There is also a minority of Laotian Chinese and Vietnamese, as well as some international workers and missionaries from Korea and Western countries. Typical local products are natural dyes and textiles, each with an individual pattern depending on the ethnic group, basketry, mulberry paper umbrellas, spoons made from war scrap or embroidery.

For general information visit the Provincial Tourism Department near the market, Thalat Nam Ngum, on the road to the airport.

By plane

 * Lao ATR72.jpg

By bus
Phonsavan has three bus stations: Xiengkhouang Station to the west of town center, Phonethong Station (Ban Ngoui or Ban Noi branch) to the south of town, and Phonsavan Bus Terminal (aka Bounmixay Southern Bus Station) further south of Phonethong station.

If you are traveling from Vientiane you can take VIP buses or local buses. The buses leave from the northern bus terminal and take 10–12 hours. The roads are paved but there are plenty of bends. The bus trip from Vang Vieng takes 7–8 hours. In May 2024 a bus ticket with hotel pick-up through an agent was 250,000 kip per person. There is only one van leaving at 09:00 from North bus station of Vang Vieng, but it may leave early — 20 minutes or more — so be there early, if you're not using a tourist agent. You may be told by some agents, that there is no option to go to Phonsavan directly from Vang Vieng (you could go to Luang-Prabang first), but this is incorrect. There is a tour agent in the night market area who can book the van. It is recommended to ask several tour agents and try finding someone who knows.

Minivans run daily from Luang Prabang ("Naluang International Bus Station") cost 255,000 kip (Jul 2024) and due to extremely poor road condition takes 11 hours for the 260-km-long trip, via Road 13 then Road 7. In Phonsavan the minivans terminates at Xiengkhouang Bus Station, not Manivone minibus station.

Shared minivan options to the most popular destinations, Luang Prabang (200,000 kip, Mar 2023), Vang Vieng and Vientiane, are offered by travel agencies.

There were two buses running daily from Vinh in Vietnam, going from the main bus station at 06:00 (no reservations necessary) (2011). Vinh can be reached easily by train from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. As of December 2022, no visa on arrival is available and e-visas are not accepted.

Get around
To get to other towns in the province you can take local buses or pick-up trucks. A normal tour inside the town costs about 100,000 kip. There are 9 travel agents in Phonsavan that arrange bike, motorbike and car rentals. A bike costs (depending on quality) from 50,000 kip per day. You can rent scooters for about 200,000 kip. Renting a minivan costs about US$80-100, but a four-wheel drive costs over US$150. This includes or excludes fuel, depending on the company.

Battlefields
During the Second Indochina War, Xieng Khouang was the scene of extensive ground battles and intense aerial bombardment due to its perceived strategic importance. The provinces of Houaphan and Xieng Khouang had been the stronghold of Pathet Lao forces and their Vietnamese allies. The heavy aerial carpet bombardments to neutralize those forces or to drop off unused ordnance after returning from missions in Vietnam turned the Plain of Jars quite literally into the Plain of Scars and the most heavily bombarded area worldwide. In addition to bombs, massive quantities of defoliants and herbicides were dropped.

Evidence of the intense fighting can be seen in the cratered landscape and in war relics such as unexploded bomb casings, tanks, and defensive positions. The resourceful locals refashion war scrap into items for everyday use, e.g., spoons in Ban Napia village, planters, fences, tools, pumps and barbecues.


 * MAG Marker Brick.jpg
 * MAG Marker Brick.jpg
 * MAG Marker Brick.jpg
 * MAG Marker Brick.jpg

Caves of refuge
During the war thousands of local residents took shelter in caves and set up hospitals and schools. The army used the caves as well to store weapons and medical supplies. Two major caves are open to the public:



Nature
Xieng Khouang is widely known for the Plain of Jars, but beyond its jars is the natural beauty of the province. Xieng Khouang's scenery is characterised by the highest mountains in the country (Mount Phou Bia), its pine forests, deciduous woodlands, rolling hills and grasslands. In the cold season the green hills of the Plain of Jars turn reddish brown, punctuated with yellow sunflowers and poinsettia in full bloom. Nam Ngum, the largest river in the province, originates in the highlands of Paek District and is one of the major tributaries of the Mekong. Nong Het and Phaxay District in particular offer stunning karst scenery with plenty of caves, cliffs, underground rivers and waterfalls. The area is particularly beautiful during peach and orchid tree blossoming in Feb.



Do










Buy
Typical local products from Phonsavan and the surrounding area include natural dyes and textiles decorated with patterns unique to each ethnic group, mulberry paper parasols, spoons made from war scrap and Hmong embroidery. In the villages the basket making is still of great importance. Basket work is traditionally performed by men. The typical Hmong shoulder baskets, which are used to carry food and goods are made from bamboo, another material used is rattan.









Eat
With a cool climate and relatively high elevation, Xiengkhouang produces many food items and forest products that are either not available or in scarce supply in other parts of the country. Specialty fruits of the province (seasonally available dependent on species) are Chinese pears (mak jong), passion fruit (mak nawt), peaches (mak kai), and plums (mak mun). Many different varieties of mushrooms are found here, such as hed deep, a yellow, flower-like mushroom common to the area. hed wai specific to the region, is exported at high prices (US$30–40/kg) to connoisseurs throughout the world. Another notable medicinal forest product unique to the province is ya hua, a root used to give strength and good appetite and for treating ailments experienced by women after giving birth. Xiangkhouang's local chili pastes are the jaeow bong, a sour version of the famous chili paste from Luang Prabang, and jaeow pa khem, a paste made from salted fish. One of the unusual foods that Xiengkhouang is famous for, available only here, is "sour swallow" (nok ann toong). Every year, beginning in August–September, migratory swallows, traveling from Russia and other northern areas, visit Xiengkhouang to bathe on dust platforms located on hill tops. The swallows are caught and placed in a container to ferment. Later they are prepared by either frying or cooking in a stew. The birds are best eaten whole—without the feathers of course.

Phonsavan has a surprisingly broad offering of food for a provincial town its size. There are about 32 proper restaurants and many pho (noodle) soup shops. You can easily find Chinese, Vietnamese and Lao restaurants, but here are some special places:









Stay safe
Motorcycle accidents are not uncommon due to poor brakes and equipment. When renting a motorcycle in town ensure the fundamentals, such as brakes, are in good working order.

Happy Motorcycles are reported to offer some level of insurance. Warning - Phonsavan is one of the most heavily bombed places in history. There is unexploded ordnance (UXO) everywhere. On average, 60 persons die each year due to UXOs. Use caution when wandering, and always stay on paths.

Connect
There are plenty of Internet cafes on the main street which are fast enough for Skype. There is a DHL drop-off point at the main market and a Lao post office. Nisha Restaurant, and sometimes the post office, sells postcards, which are difficult to get in Phonsavan.

Go next

 * Luang Prabang. Bus at 08:30, 200,000 kip, air-con
 * Plain of Jars
 * Vang Vieng. Bus at 07:30, 95,000 kip, air-con
 * Vieng Xai
 * Vientiane. Bus 95,000-130,000 kip at 07:00, 08:00, 10:30, 16:30, 18:40, 20:00. hours can be changed, most notably the 07:00 and 08:00 can be merged into one 09:00 bus. 20:00 is the VIP bus. All have air-con. Two different bus stations, the trip from the southern bus station passing Pakxan takes 8 hours, from the northern bus station passing Vang Vieng takes 10 hours.
 * Vietnam
 * Vinh. 06:30, 150,000 kip, air-con