Getting out of town and into Laos’ countryside is a great way to explore and experience hill tribe exotic villages’ life of Laos. Especially in Muang Sing, a morning stroll around a market is a good start.

In the vicinity of Chinese border in Northern Laos, there is a town named Muang Sing, where Akha ethnic tribe has inhibited for long time. To experience Akha tribe activities is as wonderful as walking along natural trails in this town. Making a visit to Muang Sing is another way to indirectly help preserve Akha’s traditional culture and natural environment. You will have an opportunity to learn their cultures through initiative, interesting programs that are created to protect, empower and support Akha villagers.

Overnight stay on a bamboo house on low wooden stilts in hilly area of Muang Sing also gives you a further impression. This kind of hut is the traditional living place of the Akha people. There is a rule of separating huts: one side for women and the other side is for men, which is used as a more public area.

Arriving at Muang Sing usually comes up with the scenes of Akha women sitting on their bamboo hut, spinning cotton for making clothes, or pounding rice by stamping one of their feet over the rice wooden pounder, under the hut. And when you walk across the rice fields, you will see and learn or even share some of agricultural activities with locals such as learning the way to do paddy rice farming.

There is a saying that hill tribe lullaby can make you feel nostalgic and it is right. Akha people have their own traditional musical instruments which are their enjoyment, folk tales and legends that are told by elderly to younger generations. Of course, you will have a chance to listen to them.

The community- based tour, the Akha Experience, is a genuine and authentic ecotourism trek that has been run in Muang Sing. Starting a trek along the old French road through the jungle and pine forest (where you will finally learn that each tree has a spirit which is the local wisdom for forest protection), you will get to each village and have an opportunity to experience how to collect bamboo shoots and vegetables, see how food is cooked in the traditional Akha way and have a picnic lunch in the forest.

The tour will bring to villagers of 8 Akha villages the well-being, as well as their pride in traditions that will contribute to preservation. Through the eco travel programs, this tour also offers a tool for environmental and cultural awareness. Discover more details about this tour, the Akha Experiences, and don’t forget to explore Muang Sing Handicraft Market once you arrive there, for a variety of locally produced items by Black Tai (Tai Dam), Hmong and Akha people.

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