We spent three nights in Huay Xai but would only recommend anyone spend one there, at most. Its not the most inspiring place and is really only a border town where most travellers come here en route to or from Thailand. There was a reason for our staying two days though. We were waiting for a space on The Gibbon Experience, something we’d heard about from a friend who was in Laos earlier this year but he and his partner didn’t go as it was booked out. We’d looked into it, decided not to do it, but caught up again with Lindon and Natalie who said it was an excellent experience. So, as we were in Huay Xai anyway (before crossing the Mekong river into Thailand), we rocked up to the small office on the off chance that they had spaces. They didn’t until the 29th so we decided to wait out the two days. More about The Gibbon Experience shortly as it's unique, sounds like an excellent initiative and one well worth knowing about.
We will remember Huay Xai not for the food, the people or the scenery but for the gangs of marauding (and madly copulating) dogs, the vast array of different ant species that shared the guesthouse, the geckos and the roosters that slept in the tree right outside our window and started crowing 4am. It’s a ramshackle place, as seen here from the other side of the Mekong.
I’ll start with the dogs though. I don’t think I have ever seen so many dogs in one place, such obvious hierarchy between gangs and such tolerance of the awful behaviour from people. I would have shot them had I lived there. There was absolutely no discipline whatsoever and these dogs simply did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted - literally. Only the cats kept them in line – no joke. One super dog-terminator cat had such a go at a dog that unwittingly wandered into her territory, she had everyone in the near vicinity up out of his or her seats. The noise was deafening. The animals definitely provided what might possibly be the only entertainment in Huay Xai.
Ever wondered how a dog with a long body, low centre of gravity and missing one front leg manages to sit? To be honest, we’d never thought about it but this dog was pretty well adapted we thought.
He could even stand up on his hind legs for a better view but he wasn’t so good on the move. When walking, every now and then his back legs would go faster than the front one (usually while trying to chase a bitch in heat) and he’d do a dive onto his chest and go down big time. We kind of felt sorry for him but he seemed happy enough. These were his mates and they were one of the many small gangs that fought and prowled the streets. You needed to make sure you weren’t caught between two dogs that were intent on having a go at each other (it did happen and sent people scurrying for cover).
This is the view of Thailand across the Mekong from the lovely terrace outside our room.
We had looked at all possible ways to avoid spending days in Huay Xai and even considered popping across into Thailand for a few days but ruled that out pretty quickly when it was clear the customs guys wouldn’t let us come and go on the same visa and would make us buy another Laos visa to come back again. By the end of 2nd day we were well ready to leave. Thankfully an incredibly heavy downpour early that morning had shut both the roosters and the dogs up (presumably they were sheltering, and sensibly too as it was incredibly heavy rain) and we weren’t woken at 0400!
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We will remember Huay Xai not for the food, the people or the scenery but for the gangs of marauding (and madly copulating) dogs, the vast array of different ant species that shared the guesthouse, the geckos and the roosters that slept in the tree right outside our window and started crowing 4am. It’s a ramshackle place, as seen here from the other side of the Mekong.
I’ll start with the dogs though. I don’t think I have ever seen so many dogs in one place, such obvious hierarchy between gangs and such tolerance of the awful behaviour from people. I would have shot them had I lived there. There was absolutely no discipline whatsoever and these dogs simply did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted - literally. Only the cats kept them in line – no joke. One super dog-terminator cat had such a go at a dog that unwittingly wandered into her territory, she had everyone in the near vicinity up out of his or her seats. The noise was deafening. The animals definitely provided what might possibly be the only entertainment in Huay Xai.
Ever wondered how a dog with a long body, low centre of gravity and missing one front leg manages to sit? To be honest, we’d never thought about it but this dog was pretty well adapted we thought.
He could even stand up on his hind legs for a better view but he wasn’t so good on the move. When walking, every now and then his back legs would go faster than the front one (usually while trying to chase a bitch in heat) and he’d do a dive onto his chest and go down big time. We kind of felt sorry for him but he seemed happy enough. These were his mates and they were one of the many small gangs that fought and prowled the streets. You needed to make sure you weren’t caught between two dogs that were intent on having a go at each other (it did happen and sent people scurrying for cover).
This is the view of Thailand across the Mekong from the lovely terrace outside our room.
We had looked at all possible ways to avoid spending days in Huay Xai and even considered popping across into Thailand for a few days but ruled that out pretty quickly when it was clear the customs guys wouldn’t let us come and go on the same visa and would make us buy another Laos visa to come back again. By the end of 2nd day we were well ready to leave. Thankfully an incredibly heavy downpour early that morning had shut both the roosters and the dogs up (presumably they were sheltering, and sensibly too as it was incredibly heavy rain) and we weren’t woken at 0400!
View Larger Map
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