Nestled under the thickly forested Phoufa Hill, Phongsaly at 1,400 metres elevation has developed around an old market centre with cobbled streets and picturesque wooden buildings, including a very old Chinese quarter. Climb the jeep track up the Phoufa Hill (1,650 metres) and enjoy aspectacular view over the town and the surrounding mountainous terrain. The high ridge line which forms the horizon to the west is a Jurassic escarpment - the geology of the Province is a full cross-section of the age of the dinosaurs. Look for plant fossils (and dinosaurs!) just below the summit of the Phoufa.