Oudomxay was part of Luangprabang Province till 1960 where it was upgraded to be its own province. In 1961, Oudomxay was first named “Souvanhnaphoum Province” by the King of Luang Prabang and a few years later, it was changed to “Lan Xang Province”. It was changed again in 1965 to “Meuang Xay Province”. The last and final change of the name to “Oudomxay Province” was made in 1969.

Oudomxay Province, with its mountainous terrain, is home to several ethnicities that are more commonly found in Northern Lao.

Austro-Asiatic groups such as the Lamet and Khmu were the first people to inhabit this region. Sometime around 1200 years ago, the many Tai-Kadai groups - including the majority Tai Lao people - arrived in Laos and made their home primarily along the Mekong. Akha, Hmong and Yaogroups have migrated into Laos from Tibet and Yunnan Province in Southern China within the last 200 - 300 years.

The Khmu people form the biggest ethnic group in Oudomxay Province, as they are a part of the Lao Thoeng, the Upland Lao. They are considered the ‘guardians of the land’ and the ancestors of the Khmu are considered to be the ‘first people’ of Laos. Their traditional lifestyle include living in the mountains, dry-rice cultivation and using slash-and-burn techniques to grow crops. Many Khmu women choose to wear market-bought clothing these days rather than weave their own, but bamboo weaving is still widely practiced among Khmu men.

The Hmong people are part of the Lao people and are renowned for their strong cultural identity despite war, diaspora, resettlement and changing lifestyles. They came to the current territory of Lao PDR around 150 years ago after they lived several thousand years in the Southern region of China. Today, around 450,000 Hmong are located in the mountainous areas of northern Laos. They too generate their income mainly through dry-rice cultivation and slash-and-burn techniques. Their traditional beliefs are strongly related to Animism and Shamanism. In Oudomxay, they are the second biggest ethnic group after the Khmu people.

The Lahu people, known as Mousseur, speak a Sino-Tibetan language and believe in animism. The Black Lahu are renowned for their highly skilled appliqué work, which adorns their skirts and jackets. White Lahu wear undyed white and brown natural cotton clothing.

The Yao Mun people are more commonly known as ‘Lanten’ (from the Chinese word for indigo). Women wear simple shorts and tunics of handmade natural indigo blue-black cotton with a distinctive white or magenta tassel down the front. The Lanten people practice Taoism.

The Tai Lue are famous for their silk and cotton production and weaving. Like many of the Tai peoples, their belief system blends Buddhism with animism. Animism is the belief in spirits of the natural and built world, such as spirits of the forest, cotton harvest, houses and river.

There are also the Akha people, which is elaborated in the Phongsaly section.

Producing new handicrafts for sale to tourists is a sustainable way for local people to earn extra income while maintaining their traditional artisanal skills. It is preferable to selling off their antiques and family heirlooms, as locals can retain their cultural artifacts and heritage.

A visit to a Khmu village shows that bamboo can be used to create almost anything a villager needs: storage and carry baskets, shelving, spoons, chairs, fish traps, rice cooker and the house itself! Usually, women are behind the arts and crafts of Laos, but in the case of Khmu bamboo weaving, it is generally the men who learn and practice the craft.

The Hmong are skilled at various textile arts, including hemp production, beeswax batik printing and indigo dyeing. They are particularly well-known for their meticulous and precise decorative embroidery and appliqué. Traditionally. these skills are used to adorn clothing, especially for occasions such Hmong New Year. These days however, inventive Hmong women use their skills to create purses, toys, ornaments and other goodies.

The White Lahu people, at villages like Ban To Lae, make beautiful heavy natural cotton. It is a labour-intensive process; they have to plant, grow and harvest cotton, hand spin yarn, hand weave cloth on the loom and then hand sew the clothing.

The Lanten people are known for their skill in making bamboo paper. Bamboo is pulped and boiled to make a watery solution, which is evenly poured across a fabric screen and left to dry in the sun. It is used mainly in religious ceremonies of the Lanten people. They also make carved wooden and paper masks, and darkblue indigo-dyed cotton for clothing.

The Tai Lue are the master weavers of Laos, creating elaborate brocades in natural cotton and silk for religious and everyday purposes. They are also well known for their proficiency with natural dyes made from forest products such as leaves, flowers, woods and insects. Some Tai Lue weavers in Bokeo export their goods to high quality textiles stores in Luang Prabang and beyond.

Akha women also hand produce heavy bolts of natural cotton. You may see them spinning cotton yarn with their unusual hand spindles, shaped like spinning tops.

Oudomxay has three seasons:

- Cool-dry (November to February). During this time of the year, average temperature hovers around 22C. The temperature may reach as low as 14C and soar as high as 31C. Small showers may still occur during this season, so it is advisable to bring along an umbrella. Do take note that temperature starts to drop rapidly after sunset, so do bring along warm clothing. This season is the best period to visit Oudomxay due to its comfortable and cool temperature.

- Hot-dry (March to April). During this season, the average temperature is around 30C. The temperature may soar as high as 36C and drop as low as 17C. Visitors should visit the waterfall or stay under shades to get some relief from the heat.

- Rainy season (May to October). During this time of year, the average temperature is around 26C. The temperature may reach as low as 16C and reach as high as 35C. Rain is heavily expected especially during the months of July and August where rainfall is the highest. Visitors should be careful especially during trekking as the jungle floors are muddy and slippery.

Domestic flights from Vientiane

Transportation from Provinces to Oudomxay

Transportation from Oudomxay to Provinces

Transportation from districts to Oudomxay

Boat time table

Boat: Travel Oudomxay by Boat, Pak Beng Boat Landing Pak Beng, located at the Mekong in the Southwest of Oudomxay province is the key node between Luang Prabang and Thailand, served by slow and speed boats. A regular bus service connects Pak Beng with Oudomxay city. From Houysay, the border town to Thailand, connections to Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and further on Bangkok are available.