The Laotian town of Sainyabuli sits in the province of the same name and proudly stands on the pretty banks of the Nam Hung River, which is a branch of the more famous Mekong River.
Sainyabuli is very remote and secluded and offers few tourist attractions but it has a certain charm and pleasant aura from its welcoming hospitality and traditional Laotian villages. It provides its few visitors with the chance to see an untouched area that is surrounded by beautiful riverside scenery.
Situated in the northwest of Laos, it is surrounded by some of the more popular destinations in the country like Luang Prabang to the north and Vientiane to the east as well as bordering Thailand to the west. Sainyabuli is encompassed by fertile land that boasts some of the best rice crops in the whole of Laos as well as producing delicious crops of oranges, peanuts and sesame.
The province itself is renowned for having the majority of Laos’ working elephant population that are mainly used for logging, which ironically is a major cause in the loss of natural habitat for wild elephants in the area. There are a handful of guest houses and restaurants scattered around the province and Sainyabuli is a pleasant place to visit for peace and quiet.
Getting There & Away
There are flights between Sainyabuli and Vientiane, where there is an international airport, four times a week with Lao Airlines as well as combinations of speedboats, shared taxis and buses running from the tourist hotspots in the area. Luang Prabang, which also has an international airport, is 5 hours away by bus.
Things to Do
Sainyabuli Attractions
- Domesticated Asian elephants
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The elephants in sainyabuli make up 75 percent of the nation’s working elephants and can be spotted in the countryside in sainyabuli.
- The grounds of Wat Si Bun Huang
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These grounds boast 500-year-old foundations of buddhist monuments and are set in some interesting scenery.
- Wat Si Phan Don
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The temple is home to a remarkable diamond shaped stupa and is very close to wat si bun huang.
- Wat Sisavang Vong
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This temple was constructed by the king of the same name and has vibrant and colorful buddhist pictures etched on its walls.
Pak Lai
this small riverside community is full of classical Laotian style houses as well as French colonial buildings - all set in a mountainous landscape - and is a wonderful place to explore.