There's a gem in Northern Laos!

Located in the south end of Luang Namtha, in between the airport and the main market area, behind a bar/restaurant and a 2-minute walk from the Many Chan Restaurant/Guesthouse is an herbal "sauna/spa" that is unmatched in both it's natural tranquility and its absolute effectiveness. The word 'relaxing' would be downright insulting for this hidden oasis.

To get to the herbal sauna hut from the dirt lot in front of the restaurant/bar you first walk over a swamp by way of a 50 foot raised walkway constructed entirely of local bamboo.The layout of the hut is quite simple: changing room on the right, outdoor massage deck with two massage tables just passed that and to the left is the herbal steam room.Just like the first course of any decent meal, the Lao massage should be first. For those of you who took the 'grin and bear it' approach while submitting yourself through the rigors of the Thai massage can relax with ease in Laos. Though similar to the Thai version, the Laos massage is very comfortable and sensitive enough
to melt your thoughts away into oblivion. This more human-centered muscular melt down keeps you toeing the threshold that which separates sleep and awake. Adding to the already surreal ambiance is the occasional cricket call and the warm glow being emitted from the candle arrangement set around the perimeter of the hut (there's no electricity). People pay hundreds of dollars for cheap imitations...but this sort of authenticity cannot be duplicated. And at $2 for an hour massage...enough said.

After you've managed to pull yourself from the massage table you could head straight into the sauna room. Once inside you just sit and relax and breath, filling your lungs with the steam of the boiled natural herbs. The feeling is truly one of the greatest health sensations I've ever felt. Through the steamy haze that fills the cedar room you can catch a glimpse of the small fire source. I really don't understand how the system itself works, how they managed to separate the steam from the smoke allowing only the steam to enter the room, but they did and quite efficiently at that. Use of sauna room: .50 cents.Upon exiting the sauna room you can head down a small set of stairs out back to the open well to wash the sweat from your open pours before heading to dinner.

Following this bit of respite, if you help yourself to one or two of the very fine, and highly recommended Beerlaos, worlds could collide, volcanoes might even erupt but you'd probably still get the very best nights sleep you've had in a very long time.

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