Remote and peaceful, Xam Neua is the capital of Laos’ northeastern Hua Phan Province, set in a verdant valley surrounded by emerald green rice paddies and mountainous rainforests. It is rarely visited by travellers and, as such, has retained its cultural authenticity and old-world ambience. It is famous for its exquisitely crafted fabrics, as well as its pivotal history: The area was a stronghold of communist Pathet Lao forces during the Second Indochina War, from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. Among the most prominent area attractions are the Vieng Xai caves, which served as a refuge for some 20 000 Pathet Lao officers, soldiers and supporters during this time. There’s also a lovely waterfall off the road between Xam Neua and Vieng Xai, and the mysterious Hintang archeological site, where collections of spindly vertical stone pillars reaching up to 3m high are interspersed with ancient burial sites, forming a kind of Asian Stonehenge.