Phongsali beckons visitors with its natural beauty and off-the-beaten-track charms - but its remoteness means it is still one of Laos most pristine destinations. Located on the border with China’s Yunnan Province, the region is best known for its stunningly beautiful views of rolling jungle, plunging valleys and vivid green rice fields, as well as its spectacular star-studded night skies. The provincial capital, also named Phongsali, is perched high on a plateau beneath the 1625-metre-high peak of Sky Mountain. Those who make it to this far-flung destination can look forward to exquisite views, a deeply authentic atmosphere and a supremely slow pace of life. There is a strong Chinese influence here - reflected in the town’s traditional low-roofed, timber-and-stone houses, widely spoken Chinese dialects, and the trademark baggy trousers of its Chinese Ho residents. Beautiful trekking trails in the surrounding mountains lead to remote hill tribe villages where life has changed very little over the centuries and most villagers still dress in traditional garb.