Houayxay (Lao: ຫ້ວຍຊາຍ, pronounced [hȕa̯j sáːj]) (also Huoeisay, Houei Sai or Huay Xai), is a district in Bokeo Province, Laos, on the border with Thailand. Ban Houayxay is the administrative centre of the district.
The town lies on the Mekong River opposite Chiang Khong in Thailand. The Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge at Ban Houayxay, which opened in December 2013 and replaced ferry service across the river, is now the northernmost road border crossing between the two countries. Asian Highway 3, which runs through Ban Houayxay, extends north to Yunnan Province of China and south to Chiang Rai Province of Thailand.
Houayxay has a domestic airport (HOE) with regular flights to Vientiane and Luang Prabang (depending on the season).
The town is the starting point for many boats (speed and slow boats, freighters, luxury cruisers for tourists and others) on the Mekong River to Pakbeng, Luang Prabang and other destinations.Houayxay is also home to the Gibbon Experience, another highlight for tourists. It is a series of ziplines and treehouses providing a unique overnight experience.Fort Carnot, an ancient French fort in ruins, sits on a hill overlooking the town and the Mekong River.
Most of the guest houses provide simple meals.
Watch the sunset over the Mekong river from a riverside restaurant.
There is not much nightlife in town. To have a beer, simply visit a restaurant or get your own stocks of Beerlao at one of the shops.
The most important thing to buy is something to eat & drink for the slow-boat journey to Luang Prabang, although nowadays food and drinks are available on most boats. Food is not great, but acceptable.
You can walk the main street. For longer distances take a bike taxi. A one-way fare to the Chinese morning market should cost 10,000 kip.
Huay Xai is right across the river from Chiang Khong, Thailand. For most tourists it is seen as a transport stop-over, which is a pity. While there is not much to see in this small town, it's a good place to adapt to Lao life: sit on the banks of the Mekong, have a Beerlao and watch the river flow past, or even better, see the hordes of tourists float past.
