Na Meo
Na Meo (also spelt Na Maew) is a border town in Thanh Hoa Province, in the Central Coast (Vietnam) region of Vietnam, adjacent to Nam Xoi in Laos.
Get in
From/to Laos
Songthaews leave Sam Neua at around 06:30, and Vieng Xai around 07:30-08:00.
From/to Vietnam
There is a daily a public bus originating in Sam Neua through to Hanoi via Na Meo and Thanh Hoa. (180,000 kip and 10-11 hours from Sam Neua to Thanh Hoa)
But beware: there is an ongoing scam. Foreigners may have to pay USD20-40 for onward transport (officially, its USD5), or they simply are kicked off the bus again. As all drivers take part in this scam, there is no cheaper alternative. Even the bigger villages take part in the scam, so there is no way to work around it.
Eat
The Hanoi bus may stop for lunch here. You can eat in the same place as the drivers at a fair price. Food and drink may be seriously overpriced for foreigners in this place.
Sleep
There are a couple of hotels in the town.