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LUANG NAMTHA PROVINCE, Laos: For nearly three centuries, the extreme northwest of Laos has been home to a small community of Tibeto-Burman villagers called Ban Sida.
For those who like experiencing remote villages and the challenge of a mountain, then the northwestern region of Laos is the place to be.
From Luang Namtha province, one has to travel for a few hours before reaching the remote Sida village - one of only two villages in Laos - where one can meet the Sida minority ethnic group.
It is a steep uphill climb through the jungle all the way to the top.
Along the path, one will come across villagers making their way down, hoping to sell their farm produce for a good price.
Boun Ta, guide, Green Discovery, Luang Namtha, said: "These people are Sida and they have lived here since a very long time ago, about 300 years ago, and they did not move to another country or another province..."
He added: "They are working as rice farmers. They can do it only one time a year, one crop a year."
When asked whether visitors normally come to this part of the mountain, he said: "They come up here for trekking and I come to visit my family, my cousins only two or three times a year."
While provincial authorities welcome tourists, they are also carefully managing the impact.
They have put in place certain best practices to guarantee the tourism is pro-poor and sustainable, ensuring that the rural beauty and unspoilt charm remains.
More tourists will be visiting villages like these, so minimising the "human zoo effect" will be paramount.
But according to Boun Ta, the villagers of the Sida ethnic group are welcoming the improvements that come with change.
Kham Seang, 62, a rice farmer also makes a living planting rubber trees which is being encouraged by the Lao government. He makes about a million Kip selling rice to the towns in Luang Namtha province.
Thung Sy, 58, said with bigger houses, water, solar power and even a clinic - life is more comfortable.
He added that in the past it was very difficult to get the children to study but now government projects have provided the village with a school, teachers and free education and the children are studying.
Jason Rush, media relations, Southeast Asia, Asian Development Bank, said: "Development can only happen with the support of the government and obviously people themselves have the most important role to play, but development agencies like the Asian Development Bank can also play an important supporting role.
"Here in Luang Namtha province, including this village, we have supported a range of initiatives - building roads so communities are not as isolated, so children get to school easier and pregnant mothers can get better health care. So it takes a whole package of development initiatives in order to really lift the well being of communities."
He added: "When you have more people and tourists coming into these villages, there are concerns, there are potential threats and that is why you need a good foundation from which tourism can develop. You need good rules and regulations, and you need strong community involvement, so they are really leading the way tourism goes in their communities and controlling the way it happens.
"And I think so far, in many of the communities around Luang Namtha, they get concessions on the tourists who come to visit, so they receive part of the profits every time - which helps lift their own incomes ... and we certainly do not want them to be victimised by the influx of people coming into their communities, ultimately its to help make their lives better."
Small efforts include a solar panel which produces enough electricity for a small light bulb and even a television set.
But more needs to be done in this Sida village, such as infrastructure for water, electricity and even areas like health care and education for the children. These are some of the priority areas that the local provincial government will be looking at with help from the private sector and international agencies as well. - CNA/ms
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