Laos: 2-Day Slow Boat Mekong River From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

One of the most adventurous ways to travel to Laos from Thailand is by taking a 2-day slow boat through the Mekong River to Luang Prabang. This trip is particularly popular among backpackers following the Southeast Asia Banana Pancake Trail. The boat actually departs from the border town of Huay Xai, but the journey usually begins in Northern Thailand cities such as Chiang Rai.

HOW TO TRAVEL TO LUANG PRABANG FROM CHIANG RAI

There are two options when it comes to traveling by boat to Luang Prabang. Travelers can choose to book a private boat from a travel agency such as Mekong Smile Cruise. The agency will arrange the entire trip for you which includes transportation, lunch, side attractions, and presumably a nicer boat. The package excludes accommodations, dinner, and personal expenses.

The second option is to plan the entire journey yourself. This is the preferred method. It is cheaper, provides a better learning experience, arguably more exciting, and is pretty easy! You’re even bound to make a couple of new friends along the way. It brings a whole new meaning to crossing the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge!

Travelers will need to arrive at the slow boat pier in Huay Xai by 11:30am to make the journey. Otherwise, it is recommended to spend the night in Chiang Khong near Thailand’s border or Huay Xai near Laos’ border. The journey takes 2 days and stops over a village in Pakbeng for the night.

STEPS FROM CHIANG RAI TO CHIANG KHONG

BUS FROM CHIANG RAI TO CHIANG KHONG

Start your journey by heading to the Chiang Rai Bus Station Terminal 1 (Old Station), located next to the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar. Old station is the same drop off point if traveling to Chiang Rai city center from Chiang Mai.

Look out for buses indicating “Chiang Khong” as it’s destination or search for a sign stating “Friendship Bridge – Chiang Khong – Laos (Houay Xai).

The Chiang Khong bus makes two stops. The first stop is just outside of Chiang Khong Border Control, a few kilometers from the Thai – Laos Friendship Bridge for travelers planning on crossing the border that same day. Staying on the bus to the second stop will bring you to Chiang Khong proper for those looking to spend the night.

Buses depart every hour daily from 6am – 5pm and costs 65 THB. Seats are first come first serve and you pay the attendant who comes by during the ride. Expect the ride to be at least 2 Hours if no delays.

The bus is pretty cramped with little room for luggage inside. There is no AC but the bus keeps cool by running fans and keeping the doors open. Overall, The ride was relatively smooth and safe.

Once you arrive at the first stop, there will be tuk-tuks waiting to bring you a short distance to Chiang Khong Border Control for 50 – 60 THB. I heard the bus used to take you all the way to immigration but business has since implemented a corrupt tactic to get travelers to fork out more cash. At least the price isn’t too outrages! 

CHIANG KHONG BORDER CONTROL

The process to get through border control is quick and easy. You’ll just need to provide your passport with a completed departure card, which you can fill out there. 

STEPS FROM CHIANG KHONG TO HUAY XAI

BUS CROSSING THAI-LAO FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE

The Thai – Lao Friendship bridge is a highway bridge over the Mekong River that links Chiang Khong, Thailand with Huay Xai, Laos where border controls are situated. Buses await for passengers after going through the Thai border control and costs 20 THB – 25 THB, with the latter charged during holidays. The bus ride takes 5 minutes to cross the bridge.

MONEY EXCHANGE

There is a currency exchange available where travelers can exchange their Thai Bahts (THB) to Lao Kips (LAK) or US Dollars (USD). Laos visa on arrival is cheaper if purchased and paid in USD. Although Lao Kips is the official local currency of Laos, all three LAK, THB, and USD are widely used. 

HUAY XAI BORDER CONTROL & VISA ON ARRIVAL

Travelers are required to have a visa and can purchase one on arrival for 35 USD, depending citizenship. The booth is marked “Visa on Arrival” and requires a passport not expiring before 6 months, a passport photo, and 2 forms filled out at the desk. There is an additional small fee for those without an extra passport photo. Once you pay the fee at the first window, they will process your application and hand back your passport with a Laos visa at the second window.

With your passport and new visa handy, you can now bypass border security. There may be travel agents waiting on the other side of border control trying to sell you 2-Day Luang Prabang Slow Boat tickets for around 300,000 kips. This package includes transportation to Huay Xai town and pickup from your hotel to the boat pier, if you’re staying in town for the night. 

It is cheaper to book everything yourself. The 20 minute ride to town or pier with a songthaew or tuk-tuk should cost about 25,000 kips and the 2-Day Luang Prabang Slow Boat tickets should cost about 210,000 kips. 

SPENDING THE NIGHT IN HUAY XAI

ACCOMMODATIONS

We were able to do a walk-in booking at Gate Way Hostel. We had made friends along our journey and decided to share a large private bedroom. The hostel is near the pier and was clean, spacious, and had a nice view overlooking the Mekong River.

Sabaidee Guest House and Little Hostel are also popular among travelers. I would recommend searching for hotels that are cheap and near the boat pier since you won’t be staying in Huay Xai for too long.

WAT CHOMKAO MANILAT

Wat Chomkao Manilat is a glistering temple siting atop the hill in Huay Xai. It’s overlooks the town and the Mekong River. Monks can be heard praying at dusk and is a perfect opportunity to join in on the session. This place is also perfect to watch the beautiful sunset.

Reaching the temple requires a moderate climb. Check out these kid’s poses. That dab is impressive! There are many kids roaming around town like these rascals without a care in the world. There bright smiles and loud laughter vibrantly lit the way to the top of the temple.

Chatting with the young monks about life in Laos and current events is a great way to learn about their culture. Poverty is extreme in Laos and becoming a monk as helped them gain a better education for a wiser future. They love one another and refers to each other as brothers.

We found a restaurant on the way down and decided to check it out. There was a group of locals so we decided to mingle with them. They came off a bit intimidating at first because they were police officers who spoke little English. Luckily, one of the locals spoke great English and was able to translate for us throughout the night. When we thought we ran out of beers, they told us not to worry and proceeded to pull out a slab of 24 large Beer Lao. The rest of the night was history!

2-DAY SLOW BOAT TO LUANG PRABANG

PURCHASING SLOW BOAT TICKETS

Slow boat tickets are available for purchase at the ticket booth opposite of the boats at the pier and up the stairs. Seat numbers are assigned but are rarely followed. They are practically first come first serve. It is recommended to sit closer to the front of the boat. Grab a table if your boat is fitted with them. The boat engine is located in the back and can get extremely loud and obnoxious.

FOOD, SNACKS, & DRINKS

The boat only makes several short stops to drop off local villagers. It would be a good idea to stock up on drinks and snacks before departing. There is a bar fitted in the back of the boat that sells overpriced Beer Lao and instant noodles for 20k kips. Beer and sandwiches can be found around town for 10k kips.

BOARDING THE SLOW BOAT

The boat departs at 11:30am but it would be wise to get to the pier an hour early. The crew sticks to a tight schedule and it is in your favor to be able to grab good seats. Luggage are locked in a storage under the boat deck so carrying a day pack with important items is advisable.

Once on board, ticket check consists of flashing your paper ticket. The crew will run a quick safety briefing and provide general tips such as being cautious of your belongings when offloading at Pakbeng. They will also offer accommodations at Pakbeng for those who did not book a room in advance. I would hold off as rooms are overpriced at about 100k kips. Once you arrive at Pakbeng, a flock of guest house representatives of all shapes and sizes will offer rooms starting at 50k kips. Our group of backpackers were able to negotiate rooms down to 20k kips/person. That equates to 2.30 USD/person, by far the cheapest accommodation I ever had!

DAY 1: SLOW BOAT TO PAKBENG

The journey through the great Mekong River to Pakbeng took roughly 7 hours. Time varies and depends largely on weather and seasonality. The ride overall was smooth, scenic, and relaxing. Our boat contained a plethora of social butterflies so it quickly turned into a joyful party boat. After sharing many bottles of Beer Lao and Lao whiskey, people from all over the world bonded together and became great friends for the duration of the Laos trip!

The ride through the Mekong River was majestic and scenic. It was heartwarming to see villagers waiting at the drop off points to greet their loved ones. Can you imagine the struggles they go through everyday to support their families?

The clouds were rolling in during our trip but the chocolate waters remained smooth and calm. This captain has years of experience and is able to easily navigate through the Mekong River with his eye’s closed.

Fishermen, wildlife, and other boats are constantly on the prowl. It’s hard not to stare out into the waters as you pass by interesting caves and temples.

ARRIVING AT PAKBENG

As previously mentioned, travelers will find themselves greeted by a group of guest house owners fighting for their business. Rooms are a hit or miss and you tend to get what you pay for. If booking in advance for peace of mind, I would recommend booking rooms at BKC Villa, Thip Phavan Guest House, or Monesavanh Guest House. Even though we scored cheap accommodations, we had a string of bad experiences. Our tip for travelers is to make sure to check the beds for bed bugs, keep your wallet safe, and test the showers before booking.

HAPPY BAR

Happy Bar and Hive Bar are the two main bars backpackers gather. We ended up at Happy Bar due to our hotel’s located and had a fantastic time. The owner was friendly and generous with the welcome whiskey shots! They have a pool table, darts, and beer pong. I played beer pong with the owner’s friend and won. I then beat his other friend. The owner ended up challenging me and offered up his bar as a prize. Guess who’s the owner of Happy Bar now? He ended up continuing to pass out free whiskey shots and I was able to negotiate beers down to 12k instead of 15k kips. Pakbeng was a an enjoyable side event during our journey to Luang Prabang and one i’ll never forget.

DAY 2: SLOW BOAT TO LUANG PRABANG

The slow boat departed at 9:00am on the Day 2. Following the same scenario as Day 1, it is recommended to stock up on food, snacks, and drinks and get to the pier an hour early to obtain good seating. It took 6 hours to finally arrive at our destination in Luang Prabang.

ARRIVING IN LUANG PRABANG

The boat docks 10km from Luang Prabang city center. Tuk-tuks will cost you 20k kips/person and will bring you to your accommodation.

Overall, taking the 2-Day slow boat to Luang Prabang was one of my most unique and memorable adventures while backpacking throughout Southeast Asia. Not only did I gain a valuable perspective of life, I also gained many new friends along the way. If you have the time, take the 2-Day slow boat to Luang Prabang. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.

“It’s the Journey, not the Destination”

GENERAL TIPS & RECAP

• Purchasing visas on arrival is cheaper if paid by USD.


• Save money by purchasing food and drinks around town before boarding the slow boat.


• Arrive an hour before departure to ensure the best seating near the front.


• Be cautious of scammers and pick pocketing. If you feel as if you are being cheated then walk away.


• Laos attracts all type of people from around the world. Always stay cautious at a foreign country and never leave your drinks unattended.


• Keep a close eye on your belonging as theft is common

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Did you remember to consider getting Travel Insurance? It is not required but highly encouraged when traveling to any foreign country. The journey through Laos is filled with all types of adventurous activities. Travelers can get seriously injured if not careful. On top of that, different climate conditions, insect bites, or trying new types of food can cause one to become seriously ill. Unforeseen accidents do happen and expenses can add up and ruin your trip. The most popular insurance for all types of travelers is World Nomads. Their policies are created specifically with travelers in mind. It doesn’t hurt to Get a Free Quote and decide from there.

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