The slow boat journey from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang in Laos (approx 32 GBP) involved many segments:

  1. 5 hour minibus from Chiang Mai guesthouse to Thailand / Laos border area.
  2. Overnight stay at guesthouse (included in price).
  3. 10 minute minibus to border crossing at Chiang Khong, Thailand.
  4. Cross Mekong River to Huay Xai in Laos and go through chaotic immigration and passport control. Process, if you can call it that, takes approx 90 minutes. Enter the immigration office and don’t be too alarmed when a random Laos ‘official’ (who is not wearing a uniform) takes your passport from you – he should hand it to the immigration desk with your completed arrival paperwork to get your visa. Visa on arrival costs $35 USD; you can pay in Thai Baht or Laos Kip but USD is preferred. Once you have a visa, hand your passport to passport control and get your inbound stamp. Now walk 20 yards and show your passport to another passport desk, before another 20 yards where you hand your passport to the slow boat check-in desk. The check-in desk keeps your passport.
  5. 5 minute tuk-tuk ride to a restaurant near the slow boat. Here you get your passport back and will be presented with a sales pitch by a well-spoken Laos chap who will tell you that the slow boat journey takes a lot longer than your Thai travel agent told you and that it is in arduous trip. It’s a good job that he is able to help you by selling you over-priced accommodation in Pak Beng the slow boat overnight stop. Most people accepted his ‘help’ and paid 300 baht for a room (this is 50% or so over the odds).
  6. 6 hour slow boat ride to Pak Beng for overnight stay. If the boat is packed it’s pretty uncomfortable unless you get one of the car seats that look like they came from a Ford Transit van. We were unlucky to have a packed boat but lucky that we joined a big group of Kiwi’s who had bought 6 bottles of whisky (1 GBP each!!!) and a pack of cards for the journey. The journey flew by!
  7. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Pak Beng. We declined the sales pitch before the boat journey and followed a sales girl when the boat docked to a great place which cost only 200 baht per night (4 GBP) for a new looking twin room with ensuite bathroom. Pak Beng is remote and small and everything shuts early so eat on arrival.
  8. 8 hour slow boat from Pak Beng to Luang Prabang. Not easy with a hangover but at least the boat was not as packed as the first day and I managed to secure a Transit van seat.

On arrival in Luang Prabang we didn’t have any accommodation pre-booked and after some aimless wondering took a tuk-tuk to the Lonely Planet recommendations. They were all full. Fortunately there was a good one across the road and we booked in for the night. Our host provided a delicious free evening meal for us all too. I wish I could remember the name - when I do I will add it. 

Luang Prabang is a developed town with good roads, fully functioning sewage systems and Western style toilets, a meandering river and some good restaurants and bars. Worth particular mention is Utopia a river side bar over two levels filled with plants, meandering walkways and a young crowd. A well kept volleyball court and game is usually in full swing and anyone can join in – the standard isn’t great! Utopia, like all other bars in Laos, closes at 11.30pm in accordance with Laos laws. Fortunately there is a bowling alley a short tuk-tuk ride away which somehow has an extended license until 3am ish (I lost track of time). We had to wait 2 hours to get a lane as the place was packed with about 150 revellers. Recommended for a visit.

Luang Prabang has numerous temples that were worth seeing and is geared up for visitors with various activities and tours available at good prices. As a stop off point before Vang Vieng, Luang is certainly worth 3 or so days. Next stop for me is Vang Vieng…