Laos Slow Boat on the Mekong: 2 days between Houai Sai and Luang Prabang Houai Sai, Luang Prabang, Travel to Laos 4.4 (15)While there is the more classic option of taking a bus to reach Luang Prabang from the border with Thailand, you can reach the charming royal city by taking the famous Mekong. The river acts as a natural border for a good part of its course between Thailand and Laos and it is therefore possible to take a boat from Houai Sai crossing from Chiang Khong on the Thai side.The course is done by sailing over 2 days, hence the term " slow boat » that you will see concerning this journey or even the mention of a « cruise on the Mekong". The first day you go down the river between HouaI Sai to the small town of Pakbeng where you spend the night. The next day you complete the journey to Luang Prabang, arriving at the end of the afternoon.This is a commonly used means of transport for this destination. Because in addition to enjoying the scenery, it avoids having to deal with the 12 hours of bus travel on the rough roads of the Laos mountains (which we had to do on the way back…).Having done it with my parents, we were more on a "comfort" option than the basic backpacker version (accessible from around $22), which in this case, has a contrasting reputation (local atmosphere and landscapes vs. "trip from hell" if there are people crammed into the boat)The banks of Houai Sai from the boat.The least we can say is that it is possible to do it for not too much money, but you also have to see in what conditions if there are people... So here is the story of these 2 days along the mythical river.Despite the construction of a dam in progress upstream about twenty kilometers from Luang Prabang (near the Pak Ou caves), it would seem that the Slow Boats will be able to continue, because a lock system will allow their passage. Summary hide 1st Day: Between Houai Sai and Pakbeng Life is a long quiet river Stop in a village on the banks of the Mekong Break and night in Pakbeng 2nd Day: Between Pakbeng and Luang Prabang Pak Ou Cave Ban Xang Hai (Whiskey Village): A little whisky and a lot of fabrics The cruise in summary 1st Day: Between Houai Sai and PakbengI was talking to you a short time ago Houai Sai, which may be worth a little visit if you have the time, it is from this small town in the north of Laos that we left for this cruise.Departure is scheduled for 9am that morning and if normally, you are picked up at the border post (which shows how many ordinary Houai Sai is very little visited…), it was at our hotel, literally a few meters from the departure platform, that we were picked up in a pick-up truck.Knowing that in this direction, there are departures on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, you must choose your day of arrival in Houai Sai accordingly.First of all, here is a summary on a map of the route and the stops made, to better situate yourself:This is what it looks like on a map.We arrive on board our boat for the next 2 days. These are these famous long boats that we call sampan, which means "three edges", it is basically a flat-bottomed Chinese boatIt is mainly used in Southeast Asia for the transport of goods or passengers over relatively short distances (what is called cabotage in the jargon), but it is sometimes also used as a dwelling.Everyone is on board fairly quickly since there will only be about ten of us. We are not crammed in like it can be for classic slow boats (without saying that it is systematic either).And here we go for 2 days!Our captain is focused.Life is a long quiet riverThe journey will last approximately 7 hours, à sail quietly along the Mekong, observing its banks, the landscapes and everything that happens there. For example, in addition to fishermen, a logical encounter here, we can cite gold prospectors, yes!We regularly come across men and women who scrutinize the sand of the river bank. Otherwise we can see villages, children bathing, young people hanging out in "between friends" mode, animals too, grazing there at the water's edge.The first stop will be administrative, because the boat must sign a register, which also serves as a traffic permit. Another stop will be made at a village further on, the captain picking up his wife and son on the way.The cruise allows you to rest, because in the end, apart from looking at the landscape and taking pictures, there is not much else to do. So it is a good break to unwind, take a nap and not think too much about anything other than the present moment.As part of our cruise, meals were included (2 lunches and the evening meal in Pakbeng and breakfast the next day). It was varied and rather good, knowing that in classic slow boat cruises, everyone must stock up before leaving, at the risk of paying for something to nibble on the boat twice as expensive as the rate on "land". Well, it's sure that the total rate will remain cheaper in this case, but the conditions of this "luxury" cruise were still highly appreciable.This will also allow my parents to meet a nice couple from Quebec, with whom we will also meet up for dinner in Luang Prabang.Stop in a village on the banks of the MekongThe real stop for us will be shortly before arriving at our destination of the day, Pakbeng. We were stopping in a village 45 minutes from our arrival. Time to go around, the guide in front to give some explanations, me behind to enjoy getting away from the group and take pictures quietly.The village has recently had electricity via solar panels and a new bridge crosses the river next door, which shows that the village is less and less isolated. You can feel that people here are starting to get used to seeing tourists, even if I can't say if all the boats stop there. In my humble opinion (and I dare to hope) only private cruises stop there, because otherwise I think it would quickly get boring seeing groups parading by every day.However, the behavior of the inhabitants did not really show any annoyance, just a fairly neutral attitude, even if generally benevolent and a little curious.The children love to play with the camera as always. One of the locals spoke Thai (I specify Thai and not Lao, which is similar but differentiable) because she had lived there for a while to work.Break and night in PakbengWe arrived in Pakbeng around 16:30 p.m. It was not yet dark and that left time for those who wanted to go for a walk and discover the small village of Pakbeng.When you arrive, porters are there to take your luggage to your respective hotels (it's their livelihood... They don't really have a choice but to say no, and this applies to all boats).In our case, it was the "Comfort" option, so we put down our suitcases at the Mekong Riverside Lodge. The room is all in wood, with a certain class. The terrace and especially the view that comes with it has its effect.We're halfway there, Pakbeng.Boats parked in Pakbeng, at the end of the first day.The next day, we set off again in that direction to reach Luang Prabang.In front of our bungalows.Our hotel room.Down below, there is hard work unloading the supply boats.While others play football on the sand of the Mekong (fairly low level since it was in March).As this cruise was part of a long trip through northern Thailand, which included a lot of driving, I really needed to rest, and I also had to do some work (keeping up with my emails, etc.). So I stayed quietly in the room while my parents went for a tour of Pakbeng. The photos below are therefore credited to my mother.The evening meal that was included was just fabulous. The chef is Indian and offers a mix of Lao and Indian food, it was just amazing and as the dishes passed by on our table, we were amazed by the quantity that was served to us!Breakfast the next day was not to be outdone, after being able to admire the morning fog from the balcony.2nd Day: Between Pakbeng and Luang PrabangWe left early for this 2nd day, around 8am. Same story as the day before, rest, observation and photos are on the program. The landscapes vary a little, it is more mountainous and narrow than the day before overall.Just like the day before, we pass a few "rapids", barely disturbing the passage of the boat gliding smoothly on the water, the captain knows his stuff well and there is hardly any danger from that point of view.You have to push a little to get away from the other boats.Meal of the day.Gold prospectors on the banks of the Mekong.Pak Ou CaveAfter a little over 5 hours of sailing, we arrived at our first stop of the day, with only about twenty kilometers left before reaching our final destination, Luang Prabang.So it's to the Pak Ou caves, named after the village on the opposite bank, where the Mekong and the Nam Ou rivers meet. The scenery is superb. The cave is on the hillside. The traces of the river level show us once again that nature is powerful. Because between the level today and the level sometimes reached, we are talking about a difference of more than 5m (well with the monsoons it helps to inflate the level).Opposite the caves is the junction between the Nam Ou River and the Mekong.At the foot of the cliff where the caves are nestled.It is by a staircase that we reach the caves (yes, because there are 2). The entrance fee is normally 20 Kip, or about €000 (included in our case with the cruise). There are several boats at the dock when we arrive, the time to wait for the main herd to clear and we could appreciate a little better the first cave, Tham Thing, considered the main one, there are always more people.On the cliff side, it is nestled 15m high, it is filled with thousands of Buddha statuettes and has a view of the village opposite Ban Pak Ou (from where it is possible to take a boat to come here and accessible in 1 hour by tuk tuk from Luang Prabang).While the guide was giving his speech, we were briefed on the place and invited to go to the other cave, Tham Theung, located higher up via a series of steps. It takes about 10 minutes to get there. Since it requires a bit of effort, there are generally a little less people. Note that you will need to have a flashlight to see the multitude of statues inside, because there is no lighting (the other cave below is lit by daylight).I was especially impressed by the details of the sculptures on the wooden door decorating the entrance to this other cavity more than because of what is inside. We stayed in total an hour to see the 2 caves, which is more than enough time to enjoy the place. Ban Xang Hai (Whiskey Village): A little whisky and a lot of fabricsThe next stop was in a village, Ban Xang Hai, nicknamed the whisky village, because they distill their own whisky made from rice. We won't hide the fact that it is a tourist village like you often find in this kind of package tour.Arriving at the top of the bank, we were shown how they distil it DIY style with a can, a few pipes and a vase… Knowing that this whisky, nicknamed lao-Lao (the first word meaning alcohol, the second, which has a different tone from the first, refers to the country) is the preferred drink after the local beer, Beer Lao (which is also rather good). I tasted the beverage, which, by Jove, is strong indeed (40%), but I, who don't like whisky in the first place, find that it has a nice aroma.Feel free to buy yourself a small bottle… Right next door is the village itself, whose stalls line up with all the same scarves and colorful silk table covers. Some are handmade on site or in the region, but many unfortunately come from factories in China and/or Vietnam…We stayed there for a good half hour. Then we had a 45 minute boat ride to finally reach our destination, Luang Prabang.Here we are, Luang Prabang!To know what to do in Luang Prabang, I invite you to read the article that I have just updated:Luang Prabang: a unique blend of Lao culture and French influenceThe cruise in summaryIt is an experience that can be interesting if you have the time. It allows you to live a little "out of time" and it is certainly more pleasant than the long hours of driving on the chaotic roads of Laos.The company link chooses: Shampoo CruiseIf you don't have 2 days for this, you can still take the bus, but still count on a good 12 hours for a fare of around €15 (130 Kips). Finally, a less than recommended solution is the speed boats, which we actually see going by at high speed along the route. We only saw locals, often with helmets on their heads...A speed boat passing by.This is not too much when you know that they travel at nearly 60 km/h and make the trip between Houai Sai and Luang Prabang in a record time of between 5 and 7 hours. But do not let yourself be fooled by the time factor. These boats are sometimes piloted by inexperienced people, which is particularly dangerous during the dry season between December and June, because the rocks are not always visible and you really have to know the route to follow, not to mention the noise described on the boat as quite unbearable...However, if you are willing to take a risk, the trip will cost you a total of 510 Kips (around €000), 60 for the trip between Houai Sai and Pakbeng, then 170 between Pakbeng and Luang Prabang.See you next time Laos!Did you like the article? share on Pinterest! Did you like the article? Vote on the article Note globale 4.4 / 5. Number of votes: 15 No votes yet. Be the first to rate this article! 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