Get in Luang prabang By boat

Get in Luang prabang By boat

One of the nicest and most popular ways to get to Luang Prabang is to cross the border at Chiang Khong in Thailand to Huay Xai and take a boat up or down the Mekong through spectacular and scenic countryside. If you take the slow boat (recommended) then it will take 2 days, with an overnight in the small town of Pakbeng, a village with basic accommodations, before arriving in Luang Prabang on the afternoon of the next day (assuming no engine trouble or other delays). In Huay Xai the slow boats leave from a pier just next to Immigration and the 2-day journey costs $20. Slow boats to Huay Xai going the other way leave from the pier at the end of Thanon Khitsarat in the center of town. Arrive early at the riverside quay. There have been complaints in the past of boat operators overloading these passenger boats. If you feel that the boat is overloaded then ask for your money back and find one that isn't. Be prepared for all kinds of discomfort, though you'll have many tales to tell afterward. The chug upriver from Luang Prabang takes up to 3 days and is not recommended.

If you want to spend considerably more money, but enjoy considerably more comfort, you can take a trip with Luang Say Cruises (50/4 Sakkarine Rd.; tel. 071/252-553; fax 071/252-304; www.luangsay.com), which offers a 2-day or 3-day luxury Mekong jaunt going in both directions. The 2-day cruise leaves Luang Prabang on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays in the high season and only Wednesdays and Saturdays in low season (May -- Sept). There is an overnight at the company's own Luangsay Lodge just near Pakbeng. This package costs $243 to $394, depending on the season. The 3-day option departs every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday in the high season, and on Tuesdays and Fridays in low season. It follows the same route with an extra overnight stop at the Khamu Lodge near an ethnic Khamu village. It costs between $343 and $525. The Luang Say Lodge and Kamu Lodge are both charming, rustic ecolodges on the banks of the Mekong. Meals are included as is wine and coffee. The boat has a fully equipped bar, but drinks apart from tea and coffee are not included in the price.

The Lao/German company Mekong Sun Cruise (2/2 Sakkarine Rd.; tel. 071/254-768; www.cruisemekong.com) also runs high-end river trips on all navigable stretches of the Mekong and indeed the Nam Ou.

Get in Luang prabang By boat

Boats ply the Mekong to and from Huay Xai at the Thai border, stopping in Pakbeng where you can catch overland connections towards the northeast and the border with China. The trip takes 2 days (both days about 9 hours) by slow boat, or 6 bone-rattling hours by speedboat. There are also operators now offering 2-day "luxury" cruises.

Expect to spend the night in Pakbeng if you're taking a slow boat (the safest option), or to arrive in Luang Prabang deaf, shaken and either exhausted or exhilarated from six hours in a speedboat. There is also a twice-weekly "one day comfortable boat" between Luang Prabang and Huay Xai, but the cost is significantly higher.

Get in Luang prabang By boat

Ferries are a major form of transport between Luang Prabang and Huay Xai on the Thai border to the northwest. The main landing for long-distance Mekong River boats, at the northwestern end of Th Chao Phanya Kang, is called Tha Heua Meh (literally ‘mail boat pier’ or 'ferry boat pier'). A blackboard at the Navigation Office announces long-distanceboat departures, but it’s all in Lao. A second pier near the Royal Palace Museum is sometimes used when the river level is too low for the main pier.

Speedboats use a landing (Charter Boat Pier) at Ban Don, 6km north of Luang Prabang. For charters, speedboat pilots usually ask for the equivalent of six passenger fares, but they’ll go if you pay for four spaces – often they have paid cargo to carry, too. If you want to share the cost of hiring a speedboat with other passengers it’s best to show up at the speedboat pier in Ban Don the day before you want to leave and see what your prospects are. Then show up again around 6am on the morning of your intended departure to queue. Speedboat fares are often quoted in Thai baht, though either kip or US dollars are acceptable payment. Travel agents in town also arrange speedboats.

Speedboat passengers are required to wear life vests and helmets but the helmets are very often substandard. Helmets or no, speedboat travel is ridiculously dangerous