Travel Day: Laos and the Mekong

A lot had to be accomplished in a relatively short period of time this morning. The first item on my ‘to do’ list was a two hour bus ride to Chiang Khong along the Thai side of the Mekong River. With urgency rising at each passing minute on the bus, I worried that I might not be able to accomplish my border jump today. When I arrived, I only had a couple of hours to line up a visa, catch a ferry over to the Lao border town of Huay Xai, go through immigration and catch the two day slow boat to Luang Prabang (whew!). Things went smoother than expected and I was on the boat long before the departure the time.

A cigarette break in the Chiang Rai bus station:

The slow boat definitely lives up to its name as the same two day trip could easily be done in six hours by speedboat. I had dismissed the latter option because it is reputedly quite accident prone. The crash helmets given to passengers prior to the trip are probably a good indication of that.

They say that this particular boat ride is a joy for some and a nightmare for others. The cramped, rock hard seats certainly leave something to be desired, especially when you have to be seated in them for the whole day. A few of the guys found alternative seating arrangements, though it doesn’t look any more comfortable:

On the upside, the journey along the Mekong provides a glimpse at a simpler way of life in Laos. Little fishing villages line the banks of the river, where you’ll see children playing in the shallows, nets propped up on bamboo rods along rocky outcrops and fishermen tending to their day’s catch. The scenery along the way is also breathtaking as the karst limestone mountains loom all around the mighty river.


We’re overnighting in Pak Beng, a town approximately halfway between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang. From what little I gather of the place, its relies heavily on tourists passing through for the night. Our waiter tonight said that the town’s electricity, provided by generators, is only turned on when the tourists arrive and is shut off at 10 pm in the evening.

On tonight's menu in Pak Beng: