luang Prabang to Hua Xiay (Thai border)

There are a few options to get into Thailand from Luang Prabang, one is to fly from Luang Prabang to Thailand, there is a 16 hour bus journey, a speed boat to the border, or a slow boat.

The 'slow boat'. It was not really as slow as we thought it might be.

We took the latter after being put off by the windy roads in Laos and so many people, even the lonely planet doesn't recommend the speed boat as its dangerous and uncomfortable with casualties or worse almost weekly!

Travelling monks

The inside of the boat - they do tend to pack em up before they leave port! But it was not too bad this time, it could be alot worse!

So the slow boat it was, after getting quotes, we found the cheapest option was to head for the pier at 7.30 in the morning and buy the ticket there and then. We did this and managed to get some good seats too, otherwise we would have to sit on a wooden bench for 10 hours.

The plastic seats didn't topple over - but not sure how comfy they must have been for these guys!

The trip to Thailand would involve two days on the boat, one night stay in a place called Pak Beng and a night in Hua Xiay. The Boat would go upstream on the Mekong river, which would provide us with great views for the two days on the boat.

Some amazing sunsets on the Mighty Mekong River

The journey was great with some stunning scenery, friendly people and the chance to view some villages where people still live off what they grow or catch in the river.


After the first day we arrived at Pak Beng, so the hunt was on for a guest house, after viewing a few bomb sites we found one that was reasonably priced and acceptable.

That night we went out for dinner, even here we found an Indian restaurant, the food was great but the service non existent! We were warned about the shortage of electricity, so woke up at 6am to find that there was no light, so we had to get ready using candle light.

What is that tall white structure at the top of the big mountain?! A stupa maybe?

For breakfast we arranged some takeaway aloo paratas and tea to be eaten while cruising in the boat. That was such a good idea and they went down really well in the cold of the early morning. Yes, folks! Aloo Paratha...from a village in the middle of nowhere! it was such a weird feeling to be eating a typical Indian breakfast in an obscure village in the middle of nowhere!

That, folks, is tea! Tea in a bag! In a plastic bag. And it was HOT tea! Not sure what the bags are made of they looked pretty normal to me.

On the way to Hua Xiay on the boat we started talking to an Austrian couple, Marc the tattooist and Katie, they are a really nice couple we are still with in chiang mai.

Marc, Kati, Gurcharan and Preet. We're sitting in Laos - but way over there beyond the Mekong River is Thailand. The sun was setting and the colours over the river were GORGEOUS!

On arriving at Huay Xia we could have crossed the border to Chaing Kong in Thailand and borded a bus to Chiang mai, after 10 hours on the boat we didn't decide on that so stayed in Huay Xia.That over there is Thailand - where im standing taking the photo is Laos!