Thorn Tree travel forum

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At the boat landing in Luang Prabang there are prices listed, (double pricing applies) but I don’t personally know anyone who has taken it.

If you do an advanced search on user name scuba monkey I think he did the route in reverse except he took a bus ride from around Xayabouli as the new road has upstaged the boat somewhat. Look for his trip report. I too did the first portion of scuba monkey’s trip after reading about it here. It began just outside Vientiane at the boat landing and went to Pak Lai, the halfway point. I blogged about it here. Pak Lai
I know fast boats ply the river in both directions daily. That’s how the Lao people get up and down the river. I don’t find them to be as horrendous as is often made out. There are worse things in this life, like hair in the soup or whatever. I find both types of motorized boats to be about the same for me. Fast boats also require a little waiting to fill up as there is no schedule, and it’s good to bring a phrase book.

There is also now a bus Vientiane to Pak Lai that competes for passengers. For now it’s so bumpy and dusty that there is still a call for boats. Few people travel down through Xayabouli province and that was it’s initial draw for me. Once I got there I fell for the big trees, rich soil, and the feeling that I was observing a Laos still yet to be affected by mass tourism.

You can also find info that might be interesting on my blog by looking on the right hand side in the section called “labels” and clicking on fast boat and slow boat.

Lao Bumpkin a blog about Laos

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Sorry it's spelled scubamonkey one word. I looked and found only this, his trip report seems to have fallen off the archives. Looks as if he took trucks also after Pak Lai. Be the first to boat all the way roamingduck!!

"Boats to Pak Lay
They leave from Tha Heua Kao Liaw (Kao Liaw Boat Landing) about 8 km west of Vientiene center. I was first quoted 60,000 kip for a tuk tuk out there. I was just asking prices, so I didn't try to bargain them down. I ended up getting a moto ride out there from a Lao friend of mine.

The ticket office opened at 7am. Slow passenger boats cost 180,000 kip (for foreigners, anyway). It's very possible that I was excessively charged or that Lao prices are a lot lower. At any rate, my Lao friend bought the ticket and had to show my passport. The boat left at 8am The trip took 9½ butt-numbing hours, but was quite picturesque, though not as nice as the LP--Houay Xai trip. The same rules apply: bring a cushion (note: bring a BIG cushion) and pack a lunch and water. There are stalls along the road to the turn off to the boat landing where you can buy water/sticky rice/whatever.

More info I gleaned from an English-practising novice monk who I sat next to for the majority of the trip:
Slowboats leave every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday. This info may or may not be correct as I saw no slowboats arrive on Sunday, though I wasn't watching the whole time, of course. Speedboats leave everyday, but wait until they're full. Keep in mind, too, that this is rainy season, so I don't know the details on dry season travel.

Pak Lay
Jainh Ny Guesthouse is a pretty nice place. It's the first guesthouse just north or the boat landing. It's a fairly clean wooden building with US$4 rooms overlooking the Mekong. Fan and cold water only. No English spoken. No bugs, so that's a plus.

Nang Noi's Restaurant along the river road south of the boat landing serves good pho. Again...no English spoken. I tried two other restaurants, as well, the no-name place above the boat landing and the place advertising Mekong View restaurant nextdoor to the Jainh Ny Guesthouse. No English spoken.

I couldn't find any restaurants with English menus, so learn a little Lao and/or have a good phrasebook. I didn't get to the restaurant chapter of my language book yet (I studied up to chapter 8 and food was chapter 10), so I was pretty unprepared for this. I tried to order chicken and got a fishbone through my tongue. ;-)

Not much to do in Pak Lay, but the setting is nice. The mountains across the river were covered in fog the whole time. The first night there was a great light show from a storm across the river lighting up the Mekong quite nicely. It poured down rain for a couple of hours the next morning and rained/sprinkled off and on throughout the day.

Sawngthaew from Pak Lay to Sainyabuli
The cost was 45,000 kip (everybody charged the same, I checked) and it took 6 hours. The road was mostly unpaved, except for a few stretches near major towns (and near Chinese logging interests). The views aren't as spectacular as the Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang route, but the scenery is still fantastic. Considering all the rain lately, the road wasn't in too bad of shape. We only got stuck in the mud once. The trip is a little uncomfortable, but well worth it! Perhaps bring a jacket as it got a little cool in the cloudy mountains. My favorite road trip in Laos so far.

Sainyabuli
New Sainyabuli Hotel right next to the market is a bargain...except for the hard beds. 70,000 kip for a 3rd story a/c room with hot (and I mean hot) water overlooking the mountains and the market. Very little English spoken.

Once again, I couldn't find any English language menus in town, so plan ahead. The LP mentions one restaurant with an English menu, but I don't think it exists.

Pretty nice town with some cool buildings.

Bus from Sainyabuli to Luang Prabang
40,000 kip---a little over 3 hours. Very beautiful trip with scenery similar to the VV--LP trip, though you don't get so high into the mountains. An hour into the trip there's a vehicle ferry across the Mekong at Tha Deua. Recommended."

Lao Bumpkin a blog about Laos

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I met a couple of Americans in Pak Lai who had chartered a boat from Luang Pabang to take them there. It was a whole days travel so I don't know if you call that fast or slow. They paid US$250...

CRAIG SCHULER: People Art Photography

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I was told a few years ago by an expat that it is teh Luang Prabang to Pak Lai section that you will have trouble with. There are still real slow boat sailing this route, carrying cargo and they are allowed to take foreigners but only under certain conditions. I can't remember what the conditions were but in did involve spending a lot of money. That is maybe it was a particular licence or something.

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Forgot to add, I was in Pak Lai last October...

CRAIG SCHULER: People Art Photography

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Thanks for posting that, somsai. That was indeed my post about the trip. I copied it to the FAQ. It really isn't a Frequently Asked Question, but I thought it should be saved just in case.

roamingduck -- I would highly recommend you try it out for a taste of a much less touristed part of Laos that is still available. I didn't see one other tourist (or expat) on this stretch and it was very rewarding. While I still liked Luang Prabang on my second visit, I can see why some people who visit LP recently find it very touristy. I still like LP as it is a lovely town, but if you're looking to "discover" a less touristy alternative to Thailand, then Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane won't be the places to do it. Luang Prabang was great for me in 2006, but a lot of that can be attributed to the comfort and ease of travel that isn't yet available in Sainyabuli Province. Luang Prabang was an oasis for me where I could speak English and have the option of an English language menu...and meet lots of fellow tourists.

There may be boats traversing the whole LP to Vientiane section of the Mekong, but I'd consider the opposite route that I did. The boats are a literal pain in the ass, but I didn't really have any big comfort issues on the Pak Lay to Sainyabuli sawngthaew ride. I was having so much fun that I didn't really notice my physical discomfort. Knowing a little bit of Lao definitely gave me a leg up while looking for food and lodging, but I was still stuck with pho, sticky rice and whatever I could point to in my phrase book for food and hope for the best. It's difficult when you're traveling alone, but it was still the highlight of my 2006 Laos trip.

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I'd recommend getting down to Vang Viang & then from there, they have a group that run kayak paddles to Vientanne. It's not hard ocz the current does most of the work

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I'd recommend getting down to Vang Viang & then from there, they have a group that run kayak paddles to Vientanne.

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I've done that, too, and I had a great time. However, it isn't quite as it is usually advertised. The reality is that you take a sawgthaew for 1 to 1½ hours, then kayak for 3-4 hours (including lunch), then take another sawgthaew to Vientiane. It's basically a "take a sawngthaew to Vientiane and kayak in between" trip. It's a fun time, but know what you're geting into.

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Thanks guys that really helps. Think we have some idea and are going to try some of these things. The kayaking sounds good!

You should always have your boots on and be ready to leave.

The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on water, but to walk on the earth.

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The Mekong west of Vientiane is so low now you can walk across it - absolutely no way you'd get a boat through there except maybe a canoe.

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absolutely no way you'd get a boat through there except maybe a canoe.

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More likely absolutely no way you should believe everything you read on the Thorn Tree. I knew, but drove up to the boat landing for all boats headed north out of Vientiane just to be sure, this afternoon.

The boat landing is called Galeeow if anyone cares.

Regularly scheduled slow boats north to Pak Lai are still running as scheduled. Slow boats north of there are an unknown factor due to lack of demand. The same since scuba first went up there.

For fun I asked about fast boats because they had been rumored to be not available to foreigners. $300 US for the 8 hour run up to Luang Prabang. That was the opening price, for the whole boat, I have no idea what negotiating would do. Probably half that.

I counted 41 fast boats in the que waiting to go.

Lao Bumpkin a blog about Laos

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Hi,

went to Tha Heua Kao Liaw today to get some infos about slow boats, you can go to the pier by local bus, from the Talat Sao bus terminal, near the morning market, for 3000kips one way. Takes about half an hour.

I was quoted 150.000kips for the trip Vnt > Pak Lai.

It's a bit too much for my budget, I'll try to bus to Sanakham and take a boat from there. I'll post about it.