Boat ride in North question

The best boat trip along that river is from Hat Sa (close to Phongsali) to the town of Muang Khua. When I made the trip (about 2 years ago), boats left more or less every day. The trip takes something like 6 hours, and is quite an adventure. It will probably take you two days to get from Luang Prabang to Phongsali, with an overnight in Oudomxai.

You can also travel by boat from Muang Khua to Nong Khiaw. HOWEVER, the existence of roads means that few locals use these boats; boats only run if enough tourists turn up wanting to take them, which certainly isn't every day. Chartering a boat will probably cost the best part of a million kip, maybe even a little more. I don't think there are direct buses from Luang Prabang to Muang Khua, but with an early start, you should be able to do it in one day, changing bus in Oudomxai.

no boats anymore (traveled Dec 2013) from LP to NK, but possible to do the reverse with the help of eg Green Discovery who arranges the bus to go around the dams. It took longer than the bus.
#1 - we caught a local bus from LP bus station to NK direct, with no change needed at Oudomxai.

OP - at the moment NK north by river is possible at the moment, and reverse. It is beautiful and rural on the river.

I took the boat from Muang Khua to Nong Khiaw in Feb 2014.
They would go as long as there were 10 people wanting to travel and cost 120,000 each, or 100,000 as far as Muang Ngoi (nice place to spend a day or two) then another 25,000 from there to NK.

Boats were running at least every other day then in both directions from Muang Khua and it's a pleasant enough town that hanging around waiting for more people wouldn't be a drag unless you were in a real hurry!
We were mostly tourists, but there were also a few locals being dropped off or picked up at villages along the way.

Thanks, this is exactly what I wanted to hear.
I don't know if we'll have the time to get as far north as Phongsali.
Our plan is to go from Huay Xai to Luang Namtha, then Muang Sing then over to either Muang Khua or Phongsali then take a boat to NK then bus to LP.
We'll either stay a day in Muang Khua or wouldn't mind chartering a boat.

#1 - we caught a local bus from LP bus station to NK direct, with no change needed at Oudomxai.

You're mixing up Nong Khiaw with Muang Khua!

OP, sounds like you have a great plan to explore Laos. If you're coming from Luang Namtha, then if you catch the morning bus to Oudomxai, you should be able to get to Muang Khua the same day (I think there's an afternoon bus at roughly 3PM from Oudomxai to Muang Khua). If you do decide to go to Phongsali, you'll have to spend the night in Oudomxai, and catch the bus early the next morning for the long trip up to Phongsali.

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