I will be traveling Laos from April 1st to the 15th. When I booked my flights, I was not aware that my departure date fell on the second day of Pi Mai. I am leaving from Luang Prabang airport and was wondering if I might encounter anything that could cause me to miss my flight, apart from getting wet on the way there?
Appreciate your replies,
M
From Nan, there is a direct daily bus to Luang Prabang. Check out the details at the Nan bus station or online at the Transport Company (Thailand) website.
Crossing that border by public transport is difficult otherwise, so definitely consider catching the international bus from Nan.
MP63 and anyone else with queries I will clarify my expectations re travel. I would like to fly into Bangkok and stay about 4 days. Then I will probably take the night bus up to Chiang Mai. From there I will most likely fly to Luang Prabang to avoid the land borders and then from there fly to Phnom Penh and then take a bus to Siem Riep and then perhaps another bus back to Bangkok to stay overnight and then leave for home. I have set up a bunch of email alerts so I know I will find something soon. Things always do come together for me whenever I am planning my vacations. Thank you all again for your input and tips.
We were in Luang Nam Tha over Xmas and it was fairly quiet. You won't be the only tourist, but our guesthouse had only 2 other rooms filled and it is one of the more popular ones. Restaurants were quiet too. We then went to Muang Sing over New Year's Eve and it was even quieter.
Also spent Xmas in Luang Prabang and it was super full of 20-somethings on Xmas break from University. While it was interesting in an odd, people-watching way, it was quite noisy, so you might want to avoid being there.
Hi torifoster767159,
If you are still in Nan waiting for the Nan-LPB bus that may not show up, you can go to Chiang Khong and cross the border to Huay Xai from there. I did that in 2005; but check for latest info before heading that way. Chiang Khong is north of Chiang Rai, closer than Chiang Mai.
Hi Captain_Bob,
Thanks for the headsup. I'll get the Laos visa in BKK. Does anyone know how long / how much it costs in BKK? I'm assuming there's a Laos Embassy /consulate in BKK.
Option 2 looks the best to me. I think it's important to see the main sites in Vientienne on a trip to Laos. And the flight to Luang Namtha will save a lot of time. If you chose option 3 and Phonosavan, the bus connections would eat up a whole lot of your time. Whatever you do make sure you have 3 whole days for Luang Prabang at the end.
I stayed at a homestay in Mai Chau and my host took us on a motorbike tour to PuLuong Nature Reserve. 4 hours bike ride +2 hours hiking + lunch = $35. Not easy to travel on own to Pu Luong. The roads winds up and down the mountain and visibility is low at times.
More details and photos on https://bigsmallmoment.wordpress.com
