Today I’m writing my second article on my road trip in Thailand and Laos to tell you about one of the most surprising but also exotic stages of my trip. Indeed after landing in Bangkok in Thailand, going to Chiang Mai for the lantern festival, I went to Laos where most of my 20 days of travel took place.
The first stage of this trip to Laos consisted of reaching the border between Thailand and Laos at the city of Luang Prabeng in Laos, a stage that we did in an original way, by boat, following the Mekong for two days. We took this cruise with the Luang Say company, based in Luang Prabeng.
The day before departure we had chosen to stay in the town closest to the border, in Thailand, Chiang Khong. Indeed we have an appointment around 10am at the border post between these two countries (Laos side).
It is therefore at dawn that we get up, not sure how long it will take us to cross the border. A tuk-tuk then awaits us at the exit of our hotel located in the center of the city, a 15-minute journey is enough to reach the border post, still closed at this time.
The border crossing on the Thailand side goes smoothly, a bus is waiting for us to take us across the Mekong, the natural boundary between these two countries. The journey is very short, only a few minutes. No need to try to book the bus, it is set up by the border posts of the two countries. The border crossing to enter Laos is slightly longer, a few forms to fill out and a wait of a few minutes to collect the famous visa. The visa costs 30 USD, it is possible to pay it in Laotian kip, a distributor is on site. Watch out for exchange rates if you arrive with euros or Thai baht.
Once we have passed the border post, cruise staff will be waiting for us. Half an hour is necessary to reach the place of embarkation where the boat awaits us which will take us to Luang Prabeng.
This first day of navigation is devoted to reaching the village of Pakbeng or we will spend the night. We will sail around 5 hours on this first day. The boat we are sailing on is a typical river cruise boat, long and relatively narrow. This one is no less spacious and comfortable. It has a toilet and a kitchen. Indeed our meals will be taken on the boat. The food is plentiful and of good quality.
After 2h30 of navigation we make our first stop in a small traditional village in the Laotian countryside: Houy Phalam. A small village in which we will spend an hour walking around and listening to the guide’s explanations on life in the village.
We then take the boat for 3 short hours towards our hotel located on the edge of the Mekong in Pakbeng.
A few words about our hotel. First of all the rooms, large overwater bungalows, spacious and in a simply sumptuous setting. We can enjoy a magnificent view of the Mekong from this one. The meal is taken in an equally pleasant setting, on a large terrace. It is an impression of calm and serenity that emerges from this place nestled in the heart of lush vegetation.
The day starts early. We must reach the city of Luang Prabeng at the end of the day, but two stages await us on the way, the visit of a second village where rice alcohol is made as well as scarves then the visit of caves, of which I will speak to you again very soon.
We begin the journey in unfortunately a little gray weather but which will not prevent us from enjoying the superb landscapes offered by the Mekong. Its flora, of course, but also its fauna with the presence of numerous pink buffaloes. We pass a few villages, see some fishermen on the banks before arriving at our first stop: Ban Hoay Kha
Ban Houay Kha is the second village we visit on the banks of the Mekong. This city produces rice alcohol as well as various cloths. Although the village is traditionally designed like the design of these fabrics, most of the villagers sell them to passing tourists. An interesting visit which shows us, once again, the way of life of the inhabitants of the small villages of Laos definitely very different from ours.
Let’s take our boat once again in the direction of our last stop on Pak Ou Caves. The caves are only accessible by boat. Moored on a makeshift walkway to access these impressive caves where an incredible number of religious objects are stored, in particular Buddha status.
Slightly higher up are the grottes de Tham Phum. Smaller, these caves are also home to many religious objects hidden here during the war to prevent their destruction. Entrance to the caves is chargeable, count around 20,000 LAK or 2 euros.
For our last trip, we leave the caves in the direction of Luang Prabeng that we will join a few tens of minutes later. The cruise therefore ends at the Luang Prabeng pier located in the city center of the latter.
The results of this cruise on the Mekong between Thailand and Luang Prabeng in Laos is very positive. First of all because this mode of travel is relaxing! Far from the hassle of traveling by bus or car, the boat is an original and peaceful mode of travel. Full support by the agency is a plus.
It is also interesting to see the life that can be on this river as well as the villages located around it. The hotel in which we were staying corresponds to the standard offered by the cruise, an upscale hotel in a peaceful setting.
