I have wanted visit Laos for some time. Last year I got close when I was in Chiang Ria and went out to the ‘Golden Triangle’, at the point on the Mekong River where you can see Myanmar (I prefer Burma) and Laos from Thailand.
This year I decided to visit Luang Prabang.
I had heard that a good way to get there, if you have the time, is by a ‘slow boat’ down the Mekong. I have plenty of time.
Bus to Chiang Khong
The first leg of the journey was on a mini bus trip towards Chiang Ria. We stopped short of Chiang Ria to visit the ‘White Temple’. This looks like a bit of a folly, but certainly pulls in the tourists. Having seen it twice, I decided to give it a miss and had an iced coffee instead.
We then headed on to Chiang Khong which is on the Mekong. I had already been booked into a Guest House as part of the fare for the boat ride. The Guest House was basic, but ok.
I ended up having dinner with Swiss couple who were also on the trip. She was a ‘criminal psychologist’. I said I thought the only criminals in Switzerland were ‘white collar criminals from other countries. I don’t think she got my ‘sense of humour’. He was an electrical engineer who designed capital manufacturing equipment. They were interesting to talk to.
Crossing into Laos
After breakfast, we all piled into a utility truck (ute) and were driven to the Thai side of the border. Clearing immigration was a bit of a performance.
Once through immigration, we piled into another ute and were driven to the Laos entry point. The ‘no man’s land‘ area between the two border crossings seemed to be about a kilometre wide.
The visa for Laos takes up a whole page. The size of a country’s visa seems to be in inverse proportion to its wealth. Cambodia and Myanmar also have visas that take up a whole page. Visiting poor countries soon uses up the pages in your passport.
On the Boat
There was another short ride in yet another ute to the river. We were dropped off at restaurant and advised to buy some food to take on board the boat as there would be no food served on board.
After a bit of a delay, we boarded the boat and we were off. You can see photos and videos of the boat on Fickr.
The river flows very quickly. The Skipper of the boat certainly has to concentrate to avoid rocks and large pieces on debris being carried down the river.
Friendly Passengers
There was a good atmosphere on the boat. Everyone seemed to being viewing the trip as an adventure, rather than just a form of transport. Lots of conversations were started.
I had some long chats with a French girl from Nantes. She was pleased that I enjoyed my bicycle ride down the Loire. She was very attractive.
I also spoke at length with a New Zealand woman who worked on the mines in northern Queensland and in Western Australia. She was travelling with her daughter in her mid-twenties and her son who had just turned 18. The son was “on a week – long celebration” which seemed to involved constant drinking.
Stopover in Village
In the early evening, we stopped at a small village called Pakbeng. Providing accommodation and meals for travellers on the river seemed to be the whole raison d’être for the village.
Owners of quest houses descended on the embarking passengers. I ended up in quite a nice place. After settling in, I wandered down the only street in the village to find a place to eat. I picked the most crowded place and ordered a vegetarian curry. It was ok.
Another Boat in the Morning
In the morning, we boarded a different, but very similar boat for the next leg of the trip down to Luang Prabang.
As we got closer to the city we passed some very high mountains. The scenery is very spectacular.
The number other boats on the river increased significantly. There were a lot of small boats with very large engines. The passengers were all wearing crash helmets. I think they are necessary. There are a lot of partially submerged logs in the river. I suspect there are a lot of accidents with these boats.
Tuk Tuk into Luang Prabang
I shared a Tuk Tuk from the jetty into Luang Prabang with the New Zealand woman and her children. The son was seriously pissed. He had been drinking since breakfast.
The Tuk Tuk dropped us off at the post office in the main tourist part of the town. There are small alley ways lined with small hotels and guest houses. The one I picked, turned out to be really good.
Waterfalls
The main tourist attraction in the Luang Prabang area is the Kuang Si Falls. I took a tour to the falls
The limestone over which they run gives the water a vivid colour. Check out the Fickr link.
Mountain Bike and Kayaking Tour
The next day I took a tour which involved a mountain bike ride and kayaking down a river. It was ok but the riding was basic and there were no rapids to speak of on the river.
The only other person on the tour was an American bloke in his mid-thirties who was seriously unfit.
Flying to Bangkok and onto Krabi
Next I left Luang Prabang for Bangkok by Air Asia with a connection to Krabi.
Flickr Links
Slow Boat
Luang Prabang
Kuang Si Falls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuang_Si_Falls
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