The slow boat from Thailand to Laos

The way I would describe the slow boat from Thailand to Laos is ‘an experience’. One preferably that I will never have to repeat, but I’m glad we did it.

We spent the night in Chiang Khong in Thailand before getting on the slow boat. We did this simply to break our journey up a bit. There wasn’t very much to do in Chiang Khong but we still had a nice, chilled out time there.

We stayed in Namkhong Guesthouse and Resort which I would recommend for anyone visiting Chiang Khong. The rooms were decent and there was a good pool where we spent the afternoon relaxing.

There was a 7 Eleven and a Mini Big C shop nearby so we got some supplies from here to prepare lunch and snacks for the next day on the boat.

The following morning we got a tuk tuk to Friendship Bridge which is where you exit Thailand. We were able to exchange our remaining Thai Baht into Laotian Kip here. We did already have some US dollars and Laotian Kip on us (a very kind present from Jacob’s uncle). There is an ATM at the Laos border but it was handy already having the cash on us.

We got on a bus from Friendship Bridge across no man’s land to the Laos border. This is where it all got a bit chaotic. We had to fill out our visa on arrival forms, pay for our visas and then wait for our passports and approved visas. Remember that you need a passport sized photo for your visa application.

Once all of this was done we ended up paying almost £10 to get a tuk tuk to where the boats were in the town of Huay Xai. This was a cost we weren’t expecting but it wasn’t walkable so we had to pay it.

We spoke to a couple who said they spent the night in Huay Xai which made the whole process much less stressful. We wish we had done this.

When we got to the boats it wasn’t very clear where to buy a ticket from but we eventually discovered the ticket office up the steps from the boats. We paid in US dollars but had one of our 5 dollar notes rejected because apparently it wasn’t good enough condition. Keep in mind this does happen quite often in Laos which is why we chose to use Laotian Kip for the rest of our trip.

Once we got the ticket we headed back down to the boats. Again it was very unclear which one we were meant to get on so we just got on a random boat. We were lucky to get the comfier seats (our seats were old car seats, the other option was solid wood seats).

The boat started filling up and some people were without seats. Definitely follow the advice of get there as early as possible otherwise you’re in for an even more uncomfortable journey.

We were on the boat for around 7 hours on the first day. We were glad to have our packed lunch to keep us going. There were crisps, pot noodles, soft drinks, water, and beer available to buy on the boat but definitely take your own food and drinks too.

Also bear in mind that you will lose phone signal at some point as you head away from Thailand into Laos. Make sure you have plenty of things downloaded to watch and listen to otherwise it will be a very dull boat ride. The views along the Mekong river are stunning but you’ll want something else apart from views to pass the time.

We arrived in Pak Beng, a small town in Laos, at around 16:30pm. We had booked our accommodation in advance which I would recommend so you know exactly where you’re staying. We stayed in Monsavanh Guesthouse which was nice enough, and close to where the boats were.

We only had a bit of cash left and needed to get some more out. There were only 3 ATMs in Pak Beng and none of them worked. Thanks to a kind restaurant owner we found a hostel (Villa Mekong Guesthouse) that was able to give us cash using a card machine. This was an absolute life saver.

We had some tea, got some snacks and drinks for the next day, and got an early night. We were told that the boat was leaving at 9am the next morning so we went down at 8am to make sure we got a good seat. Luckily we did even though a lot of people had the same idea.

The second day was even longer than the first. I think we were on the boat for about 8 hours. There really wasn’t much space to move around on the boat so you are just sat down the whole time unless you’re walking to the toilets or buying a pot noodle.

It was a very tedious journey, and we were so glad to arrive in Luang Prabang.

I have heard of other people who had a much worse slow boat experience so we were lucky that our experience was just boring. Some people had no seats for the whole journey, and some boats had people who were really loud and drunk. There were a few people on our boat who were being a little loud and irritating but it wasn’t horrendous.

On one hand I’m glad that we did the slow boat just to experience it. It isn’t a mode of transport that you would usually take! However, it did take a very long time and it would have been much faster to get a bus. Doing things like this is all part of the travelling experience though, and not everyone spends 2 days floating down the Mekong river.

Top tips for the slow boat journey-

• Stay overnight in Huay Xai (where the slow boat to Laos departs from) to make getting to the boat easier and to break up the journey.
• Make sure you have enough Laotian Kip or US dollars to pay for the visa, boat, and for when in Pak Beng.
• Take your own food and drinks on the boat to avoid eating pot noodles for two days.
• Book your accommodation in Pak Beng in advance so you know where you’re staying.
• Get to the boat at least an hour before it departs on the second day to ensure you get a better seat.