At the beginning of our adventure, I did not think about all the different types of transportation we would encounter: planes, trains, cars, taxis, tuk-tuks, buses (
Guess what? It’s time for a new mode of transportation: Slow Boat. What is a slow boat you ask? It’s one of the more unique and memorable ways to get from Thailand to Laos.
These boats carry anywhere from 50-100 people. Before arriving in Southeast Asia, we heard from a few friends that the ride can be a bit arduous because the seats are very uncomfortable resulting in a numb butt. Well, your voices were heard. Each boat we boarded had padded benches and one of the hotel owners even mentioned that seats have been improved over the last five years to give that booty a better experience.
The few times I brought out my radar gun (aka Snapchat), our slow boat was living up to its name and averaging a whopping speed of 18 mph. It takes an experienced captain to navigate the rocks and turns of the Mekong River. This is one of the reasons why the journey takes two full days and slow boats are only on the water during the day time.
There is an option to take a speed boat, but every local we spoke with told us they are extremely dangerous. Occasionally you will see speed boats cruise by you with all the passengers wearing motorcycle helmets. Doesn’t seem that safe. Locals also informed us that the speed boats had been outlawed, but we saw more than a few on the river.
Slow Boat Itinerary
- Day One: Chiang Mai to Chiang Kong
- Minibus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong (6-hour bus ride)
- Quick stop in Chiang Rai to view Wat Rong Khon (White Temple)
- Accommodations in Chiang Khong
- Day Two: Chiang Khong to Pak Beng
- Bus to Lao border on the Chiang Khong-Huay Xai Friendship Bridge
- Immigration activities
- Lao Border to Pak Beng (5-hour boat ride)
- Accommodations in Pak Beng
- Day 3: Pak Beng to Luang Prabang
- Pak Beng to Luang Prabang. (7-hour boat ride)
- Tuk tuk/trike to Luang Prabang (15 min ride)
Day One: Chiang Mai to Chiang Kong
Our slow boat journey starts in Chiang Mai where we make our reservations which include:
- Shuttle from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong (with a stop at the White Temple)
- Accommodations in Chiang Khong (dinner and breakfast included)
- Guide to help you through the visa process (prints passport photo and exchanges currency)
- Shuttle to Laos-Vietnam border crossing
- 2-day slow boat ticket
It is possible to book the above items separately, but we realize the price is very similar to booking them all in a package. It’s also nice to turn off my my brain and be spoon fed some of the vital information every once in a while. We booked through Travel Hub Thailand and paid 2,000 Baht each for a 2-person total of $121 USD.
We are picked up from our hotel in Chiang Mai in a minibus which seats about 10-12 people. It is a little tight with all the luggage, but we fit. After 3-4 hours of driving, we stop for an hour or so for everyone to visit the White Temple.
This temple was in ruins at the end of the 20th century. Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist, made the decision to purchase the temple and rebuild it with his own money. It is now considered an art exhibit, but I couldn’t really tell you the style. You just have to see it for yourself.
From the White Temple, it is a 2-hour bus ride to Chiang Khong. It’s important to mention that on this leg, we find a yellow lab posted up outside a convenience store that thinks peanut butter is disgusting. Yes, you read that correctly. Who knew? Asian dogs don’t like peanut butter.
The minibus finally drops us off in Chiang Khong at our guesthouse. It isn’t anything fancy (hard bed and cold showers), but the view of the river is incredible. The guesthouse provides a decent dinner and also goes through the steps for the next day. They explain the whole visa process, print passport-sized photos, and exchange currency if needed.
Day Two: Chiang Khong to Pak Beng
We wake up to a clear blue day and are provided breakfast by the guesthouse. After breakfast, the guide goes over all the steps for the day and then loads everyone up on buses headed towards the border. The guide also hands out the slow boat tickets which are good for two days on the boat. Do not lose this!
The visa line is a bit long and semi-chaotic, but as long as you fill out the two sheets of paper provided, have your passport with a photo, and the visa fee, you will be fine. At the first window, you provide the filled out forms, money, passport, and passport photo. You then head to the next window for them to process your papers and return your passport with a pretty new sticker in it.
With a Lao Visa in hand we board the bus that takes us across the Chiang Khong-Huay Xai Friendship Bridge into Laos. The bus drops everyone off where the slow boats depart at 11:30am.
Down the hill, there are a couple boats and it doesn’t seem to matter which one we board. A man directs us to a boat that ends up being less crowded and ultimately the comfier of the two (according to our fellow boat friends).
After about five hours on the boat we dock at Pak Beng. We prebooked a room, but that isn’t necessary. There were many locals advertising vacant rooms when we arrived.
What to do in Pak Beng?
To put it simply, Pak Beng is a stopover. Slow boats need a place to dock for the night and this town is that stop. There are bars and restaurants that cater to the slow boat crowd, but besides that, you will not find much else. The Hive Bar is the popular spot for a drink. In my head, I questioned the age of everyone serving me, but it was fun to recount our day with fellow travelers.
There is also a local market that is open early in the morning. This is where we purchased some fruit and lunch to take on the boat. If you are not up for the market (not an adventurous eater), many guesthouses will take a breakfast order and have it ready for you to take on the boat.
Day 3: Pak Beng to Luang Prabang
The boats leave Pak Beng at 9 am so I recommend getting to the docks about 30 minutes early if you want to snag the best seats. You may not necessarily be with the exact same people, but you will use your same two-day boat ticket. This leg should take about 7 hours but ours ends up being around 6 hours. We stop occasionally to drop off goods at villages along the way.
The slow boat endpoint is a little outside of Luang Prabang, so it is necessary to take a car or trike to the city. A trike ride will run you about 2-3 USD.
Slow Boat Essentials
- The boats have a counter where you can buy chips, sodas, water, beers, and other snacks. We recommend bringing at least one meal and some snacks aboard.
- When boarding the boat, you will be provided a bag for your shoes. They do not want you to wear shoes on the boat, so if you get cold feet, bring some slippers or a pair of socks.
- There are bathrooms with normal western toilets on the boat. Each boat we took had two bathrooms and they were clean. There are also bathroom slippers provided.
- Have some cash available as the ATMs in Pak Beng can be unreliable. A guesthouse owner in Chiang Khong warned us about a scam where your ATM card gets stuck in the machine. You then have to call a number to get it out, but they will expect you to pay a fee/tip for this assistance. We used the ATM in Pak Beng and had no issues.
- Get to the slow boats early to claim the best and most comfortable seats.
- Bring something to do on the boat. We ended up playing cards with a group of people each day.
- Paying for your Lao Visa in US Dollars will give you a bit of a discount. Most of the guesthouses in Chiang Khong will exchange Thai Baht for USD the night before.
