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Pro
Simplicity, friendly people
Con
None we would complain about!
In a nutshell
Country Laos - guesthouse central!
Willettsworld Says: This small temple, I later found out, is one of two in the village. It was closed when I was walking around the village before the slowboat departed but there is another one called Wat Si Chome Chaeng that's higher up the hill. This one is located on your right, past the...
Willettsworld Says: There's a small market in the village which you'll find on the left hand side as you walk out of the village. It's pretty basic and messy with chickens running around and a steam running through it. You may stumble upon some of the local tribal women shopping here dressed in...
Luang Say Lodge - Hotel restaurant: Buffee on Mekong
akkipaa Says: Take a buffee in Hotel restaurant, you get tasteful Lao food (chicken, pork, vegetables, rice (always sticky)) with reasonable price and in extremely facinating environment. Take a look to Mekong (if the moon is shining) and just enjoy your meal.And take a beer or two, it's...
Nameless as all in the area: The best view restraurant (better than 10th floor)
akkipaa Says: This place has the best view to Mekong. You can spend whole day drinking Lao and local food (try sticky rice, but my recommendation is that don't use hands as locals) just thinking the world and enjoying from scenery.
Ouanhouan Restaurant: Music and atmosphere is very laid back
Willettsworld Says: I ate here for dinner when I arrived in Pak Beng and had a good sweet and sour pork, rice, spring rolls and beer before some friends turned up. Music and atmosphere is very laid back but then so is the village with Bob Marley on the stereo.
l_joo Says: 95000 kips from Hoay Xai to Pak Beng and another 95000 kips from Pak Beng to Luang Prabang, with each took 6-8 hours. The boat carry some 100 passengers, mostly backpackers. Some tourists gathered at the back of the boat to enjoy 'grass' and Beerlao 15000 kips per bottle,...
thedouglas Says: We took a boat from LP to Huay Xai, stopping overnight at Pak Beng. The Day 2 boat was of concern from the moment of sighting - and we were all openly unimpressed by the size, unstable seating and general condition.etc. Very early in the trip, the boat broke down - and...
akkipaa Says: As you can see, the interior is smoky and primitive, but the taste and smell are good. Prices are reasonable and service is smiley and warm.
Street markets: Valuable building materials
akkipaa Says: There are many small shops on the main (and only :) street and additionally you can find mobile shops and shop tables. Fruits, water and for some peculiar reason CHIPS are sold allmost in every shops. Chips must be one of the newest item in these markets. On the other hand...
Fresh!: Meet the meat on market
akkipaa Says: If you are lucky you can check how the cows are cut up and sold by local way. Of course we have to remember that all our cows are handdled on the same way, but probably we have forgotten the basis. If you buy some meat from Prisma or Tesco those are allways so hygienicly...
Willettsworld Says: The slowboat to Luang Prabang passes by many bamboo stilt villages which you can see perched on the slopes that lead up from the river. The boat stops at a few of these villages along the way to drop off goods and food plus people and even live chickens in cages which were...
Willettsworld Says: The second day is better than the first as you see more life on the river. We stopped at one place and saw some working elephants drag tree trunks down a hill to a waiting boat. Practically everybody on the boat rushed to the front in order to get some photos as this is a...
Willettsworld Says: Electricity runs from a hydroelectric dam in the Beng River (which joins the Mekong at Pak Beng), so when there is no water in the dry season, electricity may be scarce, but during the wet season it runs for 24 hours. Most guest houses and restaurants have generators running...
no electricity in town after midnight
picek Says: Pak Beng has no electricity in the town yet, except of one that is produced by generator in the evening. As each place has more or less its own generator, some will shut electricity around 11 pm and most of them at midnight. It's therefore not bad idea to bring your own...
using children to carry your backpack
picek Says: There are plenty of children near the port when there are boats landing for overnight stay. I've seen some people will use children to carry huge backpacks or bags upstairs and giving them 1 or 2 baht for the 'service'. I don't think that's really fair paid, but many...
Public boat - it's not private
picek Says: We had a bad experience with s group of foreign 'tourists' sitting on the boat's floor in the front who didn't let other people to the same public boat in LPB direction. They had obviously decided there is no more place for others and by no way they would let anyone board by...
akkipaa Says: If you wander down the Mekong you can find Hmong People.The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. A number of Hmong people fought against the communist Pathet Lao during the Laotian Civil War. Hmong people were...
picek Says: It doesn't take much walking to get off the beaten path - especially due the fact that most tourists come to Pak Beng in late afternoon by boat, hungry and looking for accomodation as soon as they put feet on the ground. Most visitors never go beyond the cluster of...
akkipaa Says: The most difficult issue to me in Laos was the currencies. At home I spend euros, Laos has kip as currency, but mostly prices are in US dollars and they accept (in every place I was) Thai Bahts also. So I need to think in four currencies. And the system goes so the if you...
if this is your first stop in Laos
picek Says: Pak Beng is expensive little town comparing to other Lao places and the prices can compete those in central Vientiane and Luang Prabang. There are probably few reasons for it: its remoteness and steady influx of foreign tourist on slow boat from Huay Xay who have to spend a...
Plan a Ban Pak Beng vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Ban Pak Beng locals
As you can see, the interior is smoky and primitive, but the taste and smell are good. Prices are reasonable and service is smiley and warm.
Our members can help!
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Pak Beng: Rats, Opium and simplicity
I guess at times i can be a bit of an idealist. I have this vision of myself living in simplicity away from prevalecy of the pervasive nature of the American Dream. Perhaps Pak Beng was my first...
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My first day in Laos, my first overnight. And after a spell of heavy rain I was graced with the most beautiful sunshine. What a welcome. Packbeng is Laos along the Mekong... it's rural Laos at its...
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We came to Pak Beng from Oudomxay after wonderful ride with a local bus. It took few hours, it was very hot and bus was full, but it was worth to do that way. There are many nice villages between the...
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Overnight Stop on the Slowboat
I've got some interesting experiences in Ban Pak Beng. I'd love to share with you the 2 tips I've written, the 3 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created.
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Overnight stop on the slowboat to Luang Prabang
Pak Beng is a small village that's located on the bank of the Mekong River and is used as an overnight stop along the scenic 2-day slowboat trip from Huay Xai on the Thai border to Lao's main cultural...
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