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I took two different ten hour bus trips. One of the more interesting (and welcome) aspects of this was the little 'rest stops' for food, and for bathrooms.Of course, there are no offical rest stops. So, men have it easy, women, on the other hand, have to wander into the woods.....Or, wear a skirt or a sarong.I will learn for the next time around.
Around the north, your transport choices are limited to, well, buses (or, I suppose, something else that goes by road.)The bus ride from Huax Xai to Luang Namtha was, to say the least, an experience. Not only did we have to stop for construction, and have a flat tire, about 90 percent of the time, the road was not paved. So, if the windows are open, red dusk comes flying in, when the windows are shut, it's hot.This ride is at least 10 hours.Many Lao are given to motion-sickness and there is always a supply of plastic bags around just for that purpose. (They are very discreet about this, though.) Although, if you have the window seat, like I did, you'll have to open the window so that the motion-sick person can pitch their 'sickness' out of the window.Make sure you bring a bandana or scarf to cover your mouth and nose...and maybe hair. (For the dust, not the lost lunches.....)
A tuk tuk minivan is a good way to see the sights of Pakse and Champasak. Moped is also good but if you want to see a good selection of the waterfalls and Wat Phou then the journeys can be a little long. Of course difficulty can be finding a reliable, reasonably priced English speaking driver. The driver we used was all that after a little bargaining. His name is Mr Ko. Contact him on number below.
Taking the slow boat to the Thai border from Luang Prabang is well worth the time (as compared with the noisy and supposedly dangerous speed boats). It's 3 years since I was there so prices and times will almost certainly have changed but the scenery won't have. The boat is used by locals and the whole journey is spectacular, with a night spent in a small town on route. If the boat arrives late in the afternoon and you're in a hurray to get to the Thai border post before it closes, it's worth a lift on a moto.
the super duper slow boat takes two solid days of patience. On day two our two boats were compressed into one and we were squashed all the way. not enough seats for all by far. It was a great experience in heinsite as we talked all day and saw some seanery not possible without boat, travelling down the Mekong river.the fast boat is apparently really fast, really scary and you miss everything. not a glamorous nor intrepid way to travel.
Getting from Chiang Khong to Huay Xai is so easy, no wonder its one of the Favourite overland route. Being A Singaporean, i've got the priviledge to travel to Laos without a VISA, its not neccesary, which makes things even easier. But do remember to make sure that the immigration officer stamps on your passport.
While we didn't do this last time this time it is a must. You can get these little scooters and travel all around with it. I can't wait. The locals normal have the man drive with a girl sitting side saddle behind them. I saw girls doing their hair and everything on the backs of these. I would be holding on tight afraid I would fall off.
With the money conversion it is cheap enough (depending on your budget) to get a driver and a van and just go. There were 10 of us and we got two vans and two drivers to drive us anywhere we wanted to go. We went on a 13 hour drive from Vientiane to Pakse through the country side. Normally I fall asleep during car rides after about the first few hours but I was so amazed by the scenery that I just looked out the window the whole time. You will if driving a far distance probably come across some toll booths. They are cheap, and our driver would always get us a discount.. It is different driving here then anywhere else I have ever been. There is so much to see. To me their houses are amazing. Some look like they may fall over but they seem to keep standing. You can see people taking naps in little huts on their fields. If you look into their houses (easier to see at night) you can see the...
We took a flight from Vancouver to Bankok (Air Eva) *side note that you can upgrade to evergreen deluxe and you get your own tv int he seat infront of you and you get extra room it cost us about $86 CND for a total of like 30 hours of flying time, it is worth it!!!!), Bankok to Vientiane (Thai Air), then from Vientiane to Laung Prabang (Lao Air)
There are two options to get to the Pak Ou Caves. Option 1 (By land)You can either sign-up with a tour operator who will bring you to the Pak Ou Caves from Luang Prabang by van or flag down any tuk-tuk on the streets. Your transport will stop you at the village opposite the caves and all you need is to hop onto one of the boats (there are many) to get to the caves. The boat ride is around 3 minutes.Cost : US$5Option 2 (By Boat)From the boatlanding in Luang Prabang, you can arrive at Pak Ou Caves by slowboat. Travelling by boat is slower as compared to by land.
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Settha Palace Hotel Vientiane
5 Reviews and 132 Opinions Settha Palace is a small luxury family owned hotel.It has its importance as a historical example of...
Ban Sabai Riverside Bungalow Vang Vieng
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Reviews and photos of Laos attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Laos sightseeing.
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Q: do any VT have any experience with the VIP overnight sleeper bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang??? is it reasonably...
A: I took the VIP bus from Luang Prabang to Vientienne in 2010. There is a toilet on the bus. I was on the upper deck and the airconditioner was very weak. So it was a VHB...
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