2 days of luxury on the Mekong: Luangsay boat to Luang Prabang

The Luangsay Boat at a village stop

The Luangsay Boat at a village stop

There are several ways to travel between the Thai-Lao border and the ancient city of Luang Prabang. The bus journey takes around 10 hours on roads that leave a lot to be desired. Most people choose to travel along the Mekong River as it meanders south through lush Lao countryside and passes simple villages that rely on the river for their existence.

Even then there are three alternatives to consider. There is the speed boat, which can make the journey in one day, but as an option that has had so many serious accidents and even fatalities in recent years, few ‘farang’ (foreigners) take the trip. Most will take the slow boat, which makes the journey in two days and stops overnight in Pakbeng, where travellers need to find a place to stay. This is the cheapest option, but not the most comfortable journey, particularly if the boat is full to capacity or worse.

Sunset on the Mekong

Sunset on the Mekong

The third, the most luxurious and most expensive option is to take the Luangsay Boat operated by Mekong Cruises. At a price that would blow a gaping hole in the budget of the long-term backpacker, this boat caters far more for those on relatively short itineraries, where keeping the daily budget to a minimum is not a priority and where comfortable travel is a must. At a standard rate of around $400 you would expect a lot for your money.

The children came out to meet us in the villages

The children came out to meet us in the villages

For me this trip lived up to those expectations. Guests are met at the immigration post on the border and ushered into the Luangsay office to complete their formalities with a drink in hand and well away from the early morning scrum waiting to get their Lao visa. Once everyone has the necessary stamps they are whisked away in tuk-tuks to the boat pier further upstream. Another drink is served to welcome passengers onto the Luangsay boat, and the river cruise is underway.

Water, tea and coffee are served on demand and are very welcome in the cold mornings. Lunch is served on board on both days, and is an excellent quality buffet. We had four vegetarians on our cruise and they were very happy with their lunches. In between meals we were offered plates of fresh fruit and banana chips, so were never even slightly hungry. And the seats were comfortable recliners which could be moved around to face the sun or the shade. It would be hard to find a way to make the boat more comfortable.

Luangsay Lodge at Pakbeng, where we continued being pampered for the night

Luangsay Lodge at Pakbeng, where we continued being pampered for the night

There is a crew of three or four, including our guide who spoke good English and took the time to tell us the history of the river, the places we saw along the way and a little bit of Lao culture and etiquette. Apart from his briefings we were left largely in peace while cruising, and the thankful absence of a microphone might have meant more work for him in repeating his message several times, but spared us a loud intrusion in a serene setting.

The Mekong River at Pak Ou

The Mekong River at Pak Ou

I expected a trip to middle-age to elderly Brits, Germans and French passengers. While that would account for some of the 20 aboard our boat, we also had a young family taking the slow road to Australia, a Thai lady on vacation and a young German couple who were cycling all the way through Laos and Cambodia. People soon mixed and shared their travel plans, life histories and war stories from the road, and listening to others sharing their tales while watching the river life of the Mekong was a relaxing and decadent joy.

We made a couple of stops on each day. On both days we visited a tribal village, and were able to see how people scrape an existence on the river. One village was completely geared up to the passing visitors, and was really more of a giant tourist market with every other resident sitting on the street hoping to sell their scarves and shawls to us. The first village we visited was far more memorable, as the people here seemed unprepared, or unphased, by our arrival. The adults carried on life as normal and ignored these intruders, and only the children took an active interest in these strangers in their midst. It was the interaction of the group with the children however that made the visit such a pleasant one.

Life on the Luangsay boat

Life on the Luangsay boat

Our overnight stay was also in Pakbeng, but we stayed in the Luangsay lodge (meal and accommodation included in the cruise cost). This really was a beautiful place, set on the banks of the river and with amazing views of the sunset from our large en-suite bungalows. The meal was excellent, and as we were a large party a group of local villagers performed a Lao song and dance show. These spectacles can be hit and miss, and at 30 minutes it was the right length and didn’t keep us unduly from our dinner. The costumes were fascinating to see.

It got cold at night, so we were glad of the extra blankets that were provided. They even offer wi-fi in reception, which is amazing considering the remote setting. That being said, I was unable to connect when I tried. I must admit though, that in such a beautiful setting I felt a bit guilty for even trying to make contact with the rest of the world.

Before arriving in Luang Prabang we even made a short stop to visit the Pak Ou caves, something that most visitors to the city make time to do. In this way the boat trip saves passengers a half day excursion that they would otherwise have made. Although the many Buddha statues were remarkable, I was not over impressed with the caves, probably because of the swarms of people trying to squeeze into the the tiny space. Having spent so long in luxurious spaciousness the crowds were a rude awakening. I would not have considered it a worthwhile trip to take four to five hours of my time just to visit Pak Ou.

Lao Whisky distillery

Lao Whisky distillery

Choosing the Luangsay boat along the Mekong river is not for everyone. If however you are wanting to travel to Luang Prabang from northern Thailand with comfort and great service all the way, this option offers travellers a chance to enjoy the river scenery in luxurious style, with a well thought-out itinerary that keeps guests entertained and educated along the way.

Luang Say Cruise

(My 2 day trip on the Luangsay boat was taken at a discounted rate in exchange for featuring the experience on 501 Places and elsewhere)

Author Information

Freelance travel writer

3 Responses to “2 days of luxury on the Mekong: Luangsay boat to Luang Prabang”

  1. Like that photograph of the boy with the cycle tyre.
    Nice candid one.

    December 14, 2009 at 4:20 pm
  2. Jealous, jealous, jealous! But I’ll be headed to Laos soon, so perhaps I can share in the experience.

    December 15, 2009 at 11:00 pm
  3. Looks like you had a blast. I still can’t get over how different the cultures and scenery is from one country to another. Great blog mate!

    Aaron

    December 16, 2009 at 10:20 am