There are a few different routes to cross into Laos from Northern Thailand; the main two options being a long bus ride on fairly dodgy roads, or an even longer two day boat trip down the Mekong river. We chose the latter, the more time consuming but also far more scenic route. We booked our journey in a tourist office in Pai, a three day package including a bus ride to the Thai border town, Chiang Khong, and two days on the boat with an overnight stop in tiny riverside Pakbeng.

Day 1

On the way back down to Chiang Mai, the journey was already off to a ropey start for our poor driver who was experiencing some stomach issues, stopping every half hour to run into the woods exclaiming ‘5th time toilet!’. Very unfortunate. I managed to sleep most of the morning, but the others informed me that there was some pretty risky driving round the tight bends in the mountain roads.

Part of the reason for us choosing this package was the included visit to Chiang Rai’s White Temple. We only had a 15 minute stop there, but the architecture was beautiful and a stark contrast to the other, older temples we’d seen in Thailand. In hindsight we would have liked to do the trip ourselves and spend more time exploring, but we were glad we were able to see it briefly rather than skipping it altogether.

Our accommodation for the stopover in Chiang Khong was included in the ticket price, and we were given private rooms in a guesthouse and dinner with gorgeous views over the river – from Thailand into Laos!

Day 2

We were up early the next day for the Thai/Lao border crossing. There was a bus waiting to take us across the Friendship Bridge between the two countries, to process our Visas on the Lao side of the border. The truck that arrived on the other side to take us to the slow boat was certainly not big enough to fit the 12 people and their backpacks that they managed to cram in, so Eamon, Mario and Keven were hanging out of the back, holding on for dear life every time we hit a pothole.

Seats are not always a given on the slow boat – luckily we all managed to find one but only just, Annie & I were sitting in some extra seats placed in the aisle. Once we were settled we were so content to just watch the incredible views go by. The Jurassic Park theme song became a running joke, with the lush green mountains passing by and the clouds settled around their peaks. In the afternoon the rain made for a gorgeously moody backdrop for our gentle cruise. We spent most of the day falling in and out of sleep, reading and sipping on Beer Laos.

We’d been advised not to pre-book a room for our stay in Pakbeng, which was definitely the right choice as we were inundated with offers from guesthouse owners at the pier. The highly questionable cleanliness of the beds in our room and the tarantula found in Ana & Rita’s bathroom reminded us that we were certainly not in a tourist destination any more, but the family that hosted us were so hospitable and killed the spider made us feel well looked after.

Staying in Pakbeng was a glimpse into small town life in Laos and we enjoyed our evening chatting to one of the locals about his childhood in a tiny village with no electricity, and visiting a bar in the middle of nowhere.

Day 3

Day 3 on the boat was a combination of human tetris and musical chairs as we all rotated between seats and the floor, with more locals boarding at every town we stopped at along the way. We were still enjoying the wonderful views but this time feeling a little more tetchy due to the discomfort.

All our complaints evaporated when we saw a young and terrified looking couple climb onto the boat with a tiny baby hooked up to a huge oxygen tank, clearly needing urgent medical attention. It was shocking to us that from this remote riverbank village, the closest hospital was an eight hour slow boat ride away. It was a very sobering scene and it put into perspective how incredibly privileged were are to have emergency services so easily accessible at home. It truly was quite an overwhelming realisation for all of us.

As we exited the boat Eamon helped haul the oxygen tank up the huge flight of stairs from the pier to the road, and into a tuk tuk to take the young family to the hospital. It was a seriously strenuous feat that took half a dozen volunteers. The slow boat journey had certainly given us a small insight into life in the more rural parts of Laos, and we had a lot to reflect on as we arrived into Luang Prabang.

Chloe x

Beds slept in: 6
Items lost/broken: 5
Number of bus/train/plane/boats: 5