Slow Boat from Thailand to Laos
How we crossed the Thai/Laos border, what it was like on board the slow boat, and advice for anyone wanting to take the same trip.
Running out of different modes of transport to try, we decided to get a traditional slow boat down the Mekong River and enter Laos. In this blog, there will be a mixture of information/answers to some common questions (in the green boxes), and our usual anecdotal style of writing outside of the boxes. Feel free to skip the info boxes if you’re just here to read about what we did during the trip - you won’t miss any of this by skimming past the green boxes.
What is a slow boat?
Slow boats have been used for many years to ferry people up and down the mighty Mekong River, and are long, narrow, flat-bottomed boats that are kitted out in a variety of different ways inside. The main premise though, is it’s just a big long boat that takes its time cruising on the Mekong and getting you from A to B, slowly.
As one of the longest rivers in the world, the Mekong River flows right from China and goes all the way down to the South of Vietnam through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, over the course of almost 5,000km, and serves a multitude of purposes to the people, plants and animals of these countries. Having slow boats means people aren’t dependent on roads that are often too poorly maintained to travel on, to get between these countries.
Tor felt like treating us to one of the posh, less-crowded ones where you get a guide, meals and a table and chairs to sit at for the duration of your time on the boat to celebrate two whole years of being together. They also booked a nice looking hotel where we had visions of sitting out on our balcony after our first day cruising down the Mekong and reminiscing over a bottle of red wine - we'll loop back to this later. Spoiler alert: it obviously didn't go to plan.
How much does the slow boat from Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang cost?
There are two “classes” of slow boats you can take to get to Laos.
Option one is the cheapest. This is the public slow boat, where you can expect to pay around $20 - $25USD depending on the tour operator you book through, to get from Thailand to Laos.. However, you will be one of 100ish people on board, and will not have much space during your trip. Many of these boats use recycled car seats for people to sit on during their trip, and they don’t look very comfortable at all. During our research, we found many blogs complaining about the lack of facilities on board, and the state of the toilets you can expect to find.
With this option, you will have to get from Chiang Khong to the border crossing in Huoy Xai yourself, either by getting a taxi or arranging a minivan to pick you up, so keep this in mind as an extra cost.
Another thing some people overlook, is the fact you need to find somewhere to stay for the night between the two days of travelling on the boat. You cannot sleep on the boat. This is a common misconception, so be mindful that Pak Beng is the place the boat will stop. It’s advisable to book accommodation well in advance, as hotels get booked up pretty fast given that this is the stopping place for all boats travelling both North and Southbound.
Option two is much more expensive, but if you like your creature comforts like we do, and you have a little extra budget available, then it’s absolutely worth it. There are many tour operators you can go with who will book you onto the cruise, but our experience was with the tour company Nagi of Mekong. The booking process was pretty seamless - a few emails back and forth confirming the options we selected, and sending them our details like photocopies of passports, etc.
The main options are around whether or not you want them to book a hotel for you in Pak Beng. We opted to just choose our own hotel and book it separately.
At the time we booked, these were our options (to give you an idea of pricing). Each option also includes breakfast, and where there’s a $, it is referring to US Dollars:
Cruise plus the room at BKC Vill (standard hotels air-conditioned rooms) $160 or €160 per person for twin or double sharing room - Single supplement is $20 per person
Cruise plus the Mekong Villa at www.legrandpakbeng.com hotel $195 or €195 per person for twin or double sharing room (Air-conditioned spacious rooms with swimming pool - worth the extra) - Single supplement is $45 per person
Cruise plus Superior air-conditioned room at www.sanctuaryhotelsandresorts.com $185 or €185 per person for twin or double sharing room. (Hotel with swimming pool) - Single supplement is $40 per person.
Cruise only option at the cruise price of $140 per person (without accommodation in Pak Beng)
Included in all of the above cruise prices are the following:
Transfer from a hotel in Chiang Khong or Hoay Xai to the boat on the cruise day
Two days escorted cruise with daily lunch/refreshments
Stops for sightseeing en route
Transfer from pier in Luang Prabang to a hotel in city centre
Travel insurance
The other thing you have to pay for, no matter what class of boat, or what option in the boat trip, is the Laotian visa. This cost us $40 each, and it must be paid in USD, Euros or Kip - they do not accept card payments.
The actual border crossing was just before we got on the boat, in a small place called Chiang Khong.
We stayed in Chiang Khong the night before the crossing, promising ourselves we would only have a couple of drinks to celebrate our last night in Thailand, but our main priority was to NOT BE HUNGOVER for the two-day boat trip ahead of us. The hotel we stayed in was very basic and between the lats in the wooden walls, you could just about see through into the next room, and you could certainly hear everything that was going on - conversations were absolutely not private.
Anyway, in typical ‘us’ fashion, we got chatting with the barmaid, Kun, who insisted on giving us free shots of tequila every time she whooped us at pool… which was often! And if you read my last blog on Chiang Mai, you'd have thought I'd have had a good chance of winning being on Tora's team… but no, not even the Chiang Mai pool champion could beat this woman.
You can see the menacing look on her face as she’s handing us yet another shot in this picture.
In between giving us free shots and playing us at pool, Kun enjoyed singing on the karaoke and tearing up the dancefloor with the tour group of young ‘uns who had also just arrived that night. She really was a woman of many talents.
The next day Tora was severely hungover and a stuffy border crossing was the last thing they could be bothered with. A gentle push in the right direction, and the taxi driver waiting impatiently outside our hotel, we bundled ourselves into the mini-van and off we went to start our latest adventure - passport pictures in tow (again, note Chiang Mai in our previous blog).
The border crossing was LONG. It felt like we were being passed from person to person to person to person, and back again. Nobody had really introduced themselves or told us what to do, apart from giving us a form and telling us to pay our $40 each at the window. We filled in our visa form and joined a queue… paid the money and handed our pictures over with the forms then joined another queue… got our passports stamped and were told to get money changed into Kip (currency in Laos), so joined that queue - however, we'd just spent the last of our cash on our visas so swiftly left that queue and went in search of an ATM. I tried three ATMs and either they were out of order, or my card was being rejected. Panic set in as I knew we had some money left to pay our guide, and needed cash for the boat in case we wanted to buy anything. More on this later, too.
We finally got passed to our actual guide, La, and he explained we'd be getting a bus to the boat then he'd speak to us more about what to expect over the next couple of days.
On-board, we found our table with our names on, and rather annoyingly, two other names. My social battery runs low at the best of times, so the thought of sharing a four-seater table with two strangers for the next two days filled me with dread. The couple got on and joined us at the table - a well-to-do looking pair from England. Fine, I thought, it is what it is, and at the very least, they don’t come with screaming kids!
Honestly, I couldn't have been more wrong to feel so annoyed that we were sharing a table with two people. Caroline and Michael turned out to be extremely interesting and lovely people, with an interest in us and our travels as well. They taught me one of the most valuable lessons of the trip - and that is not to have such a preconceived idea about how something is going to be before I actually experience it. They were actually the perfect boat-mates. We taught them our favourite card game - Golf - and they joined in as and when they felt like it, but read/wandered around the boat/meditated/did their own thing other times. They weren't the type to have to be talking all the time, and were comfortable in silence. EXACTLY my kind of people!
We ended up becoming quite good friends with them, and continue to this day, to throw the odd message over the WhatsApp fence and check in with one another.
Our new found friends, Caroline and Michael, waving at some local people on the riverbank
This trip had been a 20-something year long dream for Michael to take, but I didn’t really have any idea what was in store for us over the next two days. Tora had done all the organising and I just went along with it… Part laziness, and part wanting it to be a surprise… It didn’t take long before I realised why this would have been a dream of Michael’s. As we floated down the Mekong, dwarfed by limestone cliffs and trees, we passed many local fisher people on their boats, saw local kids playing on the sand by the Mekong with buffalo and even a couple of elephants on the river banks! Gazing up and into the dense forest, I could only imagine what wildlife and rural communities lived within it. We were completely surrounded by nature and I was in awe of it all. It was truly magical to be introduced to what would be a wonderful country in this way. We got a real taste of rural local living, and saw how everyone worked together - including the animals.
There was a young lad on the boat - my guess would be 10 or 11 years old, and who I believe was the son of the lady who prepared and cooked meals for us over the couple of days. He spoke little English, but you could see he thrived having his own responsibilities like pouring out teas and coffees, and collecting our cups once we were done. He took a lot of pride in his work, and it was the first time for me that I’d seen anyone his age actually working. Initially, I didn’t feel great about it, but seeing him carry out his work with pride and joy, I thought what better way to skive off school than to be cruising down the Mekong making a bit of pocket money (I hope!). In between his duties, he’d play games on his phone or watch videos and eat snacks.
We stopped off at a local village. I have mixed feelings about this stop, because although it was a massive privilege, and it was very interesting to see their local way of life, as well as wander around looking at how the houses and schools were built, it did very much feel like we were at a zoo. By this, I mean we stood literally in the middle of the villagers’ communal space where they were hanging out, and listened to La talk about how they lived - i.e. lack of education, drink a lot from a young age, have babies from a young age, etc. This felt pretty uncomfortable as the local kids were cautiously but curiously approaching us from their living areas, not knowing what was being said about them.
We meandered further into the village and visited a school. It was empty on this day, thankfully, but La explained to us that the one teacher who works there, travels on her scooter two hours each way to reach the village from her home. She is a lot of these kids’ only hope for an education and a better life, and although she gets paid very little, her huge heart clearly tells her that it’s worthwhile.
La told us that the main kind of work there was farm work and fishing. The amount of hens and chicks we saw running all over the place told me they weren’t in short supply of eggs! There were actually baby versions of everything running around - humans, chicks, ducks, cows and puppies! Here, everyone brings up everyone’s young - it’s a real community effort to raise everyone and keep an eye out for one another while anyone’s biological parents are preoccupied.
Back on the boat, our young helper greeted us with cold paper towels to cool ourselves down with after our little jaunt on-land. As we sat down, we also saw that he’d been helping the lady put out the food on the buffet table for us. There was quite a variety of food there, but a lot of it had meat in it. Not to worry, we had a generous helping of rice and a side of veggies. It was tasty enough - Tora wasn’t keen - but it kept us going until the evening. Well, that and the packets of crisps we’d smuggled onto the boat.
The time had come for La to collect in everyone’s remaining payments. Shit, I thought, as I remembered we were penniless due to the lack of working ATMs at the border! I explained the situation to him, and he was very understanding. He said there was an ATM in Pak Beng, and we could pay him tomorrow. He also had a wad of cash in all different currencies. People were exchanging their cash and he was making a bit of money on the side, while charging people “fair” exchange rates. Fancying a beer, but being unable to pay for one, a lightbulb went off in my mind as I remembered I’d been carrying a £10 note around Asia since we got there! I sprinted off to the back of the boat to retrieve my fortune from my backpack and took it to La for some Kip. I’d never usually barter, but when £10 is all you’ve got, you really need to get the most you can from it. La’s first offer was way under what the going rate was. I swiftly whipped out the currency converter app on my phone and showed him what £10 was actually worth. He met me in the middle (understandably wanting to make a small profit) and handed over the kip.
Two beers purchased, we continued down the Mekong, often with a deck of cards in our hands, sometimes with Caroline and Michael joining in, and enjoyed relaxing in the space while glancing out the side of the boat to check out the latest life on the riverbanks. As we approached Pak Beng, discussions moved to where we’d be staying that night. It turned out Caroline and Michael’s hotel was literally next door to ours! We couldn’t believe it - and we joked about how we’d probably see them on their balcony while we were on ours.
Upon arrival in Pak Beng, there was some confusion about our hotels because there was no transfer for us. It’s alright, we said, it’s only a 20 minute or so walk - we’ll walk it. Well, it was a bit of a slog as it was rather hilly and we were on a slippery dirt track the majority of the way.
We got into our respective hotels and weirdly enough, we were greeted by two kids who couldn’t have been older than 7. They were playing together and pretty much ignoring our presence, but nobody else seemed to be there. We popped outside and looked around the area, but to no avail. We popped to the hotel next door to see if they’d know where anyone was, but someone came out and offered to check us in. Tora gave him their passport and he explained that “Tora Saxon was here last night”... Well, call me delusional, but I can’t think of a less common name for someone to have arrived in Pak Beng the night before our arrival, and checked into the exact same hotel as us. Stranger things have happened, I suppose. We double checked our booking to make sure we hadn’t accidentally booked it for the wrong night, but we hadn’t. He said his hotel was full, but to hang on and he’d try to sort something out. While on the phone, one of the kids who was playing in reception took a liking to me and started pulling on my hand for me to sit on the floor with him. I sat down and he was shaking my hand and giving me high-fives - he was an absolute dote, and I don’t normally like kids. He was so curious about me… or at least my watch. It’s a Samsung watch with a touch screen, so when he pressed the button on the side and it lit up, he couldn’t believe his eyes! He flicked around the screen and just looked at me with amazement. It was one of those pure interactions that you can’t really describe, only feel.
Anyway, our guy came back and said he had us a room sorted in the city centre. He popped us on the back of his TukTuk and drove us to our new abode. Our room wasn’t quite what we had in mind, as we’d earlier dreamed of reminiscing about the day over a bottle of wine on our balcony overlooking the sun setting on the Mekong - it had a tiny window which didn’t open, had iron bars on the inside and looked onto the building next door. At least we had a roof over our heads, right?
Feeling knackered, I lay on the bed as Tora went in search of our last hope of getting cash out - the single ATM in the town. Hopes were quickly dissolved as yet again, the ATM returned a “Transaction unsuccessful” message. Thankfully, we hadn’t been silly enough to spend all of our £10 worth of kip on beer, and had just enough for a curry each from the local Indian restaurant. I couldn’t help but dread the next day as we had to turn up empty handed again, and explain to La what had happened.
The next day came, and the reception was completely empty. We hung around for a little while, but nobody came and there was no number to call. The hotel didn’t even have a name on it, so we had no way of reaching out to pay for our stay. Never mind, we popped the key on the table and made our way to the boat - again, no transfer, because at this point nobody knew where we were… so we walked down and told La about the hotel situation, and the ATM. He tried to blame our card, but other people on our trip had said they couldn’t get money out either - also, two of the ATMs at the border had an Out of Order sign on, and we’d just taken cash out in Chiang Khong the previous night to pay for our visas. My guilty conscience did kick in though, and I thought there might be a problem with my card. For context, Tora’s card had been swallowed back in Phuket, so we were down to just one (and my credit card, which I definitely didn’t want to use at an ATM - imagine the charges!). I offered to do a bank transfer, but La only had a local app that you use to transfer money. I downloaded it and tried to set up an account but it didn’t allow GBP.
This is where our saviours, Caroline and Michael, come in. Here, Michael said, let me pay the balance and you can just owe it back when you manage to get cash out in Luang Prabang. You cannot imagine the relief I felt. What a bloody hero! I was, and still am, so grateful to him and Caroline for their kindness and for putting their trust in us that they’d get their money back.
With that nauseating interaction over with, we pressed on with day two of our cruise towards Luang Prabang.
Our first stop was at another ethnic village - Ban Xang Hai. Thankfully this one was less awkward than the previous day, as it was an established market-type place where they showcased their local rice whisky (Lao-Lao) making process, gave tasters and sold bottles of it. This stuff was absolutely lethal! If I remember correctly, one was 20% ABV and the other was 50%!!! The second blew my head off and tasted pretty much of nail varnish remover.
The process taking place below is the distillation part. The whisky is in the container and is sitting on a constant fire. There is cold water being poured on the top to create condensation. The condensed whisky then flows down the spout and onto the hessian filter, before the final product is caught in the pot below.
We had a walk through the market stalls where there was all sorts of beautiful handmade clothing hanging up, and some of the makers were even sitting at their stations creating more stock. After that, we had a look around the temple grounds, strolled back through the small town and got back on our boat.
Our next destination was Pak Ou Caves. These two limestone caves are unique because they house thousands of Buddha images and statues, and they’re regarded as one of the most treasured religious symbols of the Luang Prabang Province. The first cave is pretty easy to get to, but the second is up a lot of stairs. We were alright to be honest, but we did see quite a few people struggling with the climb in the heat. The hardest part for me was seeing the young kids selling bracelets and the starving dogs wandering around. I didn’t have any money (still!), and no food with me to give, so I had to remain helpless and vacate as soon as possible.
We got back on the boat for the final time, and really took it all in as we approached Luang Prabang. This is where Tora and I would say goodbye to everyone we’d met on the boat (apart from our new besties Caroline and Michael who we still owed money to), and spend the next few days exploring this beautiful new city. And so you’re not waiting in anticipation for the next blog to find out whether or not we finally managed to get some cash out, we did. Every ATM in Luang Prabang accepted our card throughout the duration of our stay. Hallelujah!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long are you on the boat each day?
Between 7 and 8 hours…
We were picked up at 7:45 from our hotel on day one. We then had to go through the border which took some time, but I believe we were on the boat by 10am. We arrived in Pak Beng between 4 and 5pm - certainly before sunset.
On day two, we were back on the boat by 9am, and arrived in Luang Prabang around 5pm.
Note, that you aren’t on the boat the whole time - as mentioned in the blog above, we got off three times over the course of the two days, for various activities.
What can you buy on board the slow boat?
There are snacks and drinks available to buy on the boat. When we were there, they had bottles of water, beer, crisps, etc.
What are the food options on the slow boat?
The food provided is Lao style buffet - a base of steamed rice, with various curries, soups and trays of vegetables to choose from. They also had some noodle dishes, too.
What are the toilets like?
The toilets on the private cruise were European-style toilets (not squat), and were kept very clean throughout our trip. There were two toilets on board.
What should you take in your day pack?
The mornings are pretty chilly, so we would recommend packing something like a hoodie, scarf or blanket. However, by late morning it is very warm on the boat, so you should expect to de-layer and you’ll be most comfortable in a dress or shorts and a t-shirt/vest. To go into Pak Ou Caves, it’s considered respectful for you to cover your shoulders and knees as it is a sacred space. The walk to the upper cave is quite step-heavy, so pack shoes that are comfortable enough to climb a lot of stairs, and apparently it’s quite slippery after it rains, so keep this in mind.
As well as clothing, I’d recommend taking a book/games/cards/headphones (for pre-downloaded music/films) to keep yourself occupied. There’s not much mobile phone signal for a lot of it, and there is no WiFi on board, so entertainment options are limited to offline activities.
A power bank - there’s no electricity on board, so make sure you can charge your phone by bringing your own (fully charged) power bank.
Sunscreen, mosquito repellent and sunglasses.
Cash!
How much space does a single person have?
The seating arrangements are a table and four chairs (two bench seats, each that two people can fit on). However, there are some loungers to have a lie down on, and some benches around the deck to sit on.
Do you sleep on the slow boat overnight?
No. There is a stop in Pak Beng where you will get off the boat and check in to your hotel. This should be pre-booked well in advance to avoid disappointment.
Are there plug sockets on the boat?
No. There are sockets, but no electricity flowing to them. Make sure everything is charged, and you bring a power bank for your phone if it’s likely to lose battery throughout the day.
Is there WiFi on the slow boat?
No. There isn’t much mobile phone reception either, so expect to be offline for quite a lot of the time.
Is there outdoor space on the boat?
Yes. There is a small-ish deck just beyond where the driver is seated. Here, you can sit in a space on the benches around the edge of the deck.
Can you walk around on the boat while in motion?
Yes. It is very relaxed. There are a few different areas of the boat to sit/stand, and there are no rules about when you can/can’t move around the boat.
Do you have to remain in your dedicated seats for the duration of the trip?
No. There are different seating areas to choose from, and you’re free to leave your seat at any time.
Does the guide speak English?
Yes. Our guide spoke very good English.
Can you exchange money on the boat?
Our guide did have cash with him, and was exchanging money for people. I’m not sure if this is common practice, so it is recommended to get money out in Chiang Khong (or before), then exchange it at the border. Don’t wait until you get to the border to try and take cash out - as detailed above, the ATMs were not working for us at the border, so we were pretty limited without any cash.
Feel free to post any other questions in the comments section below, and we will answer them to the best of our abilities.