SLOW BOAT to LAOS—Slow and steady... gets you to Laos alive

The journey to Laos was an incredible one.   On our first day in Thailand, the Canadian boys and I got suckered into purchasing a package of things to do in Thailand which included a deal for a hotel stay, food, and 2 day Slow boat to Laos.  After a not-so-great hotel stay in Chaing Kong, I was a bit nervous for our boat trip and wondered if we had made the right decision to buy the 2 day slow boat trip instead of the 1 day fast boat trip. Turns out it was definitely the right choice and the trip was actually one of my favorite things I’ve done so far.

View from the slow boat

To get to Laos, we first had to take a 2 minute long-boat taxi to cross the river from Thailand to Laos.  Once at the border, we had to hand over our passports and wait for them to give us our visas upon arrival.  It was one of the most disorganized systems I’ve ever seen.  After about 40 minutes of hanging around, it occurred to someone in the group that one of us should probably go near the counter to hear them call our names.  Since I was the smallest (and feistiest), I volunteered push my way through the mob of people to the counter.   It was a good thing because there was no actual name calling.  Instead, an official held up a passport for someone to claim, hand over money, and then be on their way.  I was able to collect for all of my friends which was both convenient and a little disturbing at the same time.

Disorganized Chaos for visa on arrival in Laos

With passports and visas in hand, we proceeded to….we weren’t sure where.  There was no control, border check, nothing.  We literally walked up a hill and entered Huay Xai, Laos, no questions asked.  Even though we were with a packaged tour, the organization did not get much better from there.  We were herded to a store to hand over our passports again, this time with money in it to exchange.  Yeah, we were all a bit nervous too.  The “guides” told us that the ATMS charge a 6% fee (which is true) and that there were no ATMs for the next 2 days (this was not so true) so we needed to exchange money with them now.   After an expensive street-side lunch and another 2 hours of waiting, our passports and money were handed back to us with a mad dash rush to get us to the boat on time.  We barely had time to notice that they had ripped us off on the exchange rate…by a lot! Although most people hurried off to catch the boat without noticing, my friends and I all protested until they finally gave us the right amount.   We aren’t sure if they held out on giving us back our money until the last second on purpose but it did seem kind of convenient.   Needless to say, our first impressions of Laos were not the greatest. 

We literally ran to the slow boat and were the last to board, which meant sitting scattered around in the seats no one else wanted.  I had heard different opinions on the slow boat journey from “it’s amazing” to “it’s long, boring, and uncomfortable--bring a cushion to sit on.” So, with cushion in hand, I set off down the Mekong river to Luang Prabang, Laos, hoping it wouldn’t suck.  I’m happy to report that suck it did not and Laos has redeemed itself from its first impression—I’m quite happy here now!  Not only was the boat journey absolutely breath-taking and peaceful (if not sitting near the motor), but it was a fun 3 days of bonding with fellow travelers and making friends for my time in Laos (more Canadians, of course, some Brits, Dutch [I'm also really good at collecting these], Belgian, and even some Americans).  

Enjoying the air and views from the slow boat

I know some people complain of boredom on the boat, and others of a little “too much fun” thanks to the bar on board, but I loved the scenery, meeting new people, and relaxing.  I passed my time reading, planning my days in Laos, listening to music, and meeting new people.   Overnight, we stayed in the village of Pak Beng, which is nothing more than some hotels and restaurants on the riverside.  Upon arriving at the dock, locals greet you to persuade you to stay at their hotel.  I can see where it could be a bit overwhelming if you’re not used to this, but I find it helpful since it saves me the trouble of searching for a place.  The room I chose was adequate at best and food not the greatest, but it did its job for resting a night (even offered me opium upon check in-- I declined) before continuing on the boat for the final day. 

 After 2 days on the boat, we arrived in Luang Prabang around 6pm.  This arrival also had people waiting with flyers, which was helpful again since everyone was splitting up to find hotels but wanted to meet up later for drinks.  I grabbed a flyer for Laos Laos Garden restaurant/bar from someone, picked a time, and we were able to all meet.  The food was not the best but the ambiance was nice and it was fun to hang out with all our new friends.  We also met some guys who had taken the speed boat instead of the slow boat and they said it was the most terrifyingly miserable trip ever.  I read about it later and their stories were confirmed, including frequent crashes and deaths.  If I wasn’t convinced already that I made the right choice with the slow boat, I sure was then!