It all started with Pinterest when I was scrolling through posts about Southeast Asia, dreaming about traveling to this part of the world that I had never been before. And there it was, an image with the words emblazoned across saying something about a slow boat. So I clicked, and I traveled down the river of an idea to explore the countryside of Laos by slow boat.
When I told people about this idea of going on the slow boat, I would chuckle and say, “It will either be the best idea ever or just the very worst.”
Because, you see, the Mekong River slow boat takes a total of 2 days with 8-9 hours each day on the river. You stop over one night in a tiny little town called Pakbeng, Laos, and then you carry on with your journey. You can choose to go from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai or the more popular route of Huay Xai to Luang Prabang (it’s faster). And the slow boat, well, it’s just a very long boat with van chairs arranged within. So, it’s hardly your Western river cruise situation.
But, for me, I loved it.
Mekong River Slow Boat: Luang Prabang to Huay Xai
Taking the Mekong River slow boat from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai turned out to be one of the best decisions that I made while I traveled through Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong. (Sometimes I still can’t believe that I did this trip, but I’m so very glad that I did!)
The reason I went to Luang Prabang, Laos, was ONLY for the slow boat, but when I arrived to this town, I discovered that the whole place is a UNESCO world heritage site. And just like that, my plans changed. I knew that I needed to stay in Luang Prabang for one extra day and explore, and since my schedule was loose, that’s exactly what I did. I’ll write another post about that. But, I still laugh at myself for arriving to that town without knowing of its grand historical significance!
Luang Prabang is a wonderful marriage of Eastern and Western influences, though, because I felt ridiculously at home in this foreign city despite being so clearly not of the country’s people. Tourists, monks, and town inhabitants existed side by side in this very weird symbiotic relationship, and I was hardly there long enough to appreciate all of it. But, it intrigued me! And I kept thinking that my parents would have really enjoyed Luang Prabang, Laos.
Most hostels and hotels are more than willing to set up transportation for you so that you can be carried to the dock for getting the slow boat. You can also purchase your tickets ahead of time or you can do it on the day of at the dock. I opted to purchase my ticket at the dock because I wanted the experience, but I do admit that it killed my inner planner to know that I didn’t have my ticket ahead of time.
Once paid for, I was handed a piece of paper to carry, and then it was time to load up on the boat. This is around 8 am.
My slow boat wasn’t very full, but the occupants included other tourists, travelers, and locals. While the tourists carried backpacks, the locals hauled in boxes of food, supplies, and even a motorcycle.
Once we got started up the river, the motor was a constant roar. Eventually, I had to put in my inner earbuds just to dull the sound a bit because it was starting to grate on me. Weirdo that I am, I never turned on music. But, the views, the views were stunning. Do you know those calendars that depict stunning island scenery with every page turn? Yes, that. That is exactly the kind of beauty that I existed in for two full days as we traveled up the Mekong River.
Since I worked while traveling, I used the long hours to write content for my job (until my laptop and the corresponding backup battery died), and then I switched between watching the scenery and reading my book. This type of leisure is so rare in my life, and I drank it in. Though my cellphone had a Laos sim card, I didn’t have service. And all my other technology was dead so literally all I could do was sit, think, dream, read, eat, sleep. And it was magical, for me.
I absolutely understand that not everyone would love a long wooden boat that’s outfitted with vehicle chairs and a bathroom that isn’t super pristine. Yes, there was a toilet and even toilet paper, and somehow it flushed, but I still don’t know how. But listen, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
In my desire to try spontaneity in my traveling, I did not book a hotel beforehand for Pakbeng, Laos. And when we arrived, the locals came out and tried to convince the travelers to stay at their place. Overwhelmed, I latched on to a fellow traveler so I could stay at their accommodation rather than branching out on my own. (Listen, sometimes you gotta just kick bravery to the curb and tag along with someone else.)
The best part about the accommodation was that the next morning I had the pleasure of seeing elephants walk down to the river to bathe and drink. And that was a delight!
Day 2 on the slow boat was much like the day before except we all got onto another slow boat rather than the one we arrived on to finish the journey, and by now, I was friends with the other travelers so we had more conversation. And we stuck together from Huay Xai, Laos, to Chiang Khong, Thailand, and even to Chiang Rai, Thailand. Nothing seems to bond travelers more than sharing similar legs of the journey together.
I adored the Mekong River slow boat, and I really think it was such a unique way to experience that part of southeast Asia.
4 Things I Would Do Better Next Time
- Buy more snacks!
- Carry a second book.
- Maybe book accommodation beforehand
- Buy more snacks in Pakbeng.
While the slow boats offer beer, coffee, instant noodles, and other minimal snacks for a small fee, it’s totally not enough for me! I thought I bought enough snacks that first day, but I didn’t. Then, on the second day before going to the boat, I didn’t think to go down to the market in Pakbeng to buy more snacks. I did grab a few, but not nearly enough! Snacks are life.
