Laos Slow Boat: The Ultimate Travel Guide

In March 2024, I took a journey on the Laos slow boat and I absolutely loved the experience. However, at the time I struggled to find helpful information for planning. So, following my experience, I decided to create this guide! It’s a detailed and up-to-date outline of the journey from Chiang Rai in Thailand, all the way to Luang Prabang in Laos via slow boat. If you’re planning a similar trip, I hope this guide makes things easier for you.

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What is the Laos slow boat?

The slow boat refers to the river taxi in Laos that takes both tourists and local people from Huay Xai on the border to the beautiful city of Luang Prabang. It leaves once per day and takes two days in total, with an overnight stay in the cute rural town of Pakbeng. This journey can also be done in the other direction, upstream from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai.

This is a very popular means of crossing the border between Thailand and Laos. Taking a trip on the slow boat in Laos is almost a rite-of-passage on any backpacking trip around Southeast Asia.

Is the slow boat through Laos worth it?

The slow boat is undoubtedly the best way to cross the border from Thailand to Laos. It’s popular for a reason, mainly because of the endless beautiful views of rural Laos and the lovely people you will meet along the way (both locals and other tourists). You are absolutely guaranteed to experience amazing Laotian culture on this journey.

I was doubting whether to allocate an extra couple of days to the slow boat journey, and I’m so glad I did. The two day journey provides insight into daily life in Laos that a plane journey or bus travel never could. If your itinerary allows for a couple of extra days, I highly recommend going for it and taking the slow boat.

Tips to prepare for the slow boat

• Get some US dollars or Thai Bhat before the trip to pay for your visa. Or, alternatively, arrange your visa online here at least 3 days in advance.
• If you haven’t arranged your visa online beforehand, bring a spare passport picture or Laos immigration will charge you to have your photograph taken for your visa on arrival.
• You don’t necessarily need to take a tour or pre-pay for the journey (I didn’t). If you wish to take a tour to make life easier, this one is reliable and highly recommended.
• Be prepared for delays. This is Laos and, whilst it is an incredible place, transport is not always reliable or on time.
• Bring food and water with you as it is more expensive on the boat.
• Bring entertainment for the journey because it’s a long one. I recommend a pack of cards, a book (or kindle) or perhaps some downloaded Netflix shows.

Do I need to take an organised tour for the slow boat?

I did not rely on a tour to organise my slow boat journey and I don’t think you need to use one. Using this guide, you will be able to organise your slow boat journey without using a tour operator. Ultimately, it is cheaper not to use a tour.

That being said, having a tour operator to organise the trip for you does make things much easier logistically. If you are interested in using one, this tour is highly rated and departs from Chiang Rai, Thailand.

What is the slow boat like onboard?

The seating on the boat is quite crammed. I’m 5’11” (180cm) and my fiancé is 6’2″ (187cm) and our legs were squashed. However, all the seats move slightly (nothing is bolted down), so it’s easy to just kind of shuffle the seat back to get a little more room. Some of the boats do have table seats which provides a more comfortable option if you can nab one of those.

There’s an OK toilet on board, and a bar (what more could you want). You can also get food on board, in the form of crisps and ramen noodles. However, be aware that buying anything onboard is more expensive than getting it on land. So, best to prepare in advance and bring a few snacks for the journey.

Being honest, the boat wasn’t the height of comfort. However, I would say that really this journey isn’t about going on a fancy boat but rather the experience itself. Plus, it’s a budget option so it’s important to be realistic about what you’re going to get. It’s a local boat in a developing country, set your expectations there.

If that doesn’t sound like your thing, but you do still want to experience the river, there are luxury slow boats available that undertake the same journey. Shampoo cruises looks like a good option if you are considering a more comfortable boat.

How to get from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong (Thai border)

If you have chosen an organised tour, the tour operator will tell you what time they will pick you up on the morning of the slow boat’s departure. They will pick you up from your accommodation and arrange this with you directly. You can either get a tour from Chiang Rai, or go from Chiang Mai.

If you’re not taking a tour, the only way to reach the slow boat departure point from Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai on the same day is through a private transfer (i.e. a taxi or grab). Relying on public transport like I did will result in missing the boat. From Chiang Rai, the 7:30AM bus will not get you to Chiang Khong on time for the slow boat. Also, the 6:00AM bus no longer runs.

Ensure you arrange a taxi or Grab to take you directly to the Friendship Bridge border at Chiang Khong in the morning to avoid this mistake. This will cost around 1,200 Thai baht per car ($32 USD, £26 GBP), and will take around 2 hours. That may seem a little expensive but ends up an alright price if you split this between a few people. I recommend arranging a taxi/Grab from Chiang Rai at 06:00AM in order to get to the border in time for the boat leaving. From Chiang Mai, you will need to leave even earlier.

Of course, you could get the bus and stay overnight either at Chiang Khong (Thai border town), or Huay Xai (Laos border town). Then, the next day you can catch the slow boat. This is what I ended up doing. I stayed in Huay Xai, which is actually a very lovely little town, and caught the slow boat the next morning. The bus from Chiang Rai will take you straight to the border. It costs 140 Thai baht per person ($4 USD, £3 GBP) and takes around 2.5 hours. If you choose this option, the bus schedule from Chiang Rai is as below.

How to cross the border between Laos and Thailand (the Friendship Bridge)

The bus will drop you off at Thai passport control in Chiang Khong at the start of the Friendship Bridge. Here you will be stamped out of Thailand, and they will take your biometric information (i.e. your fingerprints). I did this at around 10:00AM and it wasn’t too busy.

Once you are through immigration, you will need to purchase a ticket across the Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Laos. This will cost you between 40-60 Thai baht ($1-$1.50 USD, £0.80-£1.30 GBP) despite what the ticket says.

The buses leave the Thai border approximately every 10-15 minutes. Then, it only takes 5-10 minutes to get over the bridge on the bus. You absolutely cannot cross the bridge on foot/by walking. I’m only mentioning this because people have tried to cross the bridge on foot to avoid paying the very small fee for the bus. Don’t be that person!

How to get a visa for Laos

You will then arrive at the Laos border passport control. There are ATM machines as soon as you arrive. You can withdraw some Laos kip (the local currency) here. I withdrew 2 million Laos Kip ($94 USD, £75 GBP).

It was around 10:30AM when I arrived and it was not too busy at that time. However, it will be busy around 08:30AM-09:00AM when the tour buses arrive. Therefore, I suggest getting to the border either before or after that time to avoid delays.

Over to the right hand side of the building you will see two windows for visa processing. You can buy your visa here. It will cost you either 35 USD, 2000 THB or 1 million Laos KIP. The most cost effective way of buying the visa is with US dollars.

You will see trays with blank visa application forms in. Complete the forms with the pens provided. You need basic information such as your passport number and where you will be staying in Laos (just use the address of the first accommodation you have booked, or intend to book).

Once you have completed the forms, you need to go to window 1 on the far right hand side. Give the immigration officer your passport, completed visa application, and a spare passport photograph. If you do not have a spare passport photograph, they will take one for you. But, be aware that they will charge you for it (an additional 80 Thai baht).

You will wait a short while, and then pick up your stamped visa from window 2. After this, you can proceed through passport control and enter Laos.

Can I apply for my visa in advance?

If you want to speed things up, you can apply for an e-visa in advance here. You will need to do this at least 3 days before you attempt to cross the border, in order to give time for the Laos authorities to process your visa request.

How to get from Laos border control to the slow boat

Once you are through border control at Laos, there will be a number of tuktuks awaiting your arrival at the other side. These are essentially the only option for getting into Huay Xai or to the slow boat departure point. There is no ‘Grab’ in Laos. It will cost you around 60,000 Laos kip per person ($2.83 USD, £2.25 GBP) to get to the pier where the slow boats depart.

I would recommend getting breakfast from the shops just near the slow boat pier, before it departs. Also, the same shops offer sandwiches that you can take away for lunch on the boat. I would suggest getting one of these as lunch is expensive on the boat (also you only really have the option of ramen on board).

If you find yourself needing accommodation in Huay Xai overnight (if, for whatever reason, the boat does not depart the same day you arrive), I can recommend Thadan Guest House. The staff are really nice and it’s in a good location.

Where to buy a SIM card in Huay Xai

I would recommend buying a SIM card as early as possible in Laos. You can buy one before the slow boat departs from Huay Xai at this shop. If you have trouble locating the shop, it is opposite the phongsavanh bank on the main high street. For reference, it was 130,000 Laos kip for a 15GB SIM card for 10 days ($6.14 USD, £4.87 GBP).

Where to buy tickets for the slow boat

A number of places will offer tickets for the slow boat in Huay Xai. The cheapest place to buy them is directly from the ticket office which is located here. The tickets cost 400,000 kip per person ($18.89 USD, £14.95 GBP) to Luang Prabang. You can buy them on the same day as departure or in advance. It is not possible to buy tickets online.

What time does the slow boat depart from Huay Xai?

Officially, 09:00AM. However, our boat did not leave until all tour groups had arrived at around 10:30AM. I’ve done a bit of research on other people’s trips as well, and this seems to be the norm. There is only one slow boat departure per day.

The journey from Huay Xai to Pakbeng (the first day)

This journey takes around 7 hours in total. We departed Huay Xai at 10:30AM and arrived in Pakbeng at around 5PM that evening. The journey was smooth, and the views were absolutely stunning. Other people travelling on the boat are really sociable in general, so it’s a good opportunity to meet people especially if you are solo travelling. As above, I’d bring a few things to do to pass the time as it can drag on a little bit. Uno cards usually go down very well!

The boat will stop at a few random locations, generally to let local people on and off board but it doesn’t really delay or disrupt the journey at all. There is a bar on board if you want to get a few beers to pass the time.

Arrival and staying overnight in Pakbeng

The boat drops you off in Pakbeng here. If you haven’t arranged accommodation, there are plenty of people hawking beds and rooms at the pier. Most accommodation is pretty similar, so you are safe to find the cheapest option and go with that.

I booked my accommodation in advance just for peace of mind. I stayed at Villa Mekong Guesthouse and I highly recommend it, there are some beautiful views over the Mekong river from here. The beds are comfortable and they offer a nice breakfast for free.

Pakbeng itself is a nice little town but there isn’t much in the way of things to do here. However, it has a nice vibe and a few restaurants and bars where other people doing the same journey as you will hang out.

I ate at a restaurant called Sabaidee Restaurant that evening, and the curry I had here is honestly some of the best curry I’ve had in all of Southeast Asia! I would really recommend a visit here for your evening meal.

What time does the slow boat depart from Pakbeng?

The boat departs just after 09:00AM on the second day. Make sure you are on board by 08:30AM at the latest so you can get a good seat. You may need to get there even earlier if you want to secure a table seat, as seating is first come first served this day.

The journey from Pakbeng to Luang Prabang (the second day)

This journey takes around 8 hours in total, so it’s a little longer than the first day of travel. Again, some incredible views to be seen here. There were a couple of choppy sections of the river, but in general it’s a super steady journey.

You will notice a lot of construction work and quarrying by the side of the river on this day. This is a mixture of gold mining and the building of a new dam just outside of Luang Prabang. I would say it doesn’t really detract from the scenery, it’s just a part of the reality of life on the Mekong river.

There is a point during the day where children will try to sell bracelets through the windows of the boat. They are really friendly and cute, but there are mixed opinions on whether to buy from them or not. Generally, the consensus is ‘no’ as buying goods from the children keeps them out of school. I personally did not buy any bracelets.

By the second day, you will be quite used to the humdrum of the slow boat journey along the river and you will be nicely settled in. It is a relaxing and eye-opening journey. I personally have never seen views like I did on the second day, and it made me so happy that I chose to take the slow boat. My advice would be to try and soak in as much of this final day as you can, as its likely you will only make this journey once in your life.

The slow boat arrived in Luang Prabang at around 5pm. It’s important to note that the boat does not drop you off exactly in the city centre. It will drop you here, about 45 minutes away from the city. There isn’t really a reason for this other than the boat operators want to give the tuktuk drivers waiting here a chance to make some money. It will cost you 60,000 Laos kip per person ($2.84 USD, £2.25 GBP) to be transported into the city.

FAQs

Were there many insects/mosquitoes during the journey?

No, not really. I expected far more considering that we were out on the water at all times of the day. If you take the usual precautions and spray mosquito repellent, and cover up, you will avoid mosquito bites. I really wouldn’t say that there were any more or less insects than anywhere else in Laos.

Could I get seasick on board?

It’s a relatively steady journey, apart from a little bit of choppiness on the second day. I travelled during the dry season (November-April), so the river was quite low and calm. It may be a different story during rainy season (May-October). No one was seasick on board and there were quite a lot of passengers, so I think that says a lot. If you are worried, you can take seasickness tablets 30 minutes before the journey to ensure you don’t experience any symptoms. Speak to a medical professional beforehand if you need any advice on this.

What do I need to bring?

I would suggest the following:

• Suncream & hat.
• Water.
• Snacks (they are expensive onboard).
• Toilet paper.
• Something to do. For example either a book, some playing cards or some TV shows/movies downloaded.
• Insect repellent.
• Camera to capture the gorgeous scenery along the Mekong River.
• Cash (Laos kip or US dollars).

Should I take a speedboat instead?

This is a faster mode of transport. However, it’s really dangerous and super uncomfortable for the amount of time it takes to get all the way from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang. I really don’t think this would be enjoyable and would defeat the purpose of the trip. If you want an alternative mode of transport, maybe consider the bus.

Is there a toilet onboard?

Yes. It’s not the nicest of toilets but it is there in case you need it. There is no toilet paper so bring your own.

What is the age demographic on the slow boat?

The age demographic is 18-35 in the majority, and mostly Western tourists (like me). There were a few travellers between 35-60 also. I don’t think age is much of an issue on the boat, everyone spoke to each other and it was a very social atmosphere regardless of background/age.

Where is best place to sit on the slow boat?

Seating is allocated for the trip from Huay Xai to Pakbeng on the first day. I’ve read a few people saying the front of the boat is best, and you certainly do get a bit more legroom there. However, you are also directly facing another passenger. Which, I suppose is more sociable but also a little awkward for such a long journey. Anywhere on the boat is fine really, just make sure you and your friends are put together if you wish. There is space at the back of the boat to smoke (if you do) or just stretch your legs. However, this is where the engine is so it can get a little loud back there.

Seating is provided on a first come first served basis for the second trip, from Pakbeng to Luang Prabang. Therefore, I suggest getting to the boat early to nab a table seat if possible.

What months does the slow boat run?

The public slow boat runs daily from November to April (the dry season).

Will burning season have an effect on the slow boat?

I travelled on the slow boat during the burning season in March and had no issues at all. The views were not hazy with smoke, and the air quality seemed fine.

Do I need to book in advance?

The busiest months for the Laos slow boat are November and December. You may wish to book with a pre-arranged tour during these months. I travelled in March and did not need to book ahead.

Summary and final thoughts

I hope you can tell from the above that a journey on the Laos slow boat is incredible. Not only is it a cheap way to travel between the border and Luang Prabang, but it is a beautiful way to travel. The slow boat is an amazing opportunity to be really immersed in the culture of Laos. You will truly see what life is like for Laotian people along the riverside. Sadly, the slow boats are unlikely to continue operating in the near future, as construction ramps up along the Mekong River. Therefore, if you get the chance to do this journey soon, take it. It’s 100% worth it.

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