The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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LUANG PRABANG LUANG PRABANG & NORTHERN LAOS
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back). Domestic connections from Luang Prabang are to Vientiane (at least three flights
a day) and Pakse (two flights a week). There are also infrequent flights to Phongsali and
Xieng Khuang. There are no direct flights to the far north; for that, you’ll need to fly
directly from Vientiane.
Bangkok Airways (57/6 Sisavangvong Rd.; & 071/253-334 or 253-253; www.
bangkokair.com) also flies twice daily between Bangkok and Luang Prabang. You can
book online at their website. Vietnam Airlines (Luang Prabang International Airport;
& 071/213-048; www.vietnamairlines.com) flies to and from Luang Prabang from both
Hanoi and Siem Reap five times a week.
The Luang Prabang International Airport (& 071/212-173) handles international
flights from Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Hanoi, and Siem Reap. Visas are available on arrival
at the airport. The airport is about 4km (21 ⁄2 miles) from town, and transport is best
arranged through any hotel. Otherwise, you can hire a tuk-tuk for $5. Going the other
way, get your guesthouse or hotel to organize a tuk-tuk. It should cost about $3.
BY BUS The overland route to Luang Prabang from Vientiane’s Northern bus terminal
takes about 10 hours by public bus, assuming there are no difficulties (breakdowns are
common). There are international warnings about travel on this stretch, and though it
has been quiet in recent years, you should ask around before hitting the road. The trip is
bumpy and winds interminably, and local buses are often packed. If you suffer from
travel sickness then be sure to bring the right pills or you are in line for 10 hours of pure,
unremitting, queasy, hell. However, the jaw-dropping scenery, past the mountains and
limestone formations at Vang Vieng and several Hmong hill villages, is well worth it. The
bus costs 150,000 kip and has a few morning departures from Vientiane’s Northern Bus
Station. Go early to get a seat. Luang Prabang’s Naluang (Southern) Bus Station is a
10,000 kip per person shared tuk-tuk ride from the town center. There are also daily
connections to Phonsavan (90,000 kip) and the far north.
There are two main bus stations in Luang Prabang. One for traffic to and from the
south called Naluang, the other for traffic to and from the north called Kiew Lot Sai
Nuan. To get from one station to another, take a tuk-tuk for around 10,000 kip per
person. Double that fare at night.
A faster alternative to a public bus is to take a minibus. You can buy a ticket from most
travel agents and some guesthouses. The journey on a minibus is faster but they can also
be pretty cramped. A minibus from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng takes 5 hours and
costs 60,000 kip. To Vientiane takes about 7 hours and costs $18. In terms of travel
sickness the minibuses may well be worse than the regular buses since the drivers swing
them round the bends at full speed.
BY BOAT One of the nicest and most popular ways to get to Luang Prabang is to cross
the border at Chiang Khong in Thailand to Huay Xai and take a boat up or down the
Mekong through spectacular and scenic countryside. If you take the slow boat (recommended)
then it will take 2 days, with an overnight in the small town of Pakbeng, a
village with basic accommodations, before arriving in Luang Prabang on the afternoon
of the next day (assuming no engine trouble or other delays). In Huay Xai the slow boats
leave from a pier just next to Immigration and the 2-day journey costs $20. Slow boats
to Huay Xai going the other way leave from the pier at the end of Thanon Khitsarat in
the center of town. Arrive early at the riverside quay. There have been complaints in the
past of boat operators overloading these passenger boats. If you feel that the boat is overloaded
then ask for your money back and find one that isn’t. Be prepared for all kinds of