Chiang Mai To China Over Land.

[thomo]

Anybody happen to have experience of doing this or knowing if it's viable? On the map the best way would appear to be up to Chiang Khong, over the border to Huay Xia then up to Boten and over the border into Yunnan provience.

it looks all so easy on the map, anybody actually done it recently enough?

Cheers.

[Soju]

Yes, I've done it recently, and what looks simple on a map is not so simple in practice. The road from Huay Xia all the way to Luang Namtha is almost entirely a very slow and extremely bumpy dirt road. The small bus is very packed, with plastic picnic chairs setup along the aisles and free spaces to accomodate more passengers. Avoid those chairs (for the later arrivals) at all costs. If you do it, get to the bus station early and be sure you get a regular seat. Still quite an adventure even then. It was okay for me, but my wife said never again.

Do you have a visa for entering China? If so, no problem to enter at Borten. If not, and you're an American, you can forget it as they don't offer visas on arrival for Americans. British nationals I heard are sometimes given visas on arrival, but I don't think it's a sure thing. If you don't have a visa, let us know what your nationality is and maybe someone can who knows can tell you if that nationality can get a visa on arrival or not.

The road from Luang Namtha to Borten is very decent and doesn't take much time. The main problem with your route is getting to Luang Namtha. But the route does go through a national park and you may enjoy the scenery. A less adventureous route would be to fly, though that would require flying on Lao Airlines, which isn't particularly cheap and they are very frequently very late, and their safety record is perhaps a bit questionable. I've flown them a few times but certainly cannot fully recommend them. But if I were to do the trip again, I'd use that method primarily because my wife wouldn't do the overland route again.

Good luck on your trip.

[thomo]

Cheers. The visa's will be alright and sorted before hand. The ease of getting from Huay Xia to Borten is really what I know nothing about.

I take it I get a bus from Huay Xia to Luang Namtha, and then again from L. Namtha to Borten. That sounds ok. You happen to remember how long each leg takes approx.? {kinda around 5 hr's, 20 hr's, 100hr's!}

Thanks man.

[Soju]

The bus from Huay Xia to Luang Namtha was about 7 hours I think, with one stop for food / refreshments about half way. But if the bus gets stuck or breaks down, it could be much longer. Also I took the trip during the dry season. If you go during the wet season, then I have no idea on the time, but would presume much longer and in some cases the road might become impassable for a while.

From Luang Namtha to Borten was I think a little over an hour. Certainly under 2 hours. Buses, etc. mostly leave in the morning, so if you want to make the trip in a single day it might be difficult. We took the early bus from Huay Xia, then overnighted in Laung Namtha and continued in the morning to Borten. Even if you could do it in a day, I think the border crosssing might close before you could get there and overnighting in Borten didn't look like a very appealing option to me.

[asanee]

there are 2 alternatives that may be more appealing:

1.BOAT upstream from Chaing Saen, to JingHong in Sipsongpanna.

(only from reports on thorntree/lonelyplanet); cost is 100US$, goes ev. 2 days (or 3 in the week), likely depends on season/waterlevel. Bookings via GIN's guesthse in ChSaen. Though said to take 1 long day, an overnight somewhere in China was needed and short leg next day. Downstream may be shorter thus. Good boat, and few passengers, so plenty of space. NO visa for Laos needed, thats another 30US$ saving. You must hold a visum for China to be able to book.

Buses ChRai-ChSaen run ev. 20 mins and take like 90 mins, also a few direct buses ex ChMai.

2.BOAT from ChiangKhong/Huay Xay to Luang prabang: IF you visit Laos, have some time, this old UNESCO heritage site is undisputed THE highlight of Laos. Daily buses LPrabang-JingHong lve around 8.00/ alternating Lao and Chinese, and take a full day but on reasonable roads to reach JgHg.

For most westerners Laos does via on arrival at all airports and landborders (including these)

PS; the BUS from HXay-LNamta, above, is on UNmade roads and thus prone to mudslides etc. in rainy season, when trips may take over 50 hrs if its really bogged up, or very dusty now in the end of dry season.

[thomo]

Cheers. Just rang Gin's guesthouse. They've a boat leaving Chiang Saen every Tues, Wed and Sat. Takes 13 hr's and costs THB4000. You need your Chinese visa but don't need a Laos one. Leaves early in the morning so you need to spend the night in the GH. They've rooms from 200-600B.

[malcolminthemiddle]

Isn't the ADB funded paved toll road from Huoay Xia to Boten open to traffic yet? It should be, construction started 3 years ago.

[Soju]

Soon after leaving Huay Xia towards Luang Namtha you run into the unpaved road. They are working on it, but it probably has at least another 3 years to go before being completed, and I think even that timeframe is probably very optimistic, given how slowly construction proceeds in Laos. After traveling on the dirt road for an hour, you come across a paved section and think, "great, it should be smooth sailing from here out", but the optimism is quickly dashed after the road returns to a dirt road again. Then shortly before Luang Namtha it again becomes paved. I did it during the winter months when the morning temperature was quite cold and there was no need to open the windows on the bus, and in fact was quite cold if you did open the window. I'd hate to see how dusty and/or hot it must get inside the bus these days.

The road from Luang Namtha to Boten is paved and quite nice compared to the average road in Laos. I assume by it's condition that it was recently completed.