Northern Laos, 4-5 Day Tour

[Mekong Bob]

I am planning a solo trip to Northern Laos, flying from Chiang Mai to Louang Phabang in February. Want to visit Muang Xai, Louang Namtha, and Muang Sing (almost 300 kilometers north of LP). No trekking, no cycling, but rather plan to hire a driver and minivan, perhaps 2 or 3 for these segments. Otherwise, whatever public transportation is available. One overnight in LP, and 1 more each in Xai, Namtha, and Sing.

Also need to decide how to make my way back from Muang Sing on day 5. What about continuing on from Muang Sing to Xiang Kok, taking a slow boat on Mekong to Ton Pheung or Huaixay? No speedboat, thanks! What about returning to Namtha, flying to Vientiane (1 night), then fly back to Chiang Mai via Louang Phabang?

Another option is to cross into Laos at Houaixay, and then make my way to Sing, Namtha, Xai, and Louang Phabang (reverse order). Fly back to Chiang Mai from Louang Phabang. Are there any tours arranged by Chiang Rai City operators which I might explore?

Attached is a slide of my trip plan.

Anybody have recent experiences on this proposed itinerary? Appreciate it!

Bob

Laos trip.pdf

[Mekong Bob]

On January 19th (4 days ago), a new bus route was opened, Chiang Mai to Louang Phabang (see attached article). Has anyone made this trip? 18 hours, 1,200 baht, each way. Departs from Arcade Chiang Mai Bus Terminal. Air-con bus to Chiang Khong, and another air-con bus from Houaixay to LP via Louang Namtha. I plan to get more details this week, after a visit to the bus terminal.

[Mekong Bob]

Here's the article

[hellodolly]

Here's the article

It disappeared.

I had read the article and if I recall correctly it is a 44 seat bus. They are looking to get up to a 60% of the seats filled so it should be nice and roomy for the bigger folks. It will cross the Mekong on a ferry.

[folium]

Seems to be a very busy few days in Laos. Can you not extend the trip and not rush things in a part of the world where travel is slow but the destinations are very rewarding?

The CNX-LPQ flight saves a ton of time but is about $250 round trip.

Google "Nagi of the Mekong" for a better option for boat ride to LP. Cheaper than the Luang Say boat, miles better than the backpacker boat and of course the teeth clatterer speed boat.

in LP try these guys who are very professional and can set you up all kinds of trips in northern Laos.

http://www.laos-adventures.com/

[kevbap]

i lived in a little village called Muang Khoua for a year helping with the UN & teaching the local kids English. There really is very little to do in the north of Lao, maybe pay a visit/overnight stay in the Kamu lodge, its a working lodge near to Luang Prabang. Namtha is ok, small village, its only claim to fame while i was in Lao was it had the northern most Indian curry house, nice curry too.

I have a very good friend in Luang Prabang, but have not been able to contact him for some time, maybe changed his mobile? I dont know if the boat trip will be operating from Huayxai the Mekhong gets very low around this time of year, if the Chinese have had a dry spell, they tend to not open the dams, thus emptying the river !

I really enjoyed my time in Lao, but thankfully i was quite busy or i could have been very bored, dont get me wrong, its a beautiful country with maybe the nicest people i have ever met in the world, but there is only so many 'Wats' you can visit !

So summing up, yes head to Luang Prabang direct, stay a few days there, its by far the nicest place/town in Lao (sorry thats only my humble opinion) use it as a base to explore locally, then set off to Numtha for a overnight stay, just to break up the journey home, the roads used to be horrendous to the border but maybe they have resurfaced them now. If you know of any Thai friends who play cards, purchase some cards in Lao, they are cheap as chips.

Good luck and if you need any further advice or a name of a good travel guide in Lao, pm me.

Kevin

here's a website, i personally like this company and a guy called 'Mano' really went out of his way to help me.....http://www.itsoktravel.com/

[el jefe]

I read it is a 2nd class bus until they finish the bridge across the Mekong just south of Houie Xai.

I assume you're stopping in those towns because you want to see the scenery and nothing else and those towns are the most convenient places to break up the journey? There's really not much to do in any of them. People used to complain about getting stuck fro a night in Oudom Xai (Muang Xai). I thought it was an OK place and have spent plenty of time there. But now it is a stop for the Chinese vans and tourists. It's the first town on the road from the Chinese border for all the tourists going to Luang Prabang. All the hotels and restaurants are Chinese owned and managed. There is now almost nothing Lao about it.

Muang Sing is only a little over an hours drive from Luang Namtha and the scenery isn't all that spectacular. You could easily do the trip from Luang Namtha to Muang Sing and back in the same day. If you're not bicycling or hiking, the only reason to spend a night in Muang Sing is for the morning market. It's over by 8:00am at the latest.

You can get a slowboat from Xiang Kok to Houie Xai but if you're not there early in the morning when their might be another tourist wanting to make the trip, you'll have to rent the whole boat.

And if you chose to fly back from Luang Namtha via Vientiane, another option instead of changing planes in Luang Prabang is to fly VTE - BKK and then on to CNX or Chiang Rai.

On the only one of my 10+ trips to that part of Laos when I wasn't on a bicycle, I arranged (via telephone and internet) a car and driver through the Boat Landing Guest House in Luang Namtha.

[Mekong Bob]

Here's some details (attached) about the new bus service between Chiang Mai and Louang Phabang.

bus to LP.pdf

[el jefe]

Here's some details (attached) about the new bus service between Chiang Mai and Louang Phabang.

I like that it says in 3 different places that it takes 18 hours. The bus leaves CM at 9:00am and arrives in LP at 5:00am. My clock says that's 20 hours. It also says that the "bus type" is "2". If that means it's a second class bus, good luck. I won't take a 2nd class bus from CM to Chiang Rai, let alone a 20 hour trip.

If you're not going by bike, flying is the only option.

[hellodolly]

Here's some details (attached) about the new bus service between Chiang Mai and Louang Phabang.

I like that it says in 3 different places that it takes 18 hours. The bus leaves CM at 9:00am and arrives in LP at 5:00am. My clock says that's 20 hours. It also says that the "bus type" is "2". If that means it's a second class bus, good luck. I won't take a 2nd class bus from CM to Chiang Rai, let alone a 20 hour trip.

If you're not going by bike, flying is the only option.

Didn't look like a second class bus to me.

[el jefe]

Here's some details (attached) about the new bus service between Chiang Mai and Louang Phabang.

I like that it says in 3 different places that it takes 18 hours. The bus leaves CM at 9:00am and arrives in LP at 5:00am. My clock says that's 20 hours. It also says that the "bus type" is "2". If that means it's a second class bus, good luck. I won't take a 2nd class bus from CM to Chiang Rai, let alone a 20 hour trip.

If you're not going by bike, flying is the only option.

Didn't look like a second class bus to me.

But the number next to "Bus type" does look like a "2".

They couldn't figure out how long their own bus takes and you trust them to show a photo of the actual bus?

Until someone takes the bus and can report otherwise, I'll believe the "2" rather than the photo. And even if someone reports back that it's a VIP bus, better than any other bus in Thailand, I'm still not taking a 20 hour bus ride on the often bad roads in Laos.

[Mekong Bob]

I was told that it's a Class 2 bus by the bus info guy, and I could see it parked in the lot. Looks just like the photo. I suspect there's no toilet on board. It is air-conditioned, assigned seats, etc. I guess the "VIP" buses have a toilet, reclining seats, huh? VIP buses will not be used until the new bridge is built in 2014-2015.

This Class 2 bus runs only to the river at Chiang Khong. No details available on the type of bus waiting in Houayxay on the Laos side. Na Louang Bus Company in Laos. The maps I have show the route to be Route 3. I don't see Route 8 on my maps. The guys at the Chiang Mai Arcade do not have any details at all on the Laos trip.

There haqve already been a few runs, so we need to hear from a few passengers.

[folium]

Here's some details (attached) about the new bus service between Chiang Mai and Louang Phabang.

I like that it says in 3 different places that it takes 18 hours. The bus leaves CM at 9:00am and arrives in LP at 5:00am. My clock says that's 20 hours. It also says that the "bus type" is "2". If that means it's a second class bus, good luck. I won't take a 2nd class bus from CM to Chiang Rai, let alone a 20 hour trip.

If you're not going by bike, flying is the only option.

Or take the boat. Nagi of the Mekong preferred option if you are not in a hurry.

If I was you I would bus to the border, boat to LP, take one of the tours/trips that works best for you out of LP and then fly LPQ-CNX.

Once they build all the dams on the Mekong it will be stuffed anyway and coated with pollution from the lignite strip mine and power plant at Hongsa. See it while you can and hope that the Chinese have released enough water from their completed mainstream dams that the boat can actually operate.

[Mekong Bob]

Is there some place in Chiang Mai where one can get a visa to Laos?

Can you recommend a tour agency which specializes in tours to Laos?

[folium]

Is there some place in Chiang Mai where one can get a visa to Laos?

Can you recommend a tour agency which specializes in tours to Laos?

Easiest option is VOA. Check re cost as this differs with nationality. Also VOA is not available at all border crossings, some of the biking posters can advise on where this is possible.

Re tours i have always got to LP first and used the companies there. See earlier post for a recommendation or just check Thorn Tree or TripAdvisor forums for other suggestions.

[el jefe]

There's a thread running in the Chiang Rai forum about this bus. If you read that thread you'll agree with me that there's no way I'd be on that bus. It's 2nd Class, at best, in Laos.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/526958-chiang-rai-luang-prbang-via-huay-xai/page__pid__4994157#entry4994157