Two days on the Mekong
Long overland, or over water, journeys usually fill me with dread and this one was no different. Give me the quickest route, by air, from A to B and I’m happy. Sadly our itinerary had us on an overnight train trip (Bangkok to Chiang Mai) as well as two days on the Mekong, which sounded twice as bad. But while the train met my rather low expectations – arctic air-conditioning and unforgiving mattresses – the two-day boat trip emerged as a highlight.
We’d crossed the Mekong into Laos from Thailand on a long, leaky dinghy with an outboard motor and metal bench seats, the sort of thing I thought we’d have to take all the way to Luang Prabang. So once we got through immigration at Huay Xai and found our next boat further down the river bank, it was all good news.
There she sat, long, low and elegant, a vision of polished teak joinery, deep upholstered seats and cream brocade pelmets with silk fringing that danced in the breeze. It was February, late winter in Laos, so those gentle breezes were warm as we sat on the front deck reading, spotting fishermen or waving to nut brown kids playing on the river’s beaches.
On our boat lived the skipper, his wife and sweet three-year-old daughter. This child’s life seemed blessed with constant access to both besotted parents, a passing parade of adoring tourists (for whose photos she patiently posed) and ever-changing scenery as she rode the Mekong. Her mother sold us tea, beer and snacks and let us watch as she prepared food at the low dining table for the family’s dinner.
The back section of the boat was as big as an average loungeroom, easily accommodating large cushions and tatami mats for post prandial snoozing.
Late afternoon as we approached the village of Pak Beng a dozen young boys keen for porting duty chased our boat along the river bank until we docked. For something like a dollar a bag they scooted our luggage up the steep sandy banks to our hotel.
A stroll through this pretty, woodsmoke-scented village at dusk took us to the market which was winding down for the day. The buffalo meat had sold out but there were still plenty of herbs, a few fish and mounds of moss green Mekong river weed. The best restaurant in town was an Indian-Lao one overlooking the river, where we ate a kind of fusion food and toothsome mutton curry.
A chilly start to day two turned into another idyllically warm one on the river with the trip broken by a visit to an abundantly self-sustaining village. Fabrics, vegetables, turkeys, chickens and pigs all woven, grown and raised here. They even had a still producing a lethal, burning rice spirit so, apart perhaps from decent medical care, they wanted for nothing.
Back on the boat, hours passed easily. A short break at the Pak Ou caves, filled with hundreds of statues of Buddha, provided an opportunity for exertion as we climbed the cliff-hewn steps. Arriving early evening at Louang Prabang we eased the melancholy of leaving our gorgeous boat in with pre-dinner drinks at a riverside bar.
Most travellers who do this boat trip enter Laos from Chiang Khong, Thailand. On arrival in Huay Xai, the best source of information about selecting your slow boat to Luang Prabang is the BAP Guesthouse [Ph 211083; Th Saykhong]. Boat standards vary as does crowding so try to see your boat before parting with cash. You can buy tickets from some hotels and travel agents in Huay Xai or directly from the boat ramp on the river bank. Expect to pay around $US25 for the 2-day journey. Boats usually depart between 8am and 10am, depending on passenger demand.
We’d crossed the Mekong into Laos from Thailand on a long, leaky dinghy with an outboard motor and metal bench seats, the sort of thing I thought we’d have to take all the way to Luang Prabang. So once we got through immigration at Huay Xai and found our next boat further down the river bank, it was all good news.
There she sat, long, low and elegant, a vision of polished teak joinery, deep upholstered seats and cream brocade pelmets with silk fringing that danced in the breeze. It was February, late winter in Laos, so those gentle breezes were warm as we sat on the front deck reading, spotting fishermen or waving to nut brown kids playing on the river’s beaches.
On our boat lived the skipper, his wife and sweet three-year-old daughter. This child’s life seemed blessed with constant access to both besotted parents, a passing parade of adoring tourists (for whose photos she patiently posed) and ever-changing scenery as she rode the Mekong. Her mother sold us tea, beer and snacks and let us watch as she prepared food at the low dining table for the family’s dinner.
The back section of the boat was as big as an average loungeroom, easily accommodating large cushions and tatami mats for post prandial snoozing.
Late afternoon as we approached the village of Pak Beng a dozen young boys keen for porting duty chased our boat along the river bank until we docked. For something like a dollar a bag they scooted our luggage up the steep sandy banks to our hotel.
A stroll through this pretty, woodsmoke-scented village at dusk took us to the market which was winding down for the day. The buffalo meat had sold out but there were still plenty of herbs, a few fish and mounds of moss green Mekong river weed. The best restaurant in town was an Indian-Lao one overlooking the river, where we ate a kind of fusion food and toothsome mutton curry.
A chilly start to day two turned into another idyllically warm one on the river with the trip broken by a visit to an abundantly self-sustaining village. Fabrics, vegetables, turkeys, chickens and pigs all woven, grown and raised here. They even had a still producing a lethal, burning rice spirit so, apart perhaps from decent medical care, they wanted for nothing.
Back on the boat, hours passed easily. A short break at the Pak Ou caves, filled with hundreds of statues of Buddha, provided an opportunity for exertion as we climbed the cliff-hewn steps. Arriving early evening at Louang Prabang we eased the melancholy of leaving our gorgeous boat in with pre-dinner drinks at a riverside bar.
Most travellers who do this boat trip enter Laos from Chiang Khong, Thailand. On arrival in Huay Xai, the best source of information about selecting your slow boat to Luang Prabang is the BAP Guesthouse [Ph 211083; Th Saykhong]. Boat standards vary as does crowding so try to see your boat before parting with cash. You can buy tickets from some hotels and travel agents in Huay Xai or directly from the boat ramp on the river bank. Expect to pay around $US25 for the 2-day journey. Boats usually depart between 8am and 10am, depending on passenger demand.
| mekonglaos.indd.pdf |