Pakbeng - What To Do If You’ve Missed Your Slow Boat?

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The town of Pakbeng sits at the midpoint of the famous Mekong slow boat river trip. The full river journey runs between the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang and the Laotian/Thai border town of Huay Xai. Most travellers, and we really mean most, like 99% will arrive in Pakbeng in the early evening and then leave again before 10am the next day. The whole town is set up to deal with this overnight trade, but what if you stayed there a little longer? What if you missed your boat? We decided to slow ourselves down and have a full day in Pakbeng and this is what we got up to. 

We had arrived in Pakbeng on board the luxury Shompoo cruises. We knew that the next leg of our journey would be on the normal, less luxurious slow boat but we needed some time to plan our Laotian itinerary. A quick scout of the town showed it had a wealth of cheap accommodation, so we decided to stay a full extra day in Pakbeng to plan our route and explore the town a little bit. 

Accommodation in Pakbeng - Where to Stay?

There are dozens of guesthouses in the town. The whole town is set up to deal with the overnight travellers and there are many choices of where to sleep. When travellers get off the boat, there is a flurry of activity on the pier as guesthouses and hoteliers vie for the travellers custom.

The guesthouses of the town are simple and cheap. Usually a double or twin bed and a shared bathroom. As with many places in Laos, the online listings are much more expensive than simply just turning up and asking for the prices. Also worth bearing in mind, is that there are many more accommodation choices in town than appear online. We use Agoda, Booking.com, Expedia and Google to look at accommodation and none of them were showing half of what was on offer in Pakbeng.

Our cheap and cheerful room in Pakbeng!

We walked along the high street and eventually settled on a double fan room (shared bathroom) for 100,000 kip (£4.80 or $6.00) staying at the Thiphaphone Guesthouse. This was the cheapest we saw, but the difference was minor, most rooms were going for between 100,000 and 150,000 kip. 

For upmarket choices there are two hotels to choose from: The Sanctuary and Le Grand. These two are much more luxurious than the guesthouses in the village themselves and have swimming pools and restuarants themselves. If you’ve booked ahead at one of these posher places they should arrange a tuk tuk transfer to and from the pier. If you’re planning to stay in the main town, transport is completely unnecessary unless you’ve really overpacked! 

We were definitely an oddity walking around the town at mid morning. As we’ve mentioned, all travellers leave with the boats in the early morning, so we were the only travellers in town. All the guest houses were halfway through turning over their rooms, with their washing hanging out the windows to dry. The locals were looking at us with amused expressions which just said “ah, those two must have missed the boat”.

Things to Do in Pakbeng

Pakbeng is not a large town but it does have some interesting things to keep you occupied if you’ve missed your boat, or like us, just decided to slow down. 

The Pakbeng Viewpoint

Just inside town, at the top of the pier, is a large sign detailing the sites and surrounding attractions of Pakbeng. Quickly piquing our interest was the ‘Pakbeng Viewpoint’. This didn’t appear on Google Maps, but as is frequently the case, did show on Maps.me. Follow the high street away from the pier, going past all the guesthouses and restaurants and you’ll eventually come to a signpost directing you to turn off the main road to the left.

Follow this dusty road as it winds past wooden houses and climbs a hill, passing the primary school until you reach a helipad. The views from here are great, but you're not at the viewpoint yet! Turn behind you and climb the steep set of stairs to reach the viewpoint itself. Perched on a hill between the main road and the town, the viewpoint looks directly over the Mekong and surrounding hills. The viewpoint is split into two platforms. 

The left platform overlooks the Mekong as it flows downstream. The right viewing platform overlooks the town of Pakbeng and the green hills behind. The views are fantastic and well worth the short walk and sharp climb. The viewpoint area itself looks to be/has been in a state of renovation, there is a distinctly unfinished feel to it with lots of construction equipment left lying around. Still you didn’t come to look at the viewpoint, you came to look at the view and the view does not disappoint. 

There is no kind of ticket barrier or entry fee, just walk up! 

Tip: The route is well signposted from town except for the very final point of the helipad. The road winds on, but don’t take this. Look behind you for the concrete steps and climb up these. 

Wat Khokkhormingmoungkhoun

On your way to or from the viewpoint, there is a Buddhist temple that's well worth a look.

Wat Khokkhormingmoungkhoun commands a beautiful view over the river.

As always remember to dress appropriately - unfortunately we were in shorts this day, so could only peer through the ornate Naga guarded gateway. 

Pakbeng Museum

We passed by and attempted to visit this museum but unfortunately it appeared to be closed. We can’t tell if this is permanent or whether it just wasn’t our day.

From the notice board it looks as though it is a small museum giving history of the local area and the communities within it. 

Mekong Elephant Park

Another thing we didn’t do! Those who know us, know that Ellie is an elephant nut, and as such is rightly very picky about visiting “elephant sanctuaries”. We didn’t have time to properly research this one, so wound up not going. From what we can see it does look legit, housing four rescued elephants with no riding and mostly offering observation tours, but we were unsure as there were some higher cost ‘interaction experiences’. If you know more, let us know in the comments!

Sanctuary Viewpoint

The Sanctuary hotel runs in partnership with the elephant park and is about a ten minute walk away from town up a hill. Its bar and restaurant have incredible views over the Mekong, especially at sunset. If you feel like treating yourself to an expensive beer ($3.50 - you know you’re in trouble when the prices are in dollars) and an amazing view, then this is a great place to do this.

Eating and Drinking in Pakbeng

There is no shortage of evening food options in Pakbeng. From the local Laotian dishes of laab and noodle soups, to the backpacker favourites of fried rice and noodles, there will be something for your palette. 

For our lunch we had an enormous, but extremely tasty Pad Krapow, served with a side serving of delicate vegetable soup. For dinner, we went off piste and went to an Indian restaurant recommended by our guesthouse. It was hearty and tasty, but like most places in town the prices are a little high as the restaurants have to capitalise on the one off tourist trade.

For those on a budget, at the bottom of the hill (next to the pier) there are lots of vendors selling all manner of barbecued meats as well as street side sandwiches and pastries. These sandwich vendors will also appear early the next morning for you to stock up before your onward boat journey. 

Tip: For those worried about a speedy departure the next day, sandwiches can be preordered at these stalls and picked up the next morning. 

In terms of drinking, Google lists two bars in town. Unfortunately, both the Happy Bar and the Hive Bar were closed when we visited. Although it looks now as though the Happy Bar has reopened. The lack of bars seemed crazy as there was definitely a demand for a bar in this backpacker destination. All the restaurants, cafes and shops serve Beer Laos for takeaway or to drink in. The pizza bar on the main strip has a small bar at the front that was busy all night.

Leaving Pakbeng

Pakbeng Pier - Your entrance and exit point by river from the town

The vast majority of travellers, including us, will leave Pakbeng via boat either downstream to Luang Prabang or upstream to the Thailand border town of Huay Xai. 

Both boats leave early in the morning, the Luang Prabang boat departs at 9.30am and the  Huay Xai bound boat leaves at 8.30am. Tickets are purchased on the day on the boat itself and our advice is to get there early to secure a comfy seat. Tickets cost 150,000 kip (£7.20 or $9.00) to both Luang Prabang or Huay Xai.

For our experiences on two very different slow boats, check out our article here.

Where Else Can I Go From Pakbeng?

The boat isn’t the only way to leave Pakbeng. There are buses to the city of Muang Xai/Oudomxay/Oudomxai (what is it with Laos and having three different names for the same city?!) as well as other local destinations. The bus stop is outside of town so you will need to factor this into your journey time as it's slightly over half an hour's walk away according to Maps.me. 

Pakbeng is a necessary stop along the amazing slow boat route on the Mekong river. Its entire business model is designed to capitalise on one night tourism, however if you find yourself here longer, maybe through illness, a mighty hangover or just missing the boat there is plenty to keep you occupied. You could easily just spend an afternoon sitting on the pier watching the Mekong flow by. 

Thank you for reading, 

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie 

*Prices correct at time of visiting - January 2023

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The Slow Boats of Laos, Budget Versus Bougie

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

Taking the slow boat on the Mekong is a bucket list item for many travellers. Between the border town of Huay Xai and the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang, slow boats plough their way up and down the mighty Mekong river. 

We had just finished a wonderful week in Luang Prabang. John’s parents had tracked him down and treated us to a fantastic stay in the ancient Royal Capital of Laos. When it was time to leave there was only one choice. We would all get on a slow boat and travel up the Mekong to Pakbeng.

The first leg of the journey, Luang Prabang to Pakbeng, would be done in the lap of luxury as John's parents had the river cruise included in their tour package. After Pakbeng we would be going our separate ways and thus a more backpacker friendly mode would be engaged. Our second boat journey from Pakbeng to Huay Xai would be less salubrious, joining other travellers and locals on a distinctly more budget friendly local boat. 

Leg One - Boating in the Lap of Luxury - Luang Prabang to Pakbeng

Day one started with an early morning wake up call in Luang Prabang. A 7am departure saw us up early at the Shompoo Cruise pier ready for our day of luxurious cruising. We would be travelling this leg of the Mekong on a very large and well appointed river boat. Comfy seats, recliners and even some scatter cushions were strewn artfully about the deck, with a bar and toilet to the back of the boat. There were only twelve of us on this massive boat, so we were free to roam and stretch out wherever we pleased. From every angle you could get a different view of the river. The prow of the boat had chairs set up giving spectacular uninterrupted views of the river valley. The bar had stool seating facing out to the sides, and all along the boat were seats and recliners set next to the open windows.

We set off with the early morning mists rising from the river and cloaking Luang Prabang in their mysterious coils. The boat puttered along at a fairly lively pace but was quiet and relaxed for everyone on board allowing us all to savour the surroundings. The boat provided warm blankets against the early morning chill, and breakfast had been picked up from one of the posher coffee shops (T56 cafe and bar) of Luang Prabang. As we drifted along we passed school children cycling, monks crossing the river and farmers tending their crops. Munching on croissants whilst sipping coffee and floating down the Mekong was an unforgettable way to start a day. 

The upstream Shompoo Cruise included a stop at the Pak Ou caves. The two visitable caves are accessible from a small jetty on the side of the river. The upper cave are reached by climbing 300 stone steps and houses beautiful Buddha statues as well as a stupa and shrine. The lower cave is a treasure chest filled with every style, shape and design of Buddha you can imagine. Point your torch in any direction and an image of the Buddha will stare back at you. The cave is packed with tiny alcoves filled to the brim with Buddha statues.

The climb to the Pak Ou caves also gives fantastic views of the Mekong river below. 

The Pak Ou caves was the only stop on this leg of the cruise, so afterwards we clambered back on board and got comfy for the remaining seven odd hours to Pakbeng. 

The boat was very comfy, with John nodding off after being lulled to sleep by the gentle movement of the water. A buffet lunch was provided as well as free tea, coffee and water. There was also a paid bar on board for mid afternoon beverages.  

As the river wound on, we took in water buffalo, pristine jungle, peanut fields and lots of interesting snap shots of Laotian river bank life. We pulled into Pakbeng just before 5pm just in time to watch a spectacular sunset over the Mekong river. 

For those travelling in luxury Pak Beng has two higher end hotels: The Sanctuary and Le Grand. The above photo was taken at the Sanctuary’s restaurant, the views were amazing! For those on a backpacking budget there are many guesthouses in the town itself offering cheap lodgings for the night.

As we mentioned we were travelling this leg as guests of John’s parents so didn’t have to foot the bill for any of this. We can’t comment on any kind of “value for money” thing here, but only our experiences on the boat. A boat trip with Shompoo Cruises can be booked directly from Luang Prabang or on their website. We have not been paid or otherwise incentivised to promote them. 

Leg Two - Back to Backpacking - Boating with the Locals - Pakbeng to Huay Xai

After saying goodbye to John’s parents and staying another night in Pakbeng to sort out our onward itinerary, we boarded the daily slow boat upstream to the border town of Huay Xai. 

The boat departs daily from Pakbeng to Huay Xai at 8.30am. You buy your tickets for this journey on the day of travel on the boat. One ticket from Pakbeng to Huay Xai costs 200,000 kip. Seating and tickets are first come, first served so get there early to avoid an uncomfortable ride. We rocked up at 8am and were definitely not the first to board. Around 8.10am it started to become extremely busy and we were very glad we had arrived early and claimed our seats. The seats we had today stood in far contrast to the luxury of the first day. Gone were the recliners and scatter cushions, instead there were wooden cushioned benches and what appeared to be seats ripped straight out of a coach and placed on movable wooden blocks. 

Tip: Word to the wise, when boarding don’t be tempted by the inward facing rows of coach seats as these can be moved around if more people need to get on. Even if they stay where they are you will constantly need to move your feet around as people go backwards and forwards!

Your bags are stored wherever they will fit. As we got on early, our backpacks were stowed under our wooden bench. Later arrivals had their bags piled at the front and back of the boat with some of them being rearranged mid cruise to help with weight distribution.

The boat sputtered to life and swung away from the pier just after 8.30am. In contrast to the twelve people on board for the first leg, there were at least fifty on board this smaller boat. A mix of backpackers, Laotian families and sales people moving their goods around, the boat was a lively affair. Children ran up and down the aisle, whilst their grandmother sat cross legged and ramrod straight on the seat beside. The banks of the Mekong gently rolling past amidst the chatter of the travellers on board.

Another difference between this and our luxury cruise was apparent within moments of setting off, there were no free blankets. As we waited for the sun to rise above the mountains and burn off the morning mists, it was seriously chilly. This had obviously caught out quite a few of our fellow travellers as we all huddled together with our hoodies up. The more experienced locals were bundled in blankets they had brought from home.

Tip: At the back of the boat next to the shop there is a stack of blankets. These can almost certainly be rented/borrowed but by the time we had noticed them the temperature had risen back to the normal tropical heat.

This stretch of the river seemed more remote than that of the previous day. We passed reed thatched houses in precarious cliffside villages. Many of the houses were raised up further still to protect them from the river below and its monumental floods. Limestone cliffs towered over the riverbanks whilst water buffalo wallowed in the shallows. We passed families collecting and drying reeds for brushes and what looked like panning for gold. 

Mid morning saw the group behind us open the first of the beer Lao to salute their journey up the Mekong. Whereas yesterday we had a buffet lunch and a dedicated bar. Today, there was a young Laotian family at the back of the boat who had almost walled themselves in with stacks of water, pot noodles and beer for sale. Behind the makeshift shop there was a toilet on board. We can’t comment on the state of it as we didn’t use it. 

The chatter on board the boat was lively and friendly, with a Laotian baby doing the rounds with her mother to say hello to everyone (the baby looked very confused by this). Lunchtime saw a flurry of activity at the helm of the boat. A carpet was laid out and an ornate circular table brought forward from the back of the boat. It was time for the Captain’s lunch. Baskets of sticky rice, dried pork and steamed green vegetables were beautifully laid out on the silver table. We looked on in jealousy as we tucked into our sandwiches. 

Tip: The town of Pakbeng is completely set up to cater for the long boat journeys. It is the halfway point for the up and down stream journeys, as well as the lunch spot for the speed boats. Lining either side of the main street are vendors selling portable snacks from sandwiches, pastries and cakes to crisps, biscuits and drinks. Pick up your breakfast and lunch here if you don’t feel like eating pot noodles on the boat!

Occasionally the boat would swing into an ostensibly deserted piece of river bank and a Laotian family would get off. Things did get a little bit more interesting at one point when there was a loud clunk from the engine and we shuddered to a halt in the middle of the river. The driver steered us into the bank, had a heated discussion on a telephone, then went to the back and did something noisy to the engine and we set off again as if nothing had happened! 

Tip: We have heard that breakdowns are quite common and can be a lot more time consuming than ours was. Bear this in mind if you’re running out of visa time! 

After around seven hours, the river swept around in a large bend and we finally had Thailand to the left of us. The Mekong serves as the border along this stretch of the river. The contrast between the Laotian and Thai sides of the river was instantly evident. The Thai side had much more infrastructure with new roads and what looked like flood defences, whereas the Laotian side was still predominantly jungle and fields. Eventually we passed under the Friendship Bridge and swung into Huay Xai. Our slow boat journey was complete! 

Tip: The Friendship Bridge which serves as the border crossing between Thailand and Laos is quite a distance from Huay Xai and the boat landing pier. You will need to factor in at least 45 minutes to get between the two, so keep an eye out on when the border closes for the day. Our boat was coming in at 5.30pm and there were a lot of very worried people on board!  

Both days of travel along the Mekong were fantastic. It’s a bucket list item for a reason. It’s a beautiful way to take in what would otherwise be a remote and inaccessible area of Laos. You get to see life played out across the river and its banks. It's not like a museum piece or any of the “craft villages" often added to package tours, it was real life happening just outside the window. We feel you could travel up and down the Mekong multiple times and you wouldn’t see the same journey twice. 

This piece is not meant to answer which cruise you should take as they are completely different. If you require comfort, the ability to roam around and countless photo opportunities then the Shompoo Cruise was the definition of luxury and convenience. Whereas if you want to be in amongst it all, having babies passed around, surrounded by the chatter of travellers, and to be frank, save a lot of money, then the local slow boat will suit you perfectly. Either way, you need to do this now. The construction has already begun on several dams along these stretches of river, and it won't be long until this route is impassable and the landscape changed forever. 

The Basic Facts of Taking a Slow Boat Up/Down the Mekong River

How Long Does It Take?

There are two options when answering this question. The slow boat takes two days with each day taking 6 to 8 hours depending on the river.

Alternatively, there is a speedboat service that will get you all the way in a day. We have heard this is quite an uncomfortable experience and there are some questions online as to its safety.

How Much Does It Cost?

The local slow boat is 150,000 kip per leg of the journey (300,000 kip in total - £14.15 or $17.70).

From the starting points of Huay Xai or Luang Prabang, you can buy your slow boat tickets at the departure piers, or for an added cost (that may include a transfer to the pier) from a tour operator or your hostel.  The tickets from Pakbeng to your destination, are brought on the boat when you board at Pakbeng.

The cost of the more luxurious boats can be found here http://shompoo-cruise.com/en/our-rate/ - bear in mind it is a lot more expensive with prices starting above £135 ($170.00).

Where Do the Slow Boats Depart From?

Both Luang Prabang and Huay Xai have “slow boat” piers.

The slow boat pier in Huay Xai (Map Link) is easily walkable from the strip of accommodation most backpackers will find themselves staying in. Tuk tuks are available if you need a lift or are coming from the border.

In Pakbeng you will be dropped off from the same pier (Map Link) you will leave from in the morning, and the town is immediately in front of you. The luxury accommodation is up the hill to the left, whereas the town, guesthouses, restaurants and cafes lie to the right. If you’re booked into one of the more upmarket hotels, they will usually send transport to pick you up.

In Luang Prabang the slow boat pier (Map Link) is located a little further out of town, past the airport. There are plenty of taxis and tuk tuks available. If you’ve booked the ticket through a travel agent, they may include this transfer in the price, if not find some fellow travellers and split the cost to take one of the larger tuk tuks.

If you have splashed the cash and are travelling with Shompoo Cruises, then the pier is in the centre of Luang Prabang (Map Link).

What to Bring on the Slow Boat?

If you’re taking the local boat, when travelling on the first leg of your journey, make sure you bring any food or drinks that you want. Boats depart early in the morning and don’t stop until they reach Pakbeng in the late afternoon/early evening. On board there is a small shop selling pot noodles, crisps, biscuits, tea, coffee, beer and soft drinks.

When you stop at Pakbeng you can pick up sandwiches and other supplies ready for your second leg. If you’re on an especially busy boat, we would recommend pre-ordering your sandwiches when you arrive so you can just pick them up and go the next day. There are dozens of vendors all along the street in Pakbeng who can do this.

As we’ve mentioned on Shompoo Cruises, both breakfast and lunch were included and there was a paid bar available on board.

You set off early on both days, so wear a warm layer to snuggle into. The local boat we took did have blankets to rent. Blankets were provided on the Shompoo Cruise.

Are There Toilets Available?

Yes on both boats. Although we can’t comment on the quality of the local boat as luckily we didn’t need it. Shompoo Cruises were very nice!

Final Tips for the Local Slow Boat

• Get there early as its first come, first served with seats.

• The Huay Xai to Luang Prabang route is meant to get really busy, to the point where some travellers we have met regretted taking it. The boat from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai however, is perfect. Busy enough to still have an atmosphere but not overcrowded.

• If you buy from a travel agent they will add their costs.

• We would not recommend using the slow boat to Huay Xai on the last days of your visa. The boat will dock at Huay Xai very close to the time when the border closes for the day, and it's a 45 minute drive from the pier to the border (also breakdowns are quite common)!

• Download some chilled out tunes and watch the river flow by. It really is an amazing experience!

Snapshots of Life Along the Mekong

Thank you for reading, 

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

*Prices correct at time of visiting - January 2023

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