How to get out Houay Xai
Long boat ferry across the river to Chiang Khong in Thailand is 10,000 Kip. The boat guys are among the most pleasant transport providers in Laos. Be nice to them so it continues.
A two day (slow) boat ride to Luang Prabang. Arrive early to avoid being stuck in the engine room for the 8 hour ride. The official fare is announced at Immigration as being 70,000Kip but what you pay will depend on where you book:
- in Chiang Khong: 850 baht incl. transport to the ferry pier, ferry to Houay Xay and transport to the slow boat pier
- near the ferry pier in Houay Xay: 800 baht
- at the slow boat pier: 760 baht (depending on your bargaining skills)
In Sep 2011, prices seems to be up: at the slow boat pear, Houay Xay - Luang Prabang is 220,000 Kip or 900 baht.
Speedboat to Luang Prabang. There seems to be a real reluctance to take foreigners on the speedboat. You sit there watching as speedboat after speedboat leaves without you on them. The phrases "come back tomorrow" and "just wait, wait", is repeated a lot. If you are in a hurry use your money to kick things into a higher gear and make demands that you leave. This is definitely not a means of transport to be relied on. It is a good idea to work out with your fellow boat passengers to remove the seat dividers in the fast boat which allow you more space to move around as long as you don't mind a bit of contact. It will be better than being jammed in one place for the whole trip. Keep in mind, recently the speed boats have been pulling a scam where you are dropped off 10km outside of Luang Prabang at a small bamboo dock. Refuse to get off here and force them to take you two minutes further down river to the Luang Prabang boat dock. If you are forced to get off before Luang Prabang the tuk-tuk driver may demand $15 or something equally ridiculous per person. Don't pay more than $5 for everyone in your party, but keep in mind this guy is your only ride into town.
There's a local bus to Luang Prabang, US$14, 12-15 hours. The bus station is 7km from the town. However, if you buy the ticket at the bus station rather than through your guesthouse or agent then the price is 110000 kip (around $12US). You are told the journey is 10 hours but can turn out to be 15 hours or more, so be prepared. Buses leave 9 am, 2 pm and a VIP bus at 5pm (135000 kip).
A special boat ride for Luang Namtha is also available for around 1,500,000 kip / 6000 baht for the whole charter and can carry between 6 - 10 people (the boat can carry less people in the end of the dry season , when the river is low).
Buses to Luang Namtha leave in the morning around 9:30AM and there might be a more crowded bus at around 11AM. The bus costs around 95,000 kip / 350 baht from BAP guest house includes a 10 min tuk-tuk ride from the guest house. The journey is 198km and now takes 5-6 hours with one stop for lunch on the way. The road is now completely sealed (except for big sections in the middle which have been churned up by the trucks - this adds time to any journey). However, unexpected obstacles may still occur.
There is a direct bus to Jinghong in China at 8AM, 150,000 kip at the bus station.
On the way to Luang Prabang, make a stop over at Hongsa in Sayaboury Province for an elephant ride. Elephant adventures have 2-5 day elephant trekking on retrained logging elephants. These treks are supported by ElefantAsia NGO , focussed on elephant veterinary care, educational/environmental awareness and economic viability for mahouts.
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The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Houay Xai
