Slow Boat down Mekong River (Laos)

So we leave Thailand and head to Laos via slow boat down the Mekong River!

Before heading off travelling I really didn't know much about Laos, maybe didn't even know it existed, Id heard something about it years ago in relation to tubing down rivers and a lot of tourist deaths, so I didn't really know what to expect from it.  You can fly into it but we decided for a more authentic route.

Laos (PDR - Peoples Democratic Republic) is a landlocked country in between Thailand, Burma, Vietnam and Cambodia


 
 
So with nothing to expect we were quite looking forward to arriving in style on a beat down slow boat!!
 
We got a 6pm bus to Chiangkong arriving at 11pm. We had accommodation arranged for us when we arrived and it turned out to be the most comfortable bed weve stayed in, unfortunately we only had a few hours in as we were to be up at 7am for brekkie and to head towards the border!
 
 
Our visas were to be given at border once we had all our documentation sorted. We had to pay for it with US dollars, which was fine thanks to Patrick :) (cheeeers!!!!!)
 
All went smoothly enough and we arrived through the border at about 11am.
 
A bus then brought us to the pier to board our slow boat.
 
A little hut set up with filled baguettes was swarmed with us tourists getting our bit of grub sorted before we set off for 7 hours on the boat.
 

 
 
Really enjoyable journey down the river, watching the beautiful surroundings and catching an insight into how the Laotian people live. Kids swimming and bathing in the river, playing and chasing with each other. Water buffalo chilling in the water from the heat. Mountains, forests, colourful and breathtaking.
 
We were down the back of the boat though quite close to the engine room and it was quite loud! We spent a lot of it on the sill of the boat taking it all in.
 
At one point we heard a bit of a thump, the boat performed a full 360 turn, and then pulled in towards the shore (sandy strip). All crew were looking quite panicky ran towards the front of the boat. Us passengers didn't seem too bothered and a few people looked around asking 'Are we here now?'
Then 2 crew members stripped off and jumped in to the water.....eventually fishing out pieces of metal that we later learned were parts of the boat! We waited there for a while and the lads took this opportunity to have a quick dip in the Mekong!
 
Eventually another boat pulled up beside us and we were tied together by rope. It was starting to get dark at this point and we weren't sure how close or far we were from Pakbeng (our first stop).
As we set off again and the sun set, lads with torches sat on top of the boat guiding the way and ensuring we avoided rocks submerged or otherwise!
After about an hour we arrived to a sea of flashlights guiding us in. There was obviously a call put in to all locals ' Anyone with torches make your way to the pier and guide these poor feckers in'.
 
Disembarking the boat with 2 heavy bags each, we stepped off onto to the plank in between boat and land, the rail we were given to hold was being supported by a local teen. Gas!
Then we had to climb up rocks in the dark in our flip flops!
But we made it!
Our hostel was close enough to the pier so we walked on up. Was a lovely guest house we were staying in and quickly jumped into a hot shower!
Daniel was MIA so I peeped out to see where he was. He was at reception talking to an Irish girl. They were trying to connect to the wifi. Her boyfriends worked fine. We got chatting to her. Lovely girl from Tyrone travelling with her boyfriend for 10 months!
 
Feeling peckish we made our way to the one restaurant in the town and chowed down!
 
This is a real one dog kinda town, purely making business just off the tourists that come through on the slow boat. Open when we arrive and leave the next morning and nothing happens in between.
 
We managed to get a decent cup of tea with REAL milk and a chocolate cupcake. Sitting outside our room on main street.
 
Next morning while having breakfast we could hear elephants in the distance!
 
Jumped back on the boat and enjoyed another 7 hours on the Mekong towards Luang Prabang.
 









 
 

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