Why you need to take the slow boat from Thailand to Laos
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To cross the border between the two southeast Asian countries, Amelie Maurice-Jones opts for a more serene (and economical) mode of transport and discovers the Mekong in all its majesty. Cracking open bottles of ice-cold Beer Lao, we gaze across the Mekong River, eyes peeled for elusive elephants amidst the oil-green cliffs and stormy jungle before the sky, heavy with rain, turns inky black.
![[Amelie’s transport of choice between Thailand and Laos]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/20/15/IMG_4517.jpg)
I’m with a crew of backpackers, stopping overnight in the small town of Pakbeng on a two-day boat trip from Thailand into central Laos. While the elephants evade us, multiple sightings of water buffalo that we mistake for the world’s largest land mammal, prove thrilling enough after several drinks.
![[Slowboat life on the Mekong River]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/20/15/IMG_4398.jpg)
A few decades ago, this journey wouldn’t have been possible. Caught up in America’s war on Vietnam (Laos is the most bombed country in the world), the communist government shut its borders until 1989. While its neighbours Thailand and Vietnam have flourished as tourism hotspots, landlocked Laos slipped under the radar. But tourism is climbing: in the first eight months of 2024, Laos welcomed 2.6m foreign tourists, a 19 per cent hike from the same period in 2023.
![[Travelling by slow boat is a much more tranquil travelling experience]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/20/15/newFile-3.jpg)
Crossing from Thailand into Laos is popular on the backpacker “banana pancake route”. Flights from Chiang Mai cost a reasonable $100 (£80) if booked months in advance. But for disorganised travellers like me, who tend to leave planning until the last minute, fares can stretch to $400 (£318).
![[Rainy season can see the Mekong rise by up to 12 metres]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/20/15/IMG_4501.jpg)
Instead, I opt to take a slow boat, which travels from the Laotion border town of Huay Xai to the former royal capital of Luang Prabang, after crossing the border by bus. While it’s quicker to do the whole journey by bus, I’m put off by stories of Laos’ sketchy roads. A slow boat means a more leisurely pace after months on the road – as well as saving precious pennies.
