DAY 1, CHAING MAI TO HUAY XAI
If you want to take part in the infamous and death-defying tubing in Laos then there’s a good chance you have to take a boat from Thailand. To get from Chang Mai to Luang Prabang there are two options both of which include a day bus drive from Chang Mai to the river port in Huay Xai. There is an 8 hour speed boat, which I am still to meet anyone who enjoyed it or the other option of a two day slow boat (the local boat)
I was actually drawn towards the faster boat so I was spending less time travelling. But after having asked the question to as many people as I could find I went on the recommendation of the slow boat actually being an experience in itself, and that it was!
Firs thing in the morning I was collected by a minivan for the 8hour drive to the border and straight away got talking to 3 American guys. I would go on to travel the rest of South East Asia with these boys. If you really want to get to know someone spend 3 days sitting beside them.
CHIANG RAI TEMPLE
Having said before, I wasn’t sure about the bus and boat trip but sitting here now on our 2nd day I can say I’m loving it! The bus was fairly cramped but we stopped at a temple called the white temple in Chiang Rai, the only temple I was looking forward to. I couldn’t believe the design and typically couldn’t help wonder how it was made. That was until we were told it was only built in 1996. They had paintings inside of the twin towers going down along with Spider-Man, angry birds and a load of other weird stuff.
THE BOOMROOM
Another few hours got us to our accommodation at the river port. No one comes here for anything else other than to get to Laos so its not the most exciting place to visit. We stayed at a place called The Boomroom, which should have been called the Broomroom as it was so small and cramped.
Part of travelling (and part of me) is leaving things behind, I hate it at the best of times but its worse when you are travelling as you cant exactly go back the next day to pick it up. But I brought a bright orange travel adaptor to make sure I’d never leave it behind. It lasted a week into my 2 year trip! Also you wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find a replacement and another iphone charger. Knowing me and how forgetful I can be I had brought another along. Next up – Part 2 of the trip to Pakbeng.
Slow boat from Thailand to Laos
FINAL THOUGHTS
First leg overland was epic, but the real fun is over the next two days where we get the slow boat from Thailand to Laos.
NEXT UP
Day 2 when we experience a buddhist celebration than can only be described as a riot! Click here to read on.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
20/229
This episode is part of The South East Asia Series, click to see episode 1.
