Planning a trip to Luang Prabang

Getting There

By Plane

Lao Airlines (tel. 021/212-057 or 214-427 for reservations; www.laoairlines.com) has daily flights from Vientiane to Luang Prabang for $76 one-way. Their routes to Thailand are to Bangkok (one flight a day there and back), Chiang Mai (one flight a day there and back) and Udon Thani (two flights a week). To Cambodia they fly only to Siem Reap (two flights a day there and back). To Hanoi in Vietnam (one flight a day there and back). Domestic connections from Luang Prabang are to Vientiane (at least three flights a day) and Pakse (two flights a week). There are also infrequent flights to Phongsali and Xieng Khuang. There are no direct flights to the far north; for that, you'll need to fly directly from Vientiane.

Bangkok Airways (57/6 Sisavangvong Rd.; tel. 071/253-334 or 253-253; www.bangkokair.com) also flies twice daily between Bangkok and Luang Prabang. You can book online at their website. Vietnam Airlines (Luang Prabang International Airport; tel. 071/213-048; www.vietnamairlines.com) flies to and from Luang Prabang from both Hanoi and Siem Reap five times a week.

The Luang Prabang International Airport (tel. 071/212-173) handles international flights from Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Hanoi, and Siem Reap. Visas are available on arrival at the airport. The airport is about 4km (2 1/2 miles) from town, and transport is best arranged through any hotel. Otherwise, you can hire a tuk-tuk for $5. Going the other way, get your guesthouse or hotel to organize a tuk-tuk. It should cost about $3.

By Bus

The overland route to Luang Prabang from Vientiane's Northern bus terminal takes about 10 hours by public bus, assuming there are no difficulties (breakdowns are common). There are international warnings about travel on this stretch, and though it has been quiet in recent years, you should ask around before hitting the road. The trip is bumpy and winds interminably, and local buses are often packed. If you suffer from travel sickness then be sure to bring the right pills or you are in line for 10 hours of pure, unremitting, queasy, hell. However, the jaw-dropping scenery, past the mountains and limestone formations at Vang Vieng and several Hmong hill villages, is well worth it. The bus costs 150,000 kip and has a few morning departures from Vientiane's Northern Bus Station. Go early to get a seat. Luang Prabang's Naluang (Southern) Bus Station is a 10,000 kip per person shared tuk-tuk ride from the town center. There are also daily connections to Phonsavan (90,000 kip) and the far north.

There are two main bus stations in Luang Prabang. One for traffic to and from the south called Naluang, the other for traffic to and from the north called Kiew Lot Sai Nuan. To get from one station to another, take a tuk-tuk for around 10,000 kip per person. Double that fare at night.

A faster alternative to a public bus is to take a minibus. You can buy a ticket from most travel agents and some guesthouses. The journey on a minibus is faster but they can also be pretty cramped. A minibus from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng takes 5 hours and costs 60,000 kip. To Vientiane takes about 7 hours and costs $18. In terms of travel sickness the minibuses may well be worse than the regular buses since the drivers swing them round the bends at full speed.

By Boat

One of the nicest and most popular ways to get to Luang Prabang is to cross the border at Chiang Khong in Thailand to Huay Xai and take a boat up or down the Mekong through spectacular and scenic countryside. If you take the slow boat (recommended) then it will take 2 days, with an overnight in the small town of Pakbeng, a village with basic accommodations, before arriving in Luang Prabang on the afternoon of the next day (assuming no engine trouble or other delays). In Huay Xai the slow boats leave from a pier just next to Immigration and the 2-day journey costs $20. Slow boats to Huay Xai going the other way leave from the pier at the end of Thanon Khitsarat in the center of town. Arrive early at the riverside quay. There have been complaints in the past of boat operators overloading these passenger boats. If you feel that the boat is overloaded then ask for your money back and find one that isn't. Be prepared for all kinds of discomfort, though you'll have many tales to tell afterward. The chug upriver from Luang Prabang takes up to 3 days and is not recommended.

If you want to spend considerably more money, but enjoy considerably more comfort, you can take a trip with Luang Say Cruises (50/4 Sakkarine Rd.; tel. 071/252-553; fax 071/252-304; www.luangsay.com), which offers a 2-day or 3-day luxury Mekong jaunt going in both directions. The 2-day cruise leaves Luang Prabang on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays in the high season and only Wednesdays and Saturdays in low season (May -- Sept). There is an overnight at the company's own Luangsay Lodge just near Pakbeng. This package costs $243 to $394, depending on the season. The 3-day option departs every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday in the high season, and on Tuesdays and Fridays in low season. It follows the same route with an extra overnight stop at the Khamu Lodge near an ethnic Khamu village. It costs between $343 and $525. The Luang Say Lodge and Kamu Lodge are both charming, rustic ecolodges on the banks of the Mekong. Meals are included as is wine and coffee. The boat has a fully equipped bar, but drinks apart from tea and coffee are not included in the price.

The Lao/German company Mekong Sun Cruise (2/2 Sakkarine Rd.; tel. 071/254-768; www.cruisemekong.com) also runs high-end river trips on all navigable stretches of the Mekong and indeed the Nam Ou.

Lao Speedboat Risks -- Alternatively you can take a Lao speedboat. These are flat-bottom skiffs with an outsize outboard motor attached that propel you at alarming speed over both calm water and rapids, avoiding (with any luck) some of the needle-sharp rocks that occasionally break the surface. You have to wear a helmet on these trips, which is indicative of just how wise it is to get in one of these vessels in the first place. They are best avoided because they are, quite simply, very dangerous indeed. Tickets can be bought at all travel agents and cost 400,000 kip to Huay Xai and 250,000 kip to Pakbeng only. Going from Luang Prabang speedboats leave from the pier at Ban Don, a 15-minute tuk-tuk ride from the center of town. Going to Luang Prabang from Huay Xai they leave from a pier about 2km (1 1/4 miles) south of Immigration.

Fast Facts

Currency Exchange -- U.S. dollars and Thai baht are both widely accepted here. The Lane Xang Bank is at Phothisarat Road near the post office. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 8:30am to 3:30pm. You can exchange cash and traveler's checks in most major currencies. You can also withdraw cash using a Visa card. There's another Lane Xang money-changing office on Xieng Thong Road next to the Luang Prabang Bakery. Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao has an office on "restaurant row" (tel. 071/252-983).

Emergencies -- For police, dial tel. 071/212-453; for a medical emergency, call tel. 071/252-049.

Internet Access -- Service was once patched through Vientiane, but now cable and satellite connections mean you can easily keep in touch from Luang Prabang. Internet cafes line the busy block of Phothisarat, "restaurant row," and are also scattered about town. Expect to pay around 100 kip per minute (US60¢/£0.30 per hr.).

Mail -- The post office is on the corner of Phothisarat and Kitsalat roads, across from Luang Prabang Travel and Tourism. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8am to noon and 1 to 5pm, Saturday from 8am to noon.

Telephones -- The city code for Luang Prabang is 71. The telephone center in town consists of two booths around the corner from the post office on Kitsalat Road. You can buy local and international phone cards in an office across the street.

Orientation

Luang Prabang is set out on a slightly crooked grid system. Most of the most beautiful parts of the city are on a narrow finger of land extending to where the Mekong joins the Nam Khan River. What could be called the center of town extends up from the long-distance boat pier. Thanon Kitsarat heads southeast, past Phousi hill and the Dara Market on the left to the crossroads where it meets Thanon Mahapatsaman and Thanon Wisunarat. Most of the old French municipal buildings cluster around the beginning of Thanon Kitsarat near the boat pier. To get to both the main cluster of bars and restaurants on Sisavangvong Road head northeast of the boat pier with Phu Si hill to your right. You will soon see the ornate gold decoration and dark wood of some of the most ancient wats in Laos. Sisavangvong Road to the east side of the narrow strip of land between the rivers has become a tourist high street of Internet cafes, bars, and restaurants. The parallel road on the western side of this small riverine peninsula runs directly by the banks of the Mekong. You can do this whole district in a half an hour or so by foot. It remains one of the world's most relaxed and delightful strolls. To take in the often spectacular Mekong sunset, head back to the boat pier. The sun sinks behind a small mountain on the other side of the Mekong in a giant orange ball silhouetting the boats moored to the south of the pier.

The airport and northern bus terminal are to the northeast of the city while the southern bus terminal is to the southwest.

Getting Around

Luang Prabang is easy to cover on foot or bicycle. If you get tired, tuk-tuks and jumbos cost about 5,000 kip per trip (less with more people and some haggling). Note: Citing the many accidents in recent years, local officials have put the kibosh on motorbike rentals (which also ensures work for local transportation providers). Luang Prabang is a town for walking, really, but it is a shame that you can no longer go putt-putting out to the waterfalls.

Vatthanaluck Vehicle Rental, around the corner from the Villa Santi (tel. 071/212-838), covers all the bases for rentals and is the best bet of the many competitors. Bicycles go for just $1 per day; a rented car with driver is $25. For sights outside the city, jumbos and tuk-tuks usually gather along Xieng Thong Road across from the popular cafes and restaurants; prices are negotiable.

Longtail boats are for hire at Luang Prabang's main pier and can take you to adjacent villages and the Pak Ou Caves.

Where the Streets Have No Names --

In Luang Prabang, though you'll see street signs, the same road can change names as it progresses through the city, making things confusing. For example, the main street (I refer to it as "restaurant row" at the town center) is Chao Fa Ngum, Sisavangvong, or Sakkarine Road, depending on where you are. Locals use village names, not streets, to navigate, and villages are commonly named for the local wat. When checking into your hotel, get a business card or ask the name of the local wat to tell taxi and tuk-tuk drivers. Also note that the Western spelling of many street and wat names is very inconsistent. Just sound it out.