There is only one real way to get into Laos from Thailand and that is the Slow Boat! Sure – you could bus in or fly but that would ruin the entire experience of what Laos is all about. So we booked our ticket, purchased some booze for the ride (after a little advice from my personal Lonely Planet Guide – Dan Allenby) and got ready to soar down the mighty Mekong!
It was a 3 day adventure! The first day we bussed to the Laos boarder from Chiang Mai stopping at the White Temple along the way. While this temple lacked historical charm – it’s detail was amazing and was totally worth the visit!
We stayed overnight at a guesthouse and in the morning we headed to the border. Maybe it was my experience of crossing the border between Guatemala and Belize, but I was not expecting it to be so formal and nice! We cruised through, hopped into a tuk tuk on the other side, and then were taken to our next boat.
The slow boat, itself, was actually really nice. Nice cushiony seats, a bathroom, and a stand that sells chips, water, and beer (I can work with this I thought). We got seats together with some awesome people we had met the first night. Eventually, we even realized that our seats could move and we created a seating area for all of us where the drinking festivities began!
It was an awesome time and could not imagine a better first impression of Laos!
