Cruising on the Mekong: Houy Xai to Luang Prabang (Laos)

24 February 2026

We boarded at Houy Xai after completing the Laos immigration formalities at the Thai/Laos border. The wooden boat was long and narrow with open sides and  wooden benches set around tables. We shared ours with Juergen, whom we would get to now pretty well over the following two days. In all, there were about 30 passengers on board, considerably less than the number that generally crowd into the cheaper public boats plying the same waterway, although of similar size as ours. There was room to move about and we felt pretty comfortable as the boat chugged through the majestic but muddy waters of the Mekong.

The cruise had been booked through a local tour operator, Nagi of Mekong, following a recommendation from a fellow traveller and it turned out to be a good tip. Their guide was knowledgeable, without being over-chatty, and the crew made sure we lacked for nothing. The food was also surprisingly good, fresh and well-prepared. We lay back and let the waters flow past us, gazing, chatting or reading, and even taking a short siesta after lunch. Travelling was not always as relaxed as this and we wanted to make the best of it.

The sedate pace of the trip was probably what we liked best about this cruise; it forces you to slow down. The peaceful movement of the water as we floated past everyday scenes of life in Laos (water buffalo, even a few elephants, children playing in the water, families fishing, men panning for gold) was calming. The scenery was pleasant if not spectacular. However, the large quantity of plastic bottles floating along the river was somewhat depressing.

There were a number of stops en route. Two villages, accessed through a steep climb  from the boat, one poorer and dirtier than the other.  We were welcomed by a throng of children in each one, all trying to sell us something; it was difficult to resist. Our guide explained that the inhabitants were ethnic minority groups who had come down from the mountains for a better life. They grew corn and rice and felled timber locally. We tasted the local rice whisky, which some inhabitants, loud of voice, had apparently taken a liking to. We didn’t.

The night stop in Pak Beng was instantly forgettable with only very basic amenities available in the spartan hotel which the tour operator had arranged for us. A walk through the village revealed marker stalls selling food infested with flies and we sought out the most decent restaurant we could find, offering local dishes at inflated process.

The final stop was at Pak Ou Caves. Located on a cliff next to the river, the site is considered sacred and contains hundreds of small Buddha statues. I decided to stay in the boat for this one because it hadn’t looked that interesting to me when doing my research beforehand. Mylene and the other passengers returned shortly afterwards,  hot and underwhelmed, remarking that it was hardly  worth the hot trek up the side of the cliff on some uneven rock stairs.

An hour and a half later, the boat arrived in Luang Prabang and a private minibus took us to our hotel. This concluded our boat tour. Despite the downsides already mentioned, we would still definitely recommend taking this slow boat. We arrived at our hotel refreshed and eager to discover our new surroundings. Generally, after reaching a new destination, we just want to quickly eat and get to bed to recover!  In addition, we were also already tuned in to the slow, laid back vibe of Luang Prabang..