May 14, 201313 yr I'm planning a trip to Luang Prabang in July. Plan is to fly up with boyfriend and return by river or land. Looking for suggestions on hotels, nightlife and if returning by river is the way to go. We would probably fly back from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai to BKK.
May 14, 201313 yr I did this journey (in the opposite direction) as a visa run in January, spending a couple of days in Luang Prabang for chill out time. The boats leave from and return to Chiang Khong in Chiangrai province, which is a 2+ hour bus journey from Chiang Rai city, so you would need to stay in Chiang Khong, Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai overnight before flying to Bangkok. As to the river trip, it depends on what you like. Basically, you spend 8 hours a day for 2 days on a tour cruiser, broken by an overnight stay at Pak Bang, and a couple of visits to rather lacklustre tourist trap villages on the way. You also get to see the Tam Ting (aka Pak Ou) caves, which are well worth a visit. Personally, though, I would hire a car in Luang Prabang to take me to Pak Ou - they don't half rush you on these organised tours! That all said, it's not about the stops, it's about the travelling. In my opinion, it was well worth making the journey for that. If you just want to sit back in peace for a couple of days and watch some wonderful scenery roll past, then it's for you. If that would bore you rigid, then it's not. You might want to bear in mind that July is in the middle of the Lao rainy season. That could detract from the pleasure of travelling on a semi open boat. I booked a trip with Nagi of Mekong. They're a good company. The tours are delivered as promised on the website: http://www.nagiofmekong.com/home Luang Prabang is also a relaxed, laid back place (although a lot more sophisticated now than when I first visited 4 years ago). There are numerous hotels for all budgets. I stayed in the Saynamkhan River View guesthouse, chosen because it was cheap, adequate and well located. Good value for money, but you might like something a little more luxurious. http://www.saynamkhan-guesthouse.com/ I'll leave nightlife to others.
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