Series: Mekong River Cruise, Laos

Not Your Typical Slow Boat to Luang Prabang

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Chess match on the roof of our boat
This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series Mekong River Cruise, Laos

Over the years I’d heard all the horror stories about crossing from northern Thailand into Laos and taking a slow boat to Luang Prabang. Each day hundreds of travelers cross the Mekong River and join the crush at Lao Immigration, where they wait to be stamped into the country. Once approved, they’re herded like cattle … Read more

Vat Phou Cruise Through Four Thousand Islands on the Mekong River – C’est Magnifique!

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One of the Vat Phou palaces on the valley floor curently being restored
This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series Mekong River Cruise, Laos

I rubbed the gunk from my eyes and stepped off the overnight sleeping bus in Pakse, Laos. A pack of cutthroat taxi drivers instantly surrounded me, jostling and jockeying. “Where you go?” shouted one. “I give you best price,” insisted another.  “Sinouk Cafe,” I answered groggily. The taxi drivers exchanged a knowing look that should … Read more