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Pakbeng or Luang Prabang?
The boat trip can be a direct one to Luang Prabang or to reach only Pakbeng, from where Luang Prabang can then be reached by road.
Pakbeng is rather small and there is no special reason for stopping there, except for this option being cheaper than taking a direct trip to Luang Prabang, even when factoring in the ground transport. The bus trip from Pakbeng to Luang Prabang lasts 12 hours and departs from a station located a few kilometers south of town.
Boats
There are two types of boats servicing the line, fast and slow ones. The slow ones stop in Pakbeng for a night since the trip longs two days.
Boats leave every day except on Sundays and tickets can be bought for the whole trip to Luang Prabang or only until Pakbeng. The boats leave around 9 AM from a pier located slightly north of downtown Huay Xai, the trip costs around 600 baht (sometimes bargaining is possible).
Regardless the passengers number the boat is never full: passengers would be crowded up until nobody is left on the pier. Sitting on the roof during the trip is allowed.
Speed boats are small, carrying up to six people. The first half of the trip to Pakbeng costs 440 baht and longs three hours. The whole trip to Luang Prabang costs 880 baht and longs six hours. The last option is extremely demanding from the passengers since the trip is rather violent.
If coming to Huay Xai from Thailand do not buy the tickets in Chiang Khong, since these are overpriced.
Pakbeng
Pakbeng is a small village, located on the Mekong River about halfway between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang. Pakbeng is connected by a road with Udom Xai along the Nam Beng River.
The town is a major stop for the slow boats running from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai. There are several small guesthouses that usually have attached restaurants, grocery shops, a sauna, and hill tribes living close by.
A small wat is on the hills near the village; it displays a typical style of the Lanna Kingdom. Many of its temples have been destroyed.
Luang Prabang
"Oh, no! Not another one!," I thought while looking at a sign announcing Luang Prabang as yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. After seeing several, they became a kind of warning: "This is a World Tourism Marketing Site." After all, the town of Jinghong, the 21st century slaves in Bolivia’s lowlands and Aisha Adnan Al-Bahsh wounded sister hold a no less important testimony of human culture than any one of those sites.
A true spot of interest needs no tags. Any human facing Bangkok’s Grand Palace, or watching the brave struggle of human victims against their systematic oppression, knows he’s watching something special. The official tag is a marketing sign, a price tag.
The recent appearance of "Wonders Lists" competing with UNESCO was expected and similarly oriented. Furthermore, the appearance of World Heritage Sites collectors resembles those collecting country’s visits. The number of items in those lists often replaces the experience; meeting a culture and its people takes time, their treasures can be neither counted nor tagged.
A Bit of History
Founded as Muang Sua, the town of Xieng Dong Xieng Thong became the capital of the Lan Xang Kingdom between 1353 and 1560. When this kingdom ceased to exist in 1707, the city became the capital of the Luang Prabang principality and later the capital of the Kingdom of Laos until the Communist Revolution of 1975.
Downtown Attractions
Luang Prabang is small and much more compact than any other Lao town, exploring it by foot is a breeze. Most attractions are crammed nearby Xiang Thong, the town’s main road. Little is left of the royal past; yet, the mixture of architectural styles hints at its past importance and colonial period. Buddhist temples adorn the downtown area; with the exception of Haw Kham and Phu Si they are not of special interest.
On Sisavangvong Road, and parallel to the river, is a night market selling souvenirs and crafts; many Hmong people sell items related to their heritage.
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