Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) Tourist Guide


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Cruising the Mekong in Style:
From Luang Prabang to Chiang Khong

Text & Images : Reinhard Hohler

Mighty Mekong

[The Mekong River is one of the world's greatest waterways. Chiang Mai resident and Travel Consultant Reinhard Hohler tells us all about it, from the perspective of his recent 3-day pilot cruise from Luang Prabang, UNESCO's World Heritage town, to a rural port in Northern Thailand ].

Located in the heart of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), the former Lao royal town of Luang Prabang is the ideal base for exploring the mighty Mekong River, which is the world's 12th longest, with its snow-fed headwaters lying high on the Tibetan Plateau in China's Qinghai Province .

With its length of some 4,200km, the living Mekong tumbles through deep gorges to enter China's mountainous Yunnan Province at Deqin in Shangri-La, passing the area of Dali, and winding its way through tropical Xishuangbanna. From Jinghong, formerly called Chiang Hung, the river reaches mainland Southeast Asia along the borders of Myanmar's Shan State and Laos, before reaching the infamous Golden Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet.

From the old town of Chiang Saen, it passes a short stretch of Northern Thailand before entering Laos and reaching both the former royal city of Luang Prabang and the present capital Vientiane. After forming the border between Southern Laos and Northeast Thailand, the Mekong crashes over the spectacular Khon Phapheng Falls and then passes into Cambodia, where it enters a broad floodplain to reach the capital Phnom Penh and its huge alluvial delta in the southern part of Vietnam.

To travel on the Mekong River in style, there is no better place to start than Luang Prabang, which is easily reached from Chiang Mai by plane with Lao Airlines. As guest of the Luang Prabang-based Mekong River Cruises (Web-site: www.cruisemekong.com), I myself was invited to join a pioneering and unique three-day river cruise on July 18-20, 2009. On board the newly-constructed river vessel RV the Mekong Sun the drama of religion and culture of lands along the river unfolds, as well as the drama of different lifestyles of a richly mixed population.

This 3 days/2 nights cruise took me from the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang with its more than 30 Buddhist temple sites up the Mekong River to Bokeo Province - some 400km. Ban Huai Xai is a small Lao town where you are able to cross the border by ferryboat to Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.

The Mekong Sun, with its 14 cabins is the most comfortable ship capable of mastering the wild sections of the Upper Mekong

River. Between Luang Prabang and the Golden Triangle, it is the only cabin cruiser available. Accommodation and service are tops and guests enjoy a very exclusive yet casual traveling experience, residing in comfortable cabins and marveling at the formerly virtually unseen wonders of the Mekong. A selection of Asian and continental food is provided throughout the cruise.

Wine and beer as well as spirituous beverages are available.

A well-stocked library is on board providing a resource any time you want a rest from the exotic view at either side. Our schedule on this pilot trip was as follows:

Day 1 (July 18): Luang Prabang - Pak Ou - Hmong Ek Village

Embarkation was at 8.00 o'clock, the time when the first small boats were leaving the port of Luang Prabang on their daily sightseeing excursions. It took us an hour to prepare the Mekong Sun for departure, and it was a relief to discover that though the vessel is powered by a huge Chinese diesel engine, the noise is well damped down and not at all disturbing.

Managing Director of Mekong River Cruises, Mr. Oth, 48, a native from Pak Xe in the south of Laos, brought his family along and supervised the crew of 16, including the captain and river pilot. As we drew away from the pier we saw the glorious sight of Wat Xieng Thong, with its lion-guarded staircase. Its sweeping roofs in the early morning sun stood testimony to the temple's reputation as one of the gems of Laotian religious architecture. We cruised north for approximately two hours and arrived at the famous Tham Ting Caves, where thousands of small Buddha images stand inside the caverns. This sacred pilgrimage site is located just opposite the wide mouth of the Nam Ou River, which is believed to be the old immigration road of the Lao people coming from Southern China more than 1,000 years ago. Relaxing on the deck of our cruiser, we were able to soak up the sight of the still untouched and timeless scenery.

The river traffic suddenly thinned as we made our way upstream, enjoying fantastic mountainous landscapes along the river, which here flows from east to west. Thick bamboo jungles and rice fields of shifting cultivation can be seen at either side. Villages of the different Lao ethnic groups appeared - small villages of the Lao Lum (the 'real' Lao people) with stilt houses near the river, and the Lao Theung (mostly Khamu) higher up and slightly out of view, and even Lao Sung (Hmong) earthbound resettlements, all alternate with each other.

When the sun went down, we decided to spend the night on a secluded sandbank opposite the village of Hmong Ek. As privileged passengers, we were able to enjoy the lounge on the upper deck, where movies can be seen on a jumbo screen. We also sampled the sounds and silences of the peaceful night from the deck, eventually turning in in our comfortable private cabins.

DAY 2 (July 19): Hmong Ek Village - Pak Beng - Barbecue Site

Leaving early in the morning, American breakfast was served after an hour, but we also had the choice of the local fare of sticky rice and fish. The diversity of the landscapes in this stretch is astonishing, as we now slipped through narrow rock formations, then slithered between forested hills. In the background, we could hear magical birds and the cries of wild monkeys. Along some protruding sandbanks, some young women were busy with washing for gold. I was enjoying the tranquility of Northern Laos, a real retreat from the hustle-and-bustle of daily life.

Around noon, we had a short one-hour stop in the market place of Pak Beng. The time permited a few of the crew-members to go shopping at the nearby market. I visited Pak Beng Lodge, just opposite a newly established elephant camp, to check my incoming Internet e-mail messages. Actually, Pak Beng will be developed as an important crossroads on the Mekong River. National Route 2 links Pak Beng with Oudom Xai, a provincial capital, from where people can continue to Boten at the China border or to Dien Bien Phu, crossing the Lao-Vietnamese border at Sobhoun. In the other direction from Pak Beng and across the river, the road continues to Muong Ngeun in Sayabouri Province to link to Nan in Thailand. The necessary ferry point at the Mekong River a few kilometres above Pak Beng is already in service.

The afternoon cruise took us between green and heavily forested hills, until the river starts heading northwards again towards Pak Tha, where the Nam Tha River joins the Mekong. Before reaching there, our cruise boat stopped at a secluded sandbank to enjoy a romantic barbecue party as twilight gave way to the darkness of night. Lao Beer was served and Lao Lao, the local rice liquor, together with sticky rice and grilled fish, pork and chicken. Some of the happy crewmembers indulged in playing local music and dancing the popular ramwong. Later, some stars looked down between the clouds at our festive little party. What a setting, I thought, and found it hard to turn in, sleepy though I was.

DAY 3 (July 20): Barbecue Site - Pak Tha - Huai Xai/Chiang Khong

Cruising started again in the early morning, shortly after sunrise. After a small breakfast with strengthening Lao coffee, time ran quickly. Near noon, we passed Pak Tha, where the water becomes muddy. I was told that the Chinese are promoting the plantation of rubber trees in Luang Nam Tha Province, and with the dwindling of the forest cover, erosion and mudslides are becoming more common. After a last local lunch, it was time to say goodbye to the Laotian crew who disembarked at Ban Huai Xai. In the distance, I saw Phu Chi Fa Mountain in Chiang Rai Province. Check-out and disembarking at Chiang Khong followed later in the afternoon around 16.00 o'clock, having passed the Lao Immigration checkpoint at Huai Xai. From there, you cross the mighty Mekong River in a small long-tail boat (40 baht p.p.) to proceed to the Thai border checkpoint in Chiang Khong, which normally closes at 18.00 o'clock. The cruise ship continued up to the Golden Triangle, where the Chinese will open a new casino complex soon, right on the bank of the Mekong. Will this be the beginning of a Chinese entry into our southern tranquility, I wonder?

My return trip to Chiang Mai was organised by the nice people of Nam Khong Guesthouse, who also run a tour office in Chiang Mai with visa services for Laos, Myanmar, China and Vietnam. The transfer from Chiang Khong to Chiang Mai in a modern minibus (250 Baht p.p.) departed at 19.00 o'clock to arrive in Chiang Mai around midnight.

An overwhelmingly impressive tour was over and I am certainly looking forward to my next one.

Reinhard Hohler is an experienced tour director and GMS Media Travel Consultant based in Chiang Mai. For further information, he can be reached by e-mail: sara@cmnet.co.th