Slow Boat on the Mekong
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Robert Frost
4/8/20249 min read
Prior to signing up for the Nagi Tour Company’s Mekong cruise, I watched a lot of YouTube videos and read a lot of blogs. We weren’t sure how comfortable this experience would be, and 2 days on a boat for 8 hours each day is a long time. We are happy to say the time flew by, and we had a great time.
The views along the Mekong were beautiful. We expected to see just flat land, but the landscape was constantly changing with villages, valleys, hills, and rock formations. You could see locals on the side of the river fishing or panning for gold. Getting even a quick glimpse into Laotian life is amazing.
One of the other things we enjoyed is getting to know some of the other travelers. We met people from Germany, Australia, New Zealand, just to name a few. Hearing about their travel experiences and personal stories was amazing and motivating for us.
There are many tour companies that operate on the Mekong, but we strongly recommend the Nagi. From the time they picked us up in Thailand (read our blog titled “The Thai-Laos Border Crossing”), everything was professionally run and managed. Our tour guide, La, was very knowledgeable and helpful on the trip. We enjoyed getting to know him!
The boat was 49 meters long and covered to protect you from the sun. It was expertly captained by Captain Singham. I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure his name is pronounced “sink ‘em” which is quite fitting for a boat captain.
Since we were almost always moving, there was a constant breeze, and most people felt chilly. They provide blankets that you are able to use. The seats are set up like picnic tables with benches as backs. They all have cushions, and there are numerous areas to spread out and walk around.
Each day, the boat Captain’s wife makes lunch for everyone. It’s traditional food and delicious. It is made in a small kitchen on the boat. Somehow she works her magic and feeds the thousands!
On the first day, we traveled south for about 132 km. At about 2 pm, we stopped at a local village to see how they lived. You get the opportunity to walk through their village and interact with some of the locals. Hardly anyone speaks English. We recommend that you bring some bags of candy for the kids. As all kids do, they love to have a sweet treat, and it helps break the ice as everyone is just staring at each other awkwardly. If you don’t want to contribute to the cavity problem of a local village, you can bring some school supplies.
After the first day of cruising, you stop for the night at the village of Pakbeng. The cruise company can coordinate two different lodging experiences, or you can coordinate on your own. We went with their slightly more expensive option (only about $70 including breakfast), and we were very pleased with the accommodations. We chose Le Grand, and they also provide transportation to the hotel. Other hotel companies didn’t, and it was a long walk up a steep hill. We recommend also just having a small overnight bag to take with you. You can leave your larger suitcase on the boat.
We arrived at the Le Grand hotel around 5 pm. It is situated on the hillside with amazing views and beautiful landscaping. Every room is its own villa. They have a beautiful pool as well. We ate dinner at their restaurant that was reasonably priced. The only thing that we felt was overpriced was the wine, which was $8 per glass. That’s cheap for prices in the States and Europe but very expensive for prices in SE Asia.
The next morning, we started the day with a nice American-style breakfast while watching the sunrise through the valley. We caught our ride to the boat ramp at 7:30 and felt bad watching others trek down the hill with their luggage. Crystal owes me!
The second day was as nice as the first; however, the terrain changed a bit. We saw many more villages as we traveled south. We had two stops on this day prior to arriving at Luang Prabang.
The first stop was at the Pak Ou Caves, which are famous for having hundreds of small Buddhas that have been left in the caves over the years.
The second stop was at a “whiskey village” where local villages make their own wine whiskey and souvenirs. You can sample their products and walk their market. We found that the prices in the market were higher than the prices we saw in the night market at Luang Prabang.
Once back on the boat, it's only about 30 minutes until you reach the Luang Prabang boat ramp. The Nagi tour company provides transportation via air-conditioned vans to your accommodations.
Whatsapp: +865 20 98 091 888
Our tour guide La
Captain Singham
In the back of the boat there was a nice place to relax and spread out
Crystal makes friends wherever she goes, even if she has to bribe them with candy or stuffed animals.
Sunrise view from the Le Grand Hotel, Pakbeng Laos
Dinner at the Le Grand Hotel
Pak Ou Caves
Why wouldn't you put a snake in a bottle of whiskey?
Blanton's future competition.
The layout in the front of the boat.
Prior to signing up for the Nagi Tour Company’s Mekong cruise, I watched a lot of YouTube videos and read a lot of blogs. We weren’t sure how comfortable this experience would be, and 2 days on a boat for 8 hours each day is a long time. We are happy to say the time flew by, and we had a great time.
The views along the Mekong were beautiful. We expected to see just flat land, but the landscape was constantly changing with villages, valleys, hills, and rock formations. You could see locals on the side of the river fishing or panning for gold. Getting even a quick glimpse into Laotian life is amazing.
One of the other things we enjoyed is getting to know some of the other travelers. We met people from Germany, Australia, New Zealand, just to name a few. Hearing about their travel experiences and personal stories was amazing and motivating for us.
There are many tour companies that operate on the Mekong, but we strongly recommend the Nagi. From the time they picked us up in Thailand (read our blog titled “The Thai-Laos Border Crossing”), everything was professionally run and managed. Our tour guide, La, was very knowledgeable and helpful on the trip. We enjoyed getting to know him!
The boat was 49 meters long and covered to protect you from the sun. It was expertly captained by Captain Singham. I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure his name is pronounced “sink ‘em” which is quite fitting for a boat captain.
Since we were almost always moving, there was a constant breeze, and most people felt chilly. They provide blankets that you are able to use. The seats are set up like picnic tables with benches as backs. They all have cushions, and there are numerous areas to spread out and walk around.
Each day, the boat Captain’s wife makes lunch for everyone. It’s traditional food and delicious. It is made in a small kitchen on the boat. Somehow she works her magic and feeds the thousands!
On the first day, we traveled south for about 132 km. At about 2 pm, we stopped at a local village to see how they lived. You get the opportunity to walk through their village and interact with some of the locals. Hardly anyone speaks English. We recommend that you bring some bags of candy for the kids. As all kids do, they love to have a sweet treat, and it helps break the ice as everyone is just staring at each other awkwardly. If you don’t want to contribute to the cavity problem of a local village, you can bring some school supplies.
After the first day of cruising, you stop for the night at the village of Pakbeng. The cruise company can coordinate two different lodging experiences, or you can coordinate on your own. We went with their slightly more expensive option (only about $70 including breakfast), and we were very pleased with the accommodations. We chose Le Grand, and they also provide transportation to the hotel. Other hotel companies didn’t, and it was a long walk up a steep hill. We recommend also just having a small overnight bag to take with you. You can leave your larger suitcase on the boat.
We arrived at the Le Grand hotel around 5 pm. It is situated on the hillside with amazing views and beautiful landscaping. Every room is its own villa. They have a beautiful pool as well. We ate dinner at their restaurant that was reasonably priced. The only thing that we felt was overpriced was the wine, which was $8 per glass. That’s cheap for prices in the States and Europe but very expensive for prices in SE Asia.
The next morning, we started the day with a nice American-style breakfast while watching the sunrise through the valley. We caught our ride to the boat ramp at 7:30 and felt bad watching others trek down the hill with their luggage. Crystal owes me!
The second day was as nice as the first; however, the terrain changed a bit. We saw many more villages as we traveled south. We had two stops on this day prior to arriving at Luang Prabang.
The first stop was at the Pak Ou Caves, which are famous for having hundreds of small Buddhas that have been left in the caves over the years.
The second stop was at a “whiskey village” where local villages make their own wine whiskey and souvenirs. You can sample their products and walk their market. We found that the prices in the market were higher than the prices we saw in the night market at Luang Prabang.
Once back on the boat, it's only about 30 minutes until you reach the Luang Prabang boat ramp. The Nagi tour company provides transportation via air-conditioned vans to your accommodations.
Whatsapp: +865 20 98 091 888
