Huay Xai

Mekong border town in northwest Laos, starting point for the slow boat to Luang Prabang.

Huay Xai (also spelled Houeixay or Houei Sai) sits on the Mekong in the far northwest of Laos, directly opposite Chiang Khong in Thailand. For most travelers, it serves one purpose: as the starting point for the two-day slow boat journey down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, one of Southeast Asia's classic river trips.

The slow boats leave each morning and take two days, overnighting in the riverside town of Pak Beng. The scenery is wonderful — limestone cliffs, dense jungle, and small villages along the riverbanks. Bring snacks, a cushion, and something to read.

The Gibbon Experience, a zipline and treehouse eco-adventure in the Bokeo Nature Reserve, is based near Huay Xai and is one of the more unusual things you can do in Laos. You sleep in treehouses high in the forest canopy and travel between them on ziplines, with a chance of spotting endangered black-crested gibbons. Book well in advance.

The town itself is small and pleasant enough for a day. The temple of Vat Chom Khao Manilat sits on a hill above town with views over the Mekong. The riverside strip of guesthouses and restaurants is a good place to spend an evening waiting for the slow boat. The Laos-China Railway has a station at Boten, about 200 kilometres to the northeast, which has opened an alternative route into northern Laos from Yunnan province.

Guide

Getting There

Most travellers arrive from Thailand via the Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, which connects Huay Xai to Chiang Khong across the Mekong. The crossing is straightforward: buses run from Chiang Rai's bus terminal to Chiang Khong, and shared songthaews shuttle between the Thai and Lao immigration offices on either side of the bridge. Lao visas on arrival are available for most nationalities.

Ban Huoeisay Airport (IATA: HOE) handles seasonal domestic flights to Vientiane and Luang Prabang; schedules change and service can be irregular. The Laos-China Railway has a station at Boten, about 200 kilometres to the northeast, connecting to Kunming and the Chinese high-speed network — an increasingly popular entry route from southern China.

From Huay Xai, the primary onward route is by slow boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang (two days), or by speedboat (three hours, but significantly less comfortable and more dangerous).

Guide

Things to Do

Huay Xai is primarily a transit point, but the town has a pleasant, unhurried atmosphere and is worth an overnight stay. Most travellers are here for the slow boat to Luang Prabang or for the Gibbon Experience in the Bokeo Nature Reserve.

The temple of Vat Chom Khao Manilat sits on a small hill above town, reached by a flight of steps. It is a working Buddhist temple with fine views over the Mekong and across to Chiang Khong in Thailand. The riverside itself — a strip of guesthouses and restaurants overlooking the wide brown river — is the place to sit in the evenings and watch the sun go down over the Thai bank.