Chiang Rai

From Laos to Thailand by slowboat

After a few fantastic days in Luang Prabang, it was time to leave Laos and continue our journey towards Thailand. But instead of taking a flight, we chose to do something that I had been looking forward to the most during the trip – taking a slowboat along the Mekong River.

The slowboat journey from Luang Prabang towards Thailand is not just a way of getting from Laos to Thailand. The journey itself is a big part of the experience. Over two days, you travel along the Mekong River and get to see parts of Laos that you might otherwise easily have missed.

On the first morning, we boarded the boat and began travelling north. The boat was simple and far from a luxurious means of transportation, but that was also part of the charm. We got comfortable, took out the camera and started enjoying the scenery.

The Mekong River winds its way through an incredibly beautiful landscape. On both sides we saw green mountains, jungle and small villages. Sometimes we passed people working near the river, and sometimes there was almost nothing around us.

It was a very different feeling compared to sitting on an aeroplane. Here we could really see how the landscape changed kilometre by kilometre.

During the day, we mostly sat around talking, listening to music, taking pictures and looking out over the Mekong. The pace was slow, exactly as the name slowboat suggests, but that actually made the experience even better.

After several hours on the river, we began approaching Pakbeng, where we would spend the night. When the boat arrived, it was already clear that this was a completely different type of destination compared to Luang Prabang.

Pakbeng is a small town that mainly functions as an overnight stop for travellers doing the slowboat journey. It was quite a special feeling to arrive after spending an entire day on the Mekong River.

We found accommodation, had dinner and took it easy in the evening. After a full day on the boat, it was actually quite nice to stretch our legs and walk around for a while.

The next morning it was time to continue the journey. We went back to the boat and continued travelling along the Mekong. The landscape was still fantastic, and it almost felt unreal that we were sitting there slowly travelling towards a new country.

During the second day, you really got into the slowboat rhythm. There was no stress. The river set the pace, and all we really had to do was sit back and enjoy the journey.

For me, it became one of the most memorable transport journeys of the entire trip. It is easy to think of transportation as something boring that should simply be done as quickly as possible, but here the transportation itself became an experience.

Eventually we approached Thailand. After two days on the Mekong River, it was a special feeling knowing that we would soon leave Laos behind and enter our next country.

When we finally reached the border area and continued towards Chiang Rai, it felt almost strange that the journey was already over. Two days earlier we had been sitting in Luang Prabang, and now we were in Thailand.

Chiang Rai became our first real stop in Thailand. After the slow and peaceful journey along the Mekong, it was exciting to arrive in a new city and start exploring northern Thailand.

Chiang Rai is known for its spectacular temples, so the first thing we wanted to do was visit some of them. The most famous one is without a doubt Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple.

The White Temple is something completely different from the traditional temples we had seen in Laos. The white architecture and incredibly detailed decorations make the place very special.

We also visited Wat Rong Suea Ten, also known as the Blue Temple. As the name suggests, the temple is mainly known for its blue colour and detailed decorations.

Chiang Rai also had a completely different atmosphere compared to Bangkok and the larger tourist cities in Thailand. It felt calmer and more relaxed, which was perfect after our days in Laos.

We also spent time walking around the city, trying Thai food and simply taking it easy. After many days of transportation and excursions, it was nice not to have every hour planned.

Another highlight was the local night market. Just like in Laos, food markets are a big part of the journey, and Chiang Rai was no exception.

There we could try different Thai dishes, snacks and desserts while walking around among the market stalls. It became a great way to finish our days in northern Thailand.

After experiencing Chiang Rai, it was time to continue south. We would leave the mountains and northern Thailand behind and head towards a completely different part of the country.

The next stop was Krabi. From mountains, temples and the Mekong River, we would now continue towards the beaches, islands and turquoise waters of southern Thailand.