Hello,
I (white falang, male, 30) will be going to Vientiane (again) soon and considering driving to Luang Prabang.
It would be the girlfriend (Thai) and myself, renting a pickup truck in Vientiane and making the trip with stops in a couple of places.
We have been thinking about doing this trip for a couple of years, already sourced/communicated with two rental truck companies, etc.
Just looking to get any feedback possible from others that have made this trip.
Thanks!
Anyone driven from Vientiane to Luang Prabang?
Anyone driven from Vientiane to Luang Prabang?
When Chuck Norris does a push up, he isn't pushing himself up, he is pushing the earth down.
If you're feeling like an adventure then fine, but it is worth mentioning that the road from Vientianne to Vang Vien and beyond is one of those winding cases that is carved out of the up and down edges/sides of the mountains and the mountains go quite high, it's a long way down in most places.
I have taken the bus service up there to these destinations you are mentioning and I must say that the bus service did not fill me with confidence, scared the crap out of me, but that was a few years ago. It might have changed but I doubt it though, but could be wrong.
However, if you are driving yourself then fine but it is worth pointing out that the roads are not very wide and have lots of bends in them with buses charging along them in both ways, not asphalt either, caution is definately the order of the day because if you look over the side of the road then it's a very long drop downwards on a great percentage of that road and from what I hear there are a fair few accidents reported on said stretch of road.
Most people fly to Luang Prabang but if you want a hair raising experience then take the roads or the bus service.
It'll probably be OK to drive yourself but be careful, for sure.
I have taken the bus service up there to these destinations you are mentioning and I must say that the bus service did not fill me with confidence, scared the crap out of me, but that was a few years ago. It might have changed but I doubt it though, but could be wrong.
However, if you are driving yourself then fine but it is worth pointing out that the roads are not very wide and have lots of bends in them with buses charging along them in both ways, not asphalt either, caution is definately the order of the day because if you look over the side of the road then it's a very long drop downwards on a great percentage of that road and from what I hear there are a fair few accidents reported on said stretch of road.
Most people fly to Luang Prabang but if you want a hair raising experience then take the roads or the bus service.
It'll probably be OK to drive yourself but be careful, for sure.
I made the trip by bus about three years ago. Everything was fine, except the guy guarding the bus with an AK-47 while we ate. That was at Viang Vang (sp?) I think.
That road had a bad rep a few years ago, so check current news. I'm not trying to scare you, just saying check recent reports. I loved Laos, and aside from people trying to sell me opium, that was my only bad experience. It's a great place and Luang Prabang is beautiful. You don't have to drive there. It's probably easier if you take a bus. Luang Prabang is small. I walked everywhere.
Just saw spitfire's response. Umm Yeah, the bus is not for the faint of heart. There are stunningly beautiful things to see, but the bus will be going too fast for you to capture them on bits.
That road had a bad rep a few years ago, so check current news. I'm not trying to scare you, just saying check recent reports. I loved Laos, and aside from people trying to sell me opium, that was my only bad experience. It's a great place and Luang Prabang is beautiful. You don't have to drive there. It's probably easier if you take a bus. Luang Prabang is small. I walked everywhere.
Just saw spitfire's response. Umm Yeah, the bus is not for the faint of heart. There are stunningly beautiful things to see, but the bus will be going too fast for you to capture them on bits.
Did the bus ride in Feb/08 and it was fine. No guys with AK47s and the bus driver was careful. Its spectacularly beautiful but if you rent a vehicle the driver won't get to enjoy it because of the twists and turns.
If you take the bus you will be besieged by hotel outs at the station. They will tell you room prices and take you there in a songthaew. When you arrive at the accommodation, hey! The rooms are a lot more expensive than quoted.
If you take the bus you will be besieged by hotel outs at the station. They will tell you room prices and take you there in a songthaew. When you arrive at the accommodation, hey! The rooms are a lot more expensive than quoted.
Happiness can't buy money
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Wanderlust
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I took the bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, with a stop at Vang Vieng 10 years ago, so this comment is not aimed at assisting the OP, but I really don't recall feeling at all worried on the journey; uncomfortable, yes, but not fearful. I also seem to remember that the roads we travelled on were good, but possibly they had just been made? And no guys with AK-47s either! I also don't recall Luang Prabang being a small place; while I did walk everywhere that was because it is my preferred way to see a new place (I did in Vientiane as well), but I thought it was a big town, and can only imagine it has got bigger. However my memory may be inaccurate so as I said this post won't be much use to the OP. Enjoy the trip anyway and try and give us a review of it when you can. 
Sorry, the guard wasn't at Viang Vang. We stopped there to make a repair on the bus. We ate somewhere past Viang Vang. The guard didn't ride the bus, just guarded it while we ate. This was in January, 2007, in a VIP style bus full of foreign tourists.HHADFan wrote:I made the trip by bus about three years ago. Everything was fine, except the guy guarding the bus with an AK-47 while we ate. That was at Viang Vang (sp?) I think.
That road had a bad rep a few years ago, so check current news. I'm not trying to scare you, just saying check recent reports. I loved Laos, and aside from people trying to sell me opium, that was my only bad experience. It's a great place and Luang Prabang is beautiful. You don't have to drive there. It's probably easier if you take a bus. Luang Prabang is small. I walked everywhere.
Just saw spitfire's response. Umm Yeah, the bus is not for the faint of heart. There are stunningly beautiful things to see, but the bus will be going too fast for you to capture them on bits.
driving in Laos
We visited Vientiene, Laos last week. Although we drove from Hua Hin to Nong Khai (and left the car in a secure parking lot) we were VERY glad we did not take the car into Laos. Just the fact that they drive on the other side of the road was enough for us . .and we actually watched a Thai driver get into trouble with the police for taking the wrong road at an intersection.
Here is my report to friends on our visit. Some details might be useful to you. The Thais in our small group used their ID cards only and had a different set of hoops to jump through. We paid a company to go into town and get the visa paperwork done at the Immigration office but we could have gone into town and done it ourselves. Cant be done at the border evidently.
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We traveled across the border to Laos last week for a visit with a friend from university days and had a great time. We didn’t see all the sights of Vientiene, but we were impressed by those we had the chance to visit . .especially their Victory Monument which is an amazing piece of architecture.
My impressions of the country as a whole were not altogether positive. I am spoiled by living in Thailand and travel to a country that is poorer, less well organized, dirtier and less friendly just made me appreciate what we have here.
The border crossing is about as primitive as you can get. You need to take a taxi to the border, another after you cross. Nothing is clear about the lines you have to stand in for immigration and nobody smiles. You have to pay a fee to enter and leave ( apart from the visa which cost me over 1000 baht) and there is no sign saying how much the fee is, but there IS a sign saying that you should have your money ready . .and different nationalities pay different fees!
Vientiene must be the among the smallest and poorest capital cities in the world.
The lack of smiles was also evident at our hotel. In Thailand, everybody smiles and wais. Here, there were no wais, no smiles and the staff didn’t even look up when we walked in. We had to work to get their attention. ( And our friend’s mother owns the hotel!)
And Thailand is so clean by comparison! This reminded me a lot of KL in Malaysia where I saw the same thing. National monuments, major temples, tourist sights of all sorts . . .and piles of trash lying about, papers and litter everywhere you looked . . . including inside the major temple! You would never see that in Thailand.
Anyway, we had a great time and our friend drove us around. We had thought to bring our car, but we left it at the border and were very glad we did. Traffic is on the right there. One thing in their favor, they DO have a lot of traffic police. Every major interception had three to five nattily dressed police on each corner ( I counted 14 at one intersection)
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Good luck with your trip Poe!
Here is my report to friends on our visit. Some details might be useful to you. The Thais in our small group used their ID cards only and had a different set of hoops to jump through. We paid a company to go into town and get the visa paperwork done at the Immigration office but we could have gone into town and done it ourselves. Cant be done at the border evidently.
_____________________________________________________________
We traveled across the border to Laos last week for a visit with a friend from university days and had a great time. We didn’t see all the sights of Vientiene, but we were impressed by those we had the chance to visit . .especially their Victory Monument which is an amazing piece of architecture.
My impressions of the country as a whole were not altogether positive. I am spoiled by living in Thailand and travel to a country that is poorer, less well organized, dirtier and less friendly just made me appreciate what we have here.
The border crossing is about as primitive as you can get. You need to take a taxi to the border, another after you cross. Nothing is clear about the lines you have to stand in for immigration and nobody smiles. You have to pay a fee to enter and leave ( apart from the visa which cost me over 1000 baht) and there is no sign saying how much the fee is, but there IS a sign saying that you should have your money ready . .and different nationalities pay different fees!
Vientiene must be the among the smallest and poorest capital cities in the world.
The lack of smiles was also evident at our hotel. In Thailand, everybody smiles and wais. Here, there were no wais, no smiles and the staff didn’t even look up when we walked in. We had to work to get their attention. ( And our friend’s mother owns the hotel!)
And Thailand is so clean by comparison! This reminded me a lot of KL in Malaysia where I saw the same thing. National monuments, major temples, tourist sights of all sorts . . .and piles of trash lying about, papers and litter everywhere you looked . . . including inside the major temple! You would never see that in Thailand.
Anyway, we had a great time and our friend drove us around. We had thought to bring our car, but we left it at the border and were very glad we did. Traffic is on the right there. One thing in their favor, they DO have a lot of traffic police. Every major interception had three to five nattily dressed police on each corner ( I counted 14 at one intersection)
___________________________________________________
Good luck with your trip Poe!
Border
Forgot to add that the border is very crowded especially on weekends so you might want to schedule around that. We returned to Thailand on a Sunday and it was a madhouse especially on the Lao side.