Mekong River Cruises in Luang Prabang

If you want to do a Mekong river cruise while you are in Luang Prabang, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t, there are a few options open to you ranging from grass-roots to fabulously luxurious.

A Mekong river cruise is one of those must do things while you are in Luang Prabang because the Mekong is such a large part of what makes Luang Prabang what it is. You will stroll along its banks, eat at a riverside restaurant while gazing across it and, if you’re really lucky, have a view of it from your hotel balcony. If you can resist the lure of a cruise on the Mekong then you are a stronger person than I am.

In my travels I’ve been lucky enough to have spent time on the Nile, the Thames, the Seine, the Yangtze and probably a few others that escape me at the moment and I was pretty pleased to be able to add the Mekong to my river cruise list.

The first, and most easily available options, is one of the many boatmen who will be asking you if you want a cruise as you are walking around the peninsula. They have a boat moored just down the bank and will happily take you for a trip at a negotiable price. If you are the adventurous type or just want a true grass-roots experience then they are a really viable option. Don’t expect much in the way of luxury, depending on the boat you may or may not get a roof and seating may range from a wooden board to seats that look like they have been stolen from a plane. Safety equipment is also variable so inspecting the boat on offer before accepting the cruise is a wise decision.

Negotiate the price and the details before you get in the boat, if you are offering too little then they simply won’t take you. A two hour cruise, one hour up and one hour back will probably cost you about 150,000 kip pp depending on how good you are at bargaining. Just make sure that the agreement is for a return trip and you don’t find yourself having to pay more to come home.

But if you are after something a little less random and a bit more luxurious then there are a number to choose from.

Nava Mekong offers a boat styled as a floating restaurant with seating for 40 people around 10 individual tables. There are two cruises a day, a 4 hour lunch cruise to Pak Ou caves for $25 pp or a 2 hour sunset dinner cruise including traditional dancing for $30 pp. At the higher end of the market from the traditional boatmen these are really good value cruises, although you will be sharing the boat with a number of other passengers. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how social you feel. It does offer a good option if you are part of a larger group.

Bookings can be made direct at info@navamekong.com or at any of the myriad booking agencies in town or at the desk of your guesthouse.

Bounmi Cruises offer a diverse range of cruises on a smaller, intimate and traditional boat with lounge and beanbag style seating. Cruises available include a 2.5 hour sunset cruise for 2 that is inclusive of beer, wine and snacks for $175, up to a 6 hour Pak Ou cave cruise for a maximum of 6 people, including beer, wine, lunch and a guide for the caves, ranging in price from $75 pp for 6 passengers to $325 if you want to do it on your own.

As well as these you can also book Bounmi for a fishing trip to the Captains favourite fishing spots or an overnight cruise that will see you camping on the sandy banks of the Mekong. This one ranges in price from $100 to $245 pp depending on the number of passengers. Bounmi offers a full range of cruises at a price reflecting the smaller number of passengers (you get the boat to yourselves) and the flexibility of the cruise.

You can book online but will need to book at least 2 days ahead and a 50% deposit is required to hold your booking. Credit cards are not accepted but you can direct transfer or pay cash at the office. A map showing the office location, near Dara Market on Kitsalat road, is on the Bounmi website.

Luxury on the Mekong offers truly luxury Mekong river cruises. Their boat is the only one on this list to offer cabins: a forward stateroom with a queen sized bed and full ensuite bathroom, and an aft stateroom with a king sized bed and full ensuite bathroom. This makes them the perfect choice for overnight cruises for one or two couples. The on-board kitchen produces gourmet meals for the lunch and dinner cruises.

Day cruises for up to 8 passengers include trips to Pak Ou caves starting at $770 for one person and increasing by $225 for each additional passenger. There is also a half day elephant experience that will see you cruising to a rendezvous with an elephant and the opportunity to ride and then wash the elephant in the Mekong. This one starts at $920 for 2 people. A 3 day/2 night cruise to the Thai border lets you really take advantage of the luxury of those two cabins. $11,400 for two people or $12,000 for 4.

Quotes are available for customised cruises.

Enquiries can be made through the website or laoscharters@gmail.com

Of course you could always take the cross river ferry for less than $2 return. It’s a great way to explore the other side of the Mekong which is something I highly recommended thing you do while in Luang Prabang.