The Lao town where the slow boat starts, facing Chiang Khong. You arrive from Thailand over the Fourth Friendship Bridge, sleep one night and board the next day at 9 am.
Photo by Tango7174 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Clay Gilliland on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by Jean-Baptiste NORE on Unsplash
Photo by Gonzo Gooner on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Photo by Jean-Baptiste NORE on Unsplash
Photo by Tango7174 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Jean-Baptiste NORE on Unsplash
Photo by Tomasz Dunn on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Photo by Gerd Eichmann on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Jean-Baptiste NORE on Unsplash
Photo by Jakub Hałun on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Clay Gilliland on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by Alexander Blecher on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Jean-Baptiste NORE on Unsplash
Photo by Ondřej Žváček on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
Huay Xai, capital of Bokeo province, stretches along the Lao bank of the Mekong, facing Chiang Khong. Since December 11, 2013, the 630 m Fourth Friendship Bridge has crossed the river about twelve kilometres south; the ferry is still closed to foreigners. The town lives off travellers who arrive from Thailand and board the slow boat the next day. In 1890, Shan miners found black spinel here, then sapphires.
Photo by Clay Gilliland on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Since December 2024 the public boat has left at 9 am, not 11 am as many guides still say: you need to sleep in Huay Xai the night before. Allow 200,000 kip to Pakbeng and 400,000 to 500,000 to Luang Prabang. Keep hold of your ticket: some inspectors take it on day one and make you buy the second leg again.
Photo by Tango7174 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
On the hill above town, a teak temple mixing Lao and Shan styles, at the top of a long naga staircase. The view takes in the Mekong and Chiang Khong.
Photo by Gonzo Gooner on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Built around 1900 to watch river traffic from British Burma and Siam, it is named after Lazare Carnot. Two watchtowers remain, between restoration and vegetation; the site is open from 8 am to 5 pm.
Photo by Jakub Hałun on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
You can't cross on foot or by bike: a shuttle links the two checkpoints for 20 to 25 baht, more in the evening and at weekends. On the Lao side the e-visa is accepted; a visa on arrival costs about $40 in crisp notes, with a photo. Opening hours vary by source, 6 am to 10 pm or 8 am to 8 pm.
The Gibbon Experience: ziplines and nights in treehouses 30 to 45 m up, in Nam Kan National Park. Four tours of 2 or 3 days, around €110 a day depending on the season, leaving the office in town shortly after 8 am. Gibbons are mostly seen on the Classic tour.
A hotel with balconies on the main street, and two hostels: one with private rooms and a bar, the other smaller, with a garden.
Photo: Thaveesinh Hotel
A two-star hotel with balconies, next door to the Gibbon Experience office, with currency exchange and an ATM; air-conditioned rooms, some facing the river.
≈ $19 a night
Photo: Little Hostel
A small, homey hostel with a common lounge, a garden and a restaurant.
≈ $34 a night
Photo: Over the Moon Hostel
Air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms above the street, plus a restaurant, bar and terrace; paid airport shuttle.
≈ $27 a night
Booking affiliate links · average nightly price checked in October 2026
Shuttle · 20 to 25 baht
From Chiang Khong, head to the bridge, about ten kilometres away; the shuttle crosses the river, then a tuk-tuk takes you to town, about twelve kilometres, for 100 to 400 baht depending on numbers.
Slow boat · 2 days
Leaves at 9 am, night in Pakbeng, arriving in Luang Prabang late the next afternoon. Tickets at the pier or from guesthouses.
Night bus · about 12 hours to Luang Prabang
Leaves around 5:30 pm, 430,000 kip; France's foreign ministry advises against night buses. Alternatively, a minivan to Nateuy station, about 5 hours, then the Laos-China train.
Airport about 1 hour by road
Bokeo International Airport, inaugurated in March 2026, lies in the Golden Triangle zone; flights to Vientiane take about 50 minutes. Huay Xai's old airstrip has had no flights since 2022.
Times and prices from the Gibbon Experience (September 2026), Wikivoyage and travellers, with no official timetable: check again locally.
November to February are the most pleasant months: 26 to 29 °C in the afternoon, 15 to 18 °C at night and little rain. April tops 33 °C. The monsoon peaks in July and August at over 370 mm a month.
| Month | J (current month) | F (current month) | M (current month) | A (current month) | M (current month) | J (current month) | J (current month) | A (current month) | S (current month) | O (current month) | N (current month) | D (current month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| Daysof rain | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 16 | 6 | 3 |
| Mekonglevel | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Rising | High | High | High | High | Falling | Low |
| Our take | Ideal | Ideal | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Difficult | Difficult | Fair | Good | Ideal | Ideal |
| Month | Low – high | mm | River |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (current month) | 24 | Low | |
| Feb (current month) | 14 | Low | |
| Mar (current month) | 38 | Low | |
| Apr (current month) | 97 | Low | |
| May (current month) | 221 | Low | |
| Jun (current month) | 261 | Rising | |
| Jul (current month) | 371 | High | |
| Aug (current month) | 383 | High | |
| Sep (current month) | 263 | High | |
| Oct (current month) | 113 | High | |
| Nov (current month) | 44 | Falling | |
| Dec (current month) | 27 | Low |
2 tours to book in Huay Xai
Affiliate links GetYourGuide · Prices checked October 11, 2026
The basics of gem cutting with a craftsman, then polishing your own black sapphire, the 'nin' of the Bokeo mines, which you take home.
from$39
AvailabilityTwo days on the public boat with locals and other travellers, and a night in Pakbeng; ticket and transfers booked in advance.
from$58
AvailabilitySources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); bridge, Wikipedia (after TTR Weekly, 2013); border, slow boat and buses, Gibbon Experience (September 2026), Wikivoyage (2024) and travellers' reports (2026); e-visa, official Lao portal; visa and safety, France Diplomatie and FCDO (2026); Fort Carnot and Wat Chom Khao Manilat, GT-Rider and Discover Laos; sapphires, Lotus Gemology (2011); Golden Triangle zone, US Treasury (2018), Radio Free Asia (2024) and Vientiane Times (2025); Bokeo airport, Tourism Laos (2026); activities, GetYourGuide (checked October 11, 2026). Updated on October 13, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.
