Boat trips - Houeisay to Luang Prabang

We are a family of 4 (2 teenagers 14%26amp;16) and have travelled quite a bit through SE Asia. In 2005 we visited Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. As a part of that trip we took a 3 day/2 night trip from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh (mostly by boat). The total cost for that trip was $US45 pp, that included all transportation and 2 nights accommodation. While it certainly wasn%26#39;t 5 star, it was perfectly adequate and pretty much exactly what we expected. Our kids enjoyed it thoroughly and are used to roughing it, (these 3 days were quite an exhausting trip) and my wife and I have spent a lot of time in SE Asia starting in the early 1980%26#39;s, so we are quite accustomed to those kind of trips too.

This year we will be visiting Laos and we intended to do the boat trip from Houeisay to Luang Prabang, but on researching this trip, and even with all our travel experience, I%26#39;m not quite so sure. I%26#39;ve read many good reports on that trip, and just as many horror stories. There appears to be only a couple of choices, the rediculously expensive trip run by Asian Oasis and either the slow/fast ';backpacker boats';, the fast boat is ofcourse out of the question.

Then there is the ';Nagi of Mekong';, and that%26#39;s another story in itself. What is the deal with this ';Pakbeng boat mafia'; anyway. Do these guys realise the potential benefits in running properly organised/value for money trips down the Mekong, trips that don%26#39;t just cater to the backpacker crowd. They should take a look at what the Vietnamese are doing, they seem to be able to cater for all tastes at very competitive prices.

I know this topic has been beaten to death but is anyone aware of what other alternatives might be available for this boat trip, perhaps some other alternative that may have cropped up over the past couple of months or so. I certainly won%26#39;t be paying $1500+ for the 4 of us to go with Asian Oasis, and I%26#39;d rather not have to deal with the ';Pakbeng boat mafia'; either. Then again, it would be a pity to miss this part of the trip.

Boat trips - Houeisay to Luang Prabang

Hi,

I recently went on the ';expensive'; Asian Oasis trip which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was just me and the missus and I can appreciate the cost for a family is prohibitive.

Did the trip the reverse way to you and the 1st leg (Luang Prabang to Kamu Lodge)whilst booked through Asian Oasis(Luangsay)was done on the Kamu Lodge boat which is smaller/less well equiped and it might be worth your while investigating this route.

With regard your comments about tourist development/opportunities you should appreciate Laos is a very poor country several years behind Vietnam and decades behind Thailand- it%26#39;s part of its charm- enjoy it before the vultures move in!

Ps Avoid the speed boat trip at all costs!

Boat trips - Houeisay to Luang Prabang

I might investigate doing the trip in reverse as you suggest. I have read a bit about it being less crowded that way, and that might equate to less hassles; very important when travelling with your children.

I do understand that Laos is a bit behind in terms of development, but from my research I%26#39;m getting the feeling that really isn%26#39;t the main problem in this case and there is some strongarm tactics going on that are impeding competition on that boat trip. That%26#39;s what I was referring to when I mentioned the ';Pakbeng mafia';. Sure, this kind of thing happens all over Asia but I%26#39;m really surprised there%26#39;s nothing catering for the intermediate/family type travel. There%26#39;s the backpacker boats at something like $25 and Asian Oasis at something like $400, a massive difference. There is certainly a market for something in between, a big market.