Laos forum

Well I went by minivan, not sure about other modes of transport though. The journey from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng is stunning, takes about 5 hours and is mostly through mountains, absolutely breath taking! From Vang Vieng to Vientiane it takes another 3 hours, the road is generally straight and not as interesting.

To Laura_B & LancasterLad,
Thanks for the info, guy's.
I'll look for the VIP mini bus in Luang Prabang & travel in style.
Found a great place to stay in Vang Vieng so it should be pretty cool.
Thanks again for the help,
Mike

Rover,

Trip takes around 9 hours -- people do it every day. Worth flying though if you don't want to spend 9-10 hours on a minibus

G'Day riki_nt,
Thanks for the info. -- useful tip!!
Can I pick the VIP bus up in Luang Prabang when I arrive there or do I need to book in advance?
Cheers

It comes down to paying your money and taking your chance. Both VIP buses we took from Vientiance to V V and V V to LP were rickety old relics, and people were sat on plastic seats in the aisle. Getting to the bus was by feeder van, and obviously if you got there first(ish) you got the pick of the seats. Most of the minivans I saw looked alright, but I suppose that people carrying excessive baggage can make it a cramped ride.

Don't miss out on V V though. Stay a few days, and you'll really enjoy the area.

Hi Longleat,
Staying at the Apsara in Luang Prabang & the Thavonsouk in Vang Vieng.
thavonsouk@hotmail.com
All the best.

I did once hear of some people who did it by river, via some really beautiful lakes (maybe Nam Ngum???) and I think they either camped or did a basic homestay. I am not sure of the details but this seems to be a really different way of doing things ... everyone else just takes the bus.

G'Day Sylvia,
We are planning to do the same trip the opposite way -- LP to SR as follows: Taxi/bus Vientiane to Nong Khong -- Over night sleeper to Bangkok (arr. 05.45am) -- sky train across the city to the Northern bus terminal -- Bus to Aranyaprathet --tuk tuk to the border -- Taxi to Siem Reap (try & share this as its $45) Turn the trip around & there you have it.
Its the long way comparerd to flying but at least you get to see a bit of the country. Enjoy the journey.

My understanding is that LAO Aviation safety record is not that hot.
When we went from BKK to SiemReap and on, last year we found the bus to be OK (as long as the roads are dry !!!) and the border crossing was easy.
As Mangie says go overland you really see the country.

Sylvia,

I've flown Lao Airways many times and would have no concerns about doing so again. Nothing is 100% safe, but if you compare flying around Laos to other forms of transport, such as taking the bus or riverboats, then flying starts to look even better by comparison.

Read the feature that Somtam linked above and see what you think.

Also, you've got me confused on taking the bus from Siem Reap to VTE via Vang Vieng. If you are planning to stop off in Vang Vieng, then you might as well continue by bus to Luang Prabang. For the extra few dollars that it costs, the VIP bus is very much worth the cost. Cheers.

Hi Longleat

Don't know, but it sounds an A1 idea. The journey between LP and V V has endless superb scenery, though if you are driving you'll need to keep your eyes on the road! That said, I'd go for a self-drive if possible, do a bit of research and take two or three days to do the journey as there's probably lots to see off the main road, and I did notice the odd guesthouse along the way. The trip between V V and Vientiane is unremarkable in comparison.

I had read in a Laos guide book that the road from VV to LP is not very safe due to rebels and drug trafficking.. Can anyone comment?

I read that in a guide book too. I took the road from LP to VV last April and only found out once I was enroute. I heard the previous year a bus full of ppl were sprayed with machine gun fire and a couple of tourists on pushbikes who saw the whole thing copped a bullet each too. Well thats the story given to me..

that said, i wouldnt hesitate taking that road again!

I wouldn't bother booking ahead, looking around is a better plan. There are loads of accomodation options in Luang Prabang , Vang Vieng and Vientiane. Might be a good idea to find a few on travelfish that look good then check them out in person. If your flight arrives after dark in Luang Prabang then it might be a good idea to do some research before you arrive. I saw quite a few groups of people arriving in the evening, looking lost, wondering which direction to head in for accomodation.

Hope that helps

This is not a good time of the year to travel in the area. However, it seems that Laos Air is your option if roads are blocked due to land slides. We hired a private driver from Vientienne to Luang Prabang and stopped at Vang Vieng along the way.. It was fantastic, four of us shared the cost and it was very reasonable, comfortable, air conditioned, clean and very informative. I would love to do it again, but not at this time of the year. December, January, February are good. So I guess your only option is to fly, or go at a different time of the year. Hope this helps your dilemma. Cheers.

Hi Sylvia, can you let us know the price of the private driver? a contact number would be greater if you highly recommend his service.

Hi Sylvia,

Thanks for the useful information. May I ask, how long did you stay in VV? We would love to go but just don't have much time, and I didn't know whether spending a few hours/half a day tubing and enjoying the scenery would be worth it. We were planning to fly from Bangkok to LP then travel overland (hopefully with a private driver as you did if they are still available!) to Vientiane and pass by VV.

Hi Dyno - I knew that one of the regular posters had a link in their signature, but I couldn't remember who! After a bit of digging around, I came across this thread that has various bus timetable links:

http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/laos/8507_my-northern-laos-trip--beginning-to-end

Not sure how current or helpful they are, but it's a start!

Hi all,
I'll be in Luang Prabang in July 2012 and want to travel to Hanoi. I've heard the horror bus stories but am looking for alternatives to flying. Any ideas out there? thanks, MikeS