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JamesHamblin
backpacker
Posts: 14
My plan so far is to get into laos from thailand at the houayxai border in the north and catch the slow boat down the river to louang phabang. I was planning on gettin a bus from there to Phonsavan and then to the border town at Na Meo. However i did want to try for the border at Tay Trang . When I get into Vietnam I want to head straight for Hanoi. If anyone know of what the best way from either the Tay Trang or Na Meo border to get to Hanoi, could you please say. Im planning my trip and have got to this point and I am stuck. Also with these two border crossings could someone say which is the best place to leave from to get there, Louang Phabang or Phonsavan. I know this is a lot to ask, but i dont want to end up in one place and not have a bus avaliable to get me to my next stop, or to get over charged.
Thanks
#1 Posted: 11/4/2009 - 17:39
brucemoon
mahout
Posts: 1941
Located in:
JamesHamblin
I don't know about Na Meo, but I can advise on Tay Trang.
The northern crossing is good (except maybe in the middle of the wet season, when the roads may be tricky).
You leave Muong Khua at 7:00am (though you ought be at the bus departure point at 6:30am to secure a seat). The bus goes to Dien Bien Phu and costs 50,000kip.
The bus generally arrives at Dien Bien Phu [DBP] at around 2pm.
From Dien Bien Phu, there are 3 options.
1.
A bus from DDP, take a bus at 6am to Loa Cai (stopping off at SaPa for a day or 2), then day (hard seat) or night (seat / sleeper) train to HaNoi. This is the most popular.
The bus to Lao Cai costs 125,000 dong. Same for SaPa. The train, I don't know.
2.
A bus to HaNoi. This must be taken in two parts, (1) to Son La, then (2) to HaNoi. There is no 'direct' bus. I don't know the start times, prices or connectivity.
3.
A plane from DBP to HaNoi.
Both the roads are undergoing major construction, so are slow and dirty.
cheers
#2 Posted: 20/4/2009 - 21:38
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