Trip reports forum

well as i have just returned from my trip to laos in to ventiene and out of huey xai i thought i would update some info and issue a few warnings on places and prices in laos
after arriving from bangkok on a 16 hr train journey to nong khai and being delayed and having to change trains i was weary and tired...arriving in ventiene getting taken to the wrong station for the bus to L.P then being threatened to the police cos i complained i was soon helped out by a good tuk tuk driver...the trip from Ventiene to L.P was 120,000 kip and took 12 hrs due to lots of rain and flooding arriving in L.P at about 1.30am..got a basic G.H for 30,000 kip
stayed in L.P a few days which was nice got a great little G.H by the river for 40,000 kip. had decided to go to pakbeng by bus then to huey xai by boat from there so i cud have both experiences...went to tourist information in L.P got told the wrong info on times prices and routing and ended up missing the boat trip much to my disgust....L.P was 145,000 kip on a bus that had 14 ppl in it ( minivan) which had to be turned around in favour of a bigger bus due to river and road flooding 20km out and then had to change after crossing the river flooding by boat...extra cost of measly 5000 kip...at 6am in the morning after 1 stop and 12 hrs of hairy driving and many stops due to trucks stuck in mud slips our bus broke down..with no bus being called to get us the driver decided to try to fix it...we had broken down in the middle of a river crossing on the road flooding....had to be towed over the hill to the nearest town....had lunch and a 4 hr wait then decided to hire a minivan to which we had to pay extra...upon arrival in huey xai it was now sunny and were able to relax...
BOAT L.P -PAKBENG - HUEY XAI NOW 280,000 KIP OR 220,000 AT DODGY TOURIST INFO PLACE IN L.P
BUS L.P - OUDOMXAI - HUEY XAI...145,000 KIP
bus is standard 15 hrs but expect delays in rainy season
L.P - oudomxai bus= 6hrs plus 2.5 more to pakbeng if needed

hope this info helps as my trip was almost ruined due to my visa time schedule and mainly due to shit onfo from tourist info centre in L.P