Visas and border crossings forum

Hi Paul,

If I were making the trip down river to LP, I'd likely choose to overnight in Huay Xai rather than Chiang Khong. That's because it would give me the full evening before to scope out the boats and select one for the river trip. Plus, those boats often leave pretty early in the morning, and getting to Huay Xai the night before will save you the stress of trying to hurry to get through customs/immigration and across the river the morning of your departure.

If you do choose to stay in Huay Xai, be aware that the border tends to close pretty early, so you'll need to plan your trip to get to Chiang Khong early enough to get through the border and across the river.

So, I guess I'd base my decision on the logistics of the trip rather than which is friendliest or cheapest or most interesting. However, if you have time, perhaps you could spend a night in each place and type up what you find for the rest of us.

Finally, I think the certainty of Beer Lao being available in Huay Xai is a definite tie-breaker in favor of staying there. :-) Have a great trip. Cheers.