Pakbeng

The halfway point on the Mekong, Pakbeng sits midway between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang. As the Mekong was once the only major transport route in the country, Pakbeng developed as an overnight stop for both cargo and passenger ferries. As this route down the Mekong is so spectacular, it remains a popular transport route, and Pakbeng is flourishing.

Set in a particularly scenic spot, where the Nam Beng flows into the Mekong (Pak means mouth, and Beng is the name of the river), the town itself doesn't have a lot to offer but a number of guesthouses and restaurants have sprung up catering to backpackers.

Electricity runs from a hydroelectric dam in the Beng river, so when there is no water in the dry season, electricity may be scarce, but during the wet season it runs 24 hours. Most guest houses have generators running in the evening, these are usually switched off at 22:00. Sleeping without the fan can become an issue in the hot season; however there is little you can do about it.

Accommodation gets very booked up in the high season and often the travellers will have to visit a few guest houses to find an available room. This is especially true when the boats arrive. Touts now meet the boats, usually selling the worst rooms in towns at inflated prices. Our advice is to go it alone. The town is only a short distance from the boat pier. A short walk around town will often bring you better value than the touts at the boats will offer. It is advisable, if you want some comfort, to book ahead.

In the early morning, as most travellers are making their way down to the boats, the street is lined with stalls piled with drinks and freshly-made sandwiches. Restaurants serve breakfast early, with baguettes, Lao coffee and pancakes with condensed milk all specialities.

For a more 'Lao' experience, head up to the early morning market and have a look at all the local produce including dried buffalo skin, frogs on sticks, pigs face and buffalo hooves. Perhaps purchase a few Lao sweets, such as coconut jelly, fried bananas or sweet donuts, or have a delicious filling breakfast of noodle soup, at 5,000 kip a bowl (without meat is bo sai sin).

Local trekking trips have recently been outlawed by the provincial government and Pakbeng is not a town to hang around in. Unfortunately the locals are very aware of this fact, and some take advantage. There are occasional thefts, so be careful of your valuables and leave nothing unattended in your guesthouse room.

Pakbeng is too small to offer any of the services of larger towns. ATMs and banks haven't arrived yet, but money changing is still possible at selected guest houses and at the market. Be careful when changing Baht or Dollars, there are frequent attempts at skimming and some money changers have gained a reputation for being less than honest. There is a post office in town, but it doesn't have forwarding services.

People walking alone or in small groups will frequently be offered drugs and in recent years there have been a number of foreigner deaths in Pakbeng from drug usage.

Another problem the town faces is that of the distribution of wealth. Clearly, foreign visitors have more than the locals, but there is also a clear disparity among the people of Pakbeng -- those who serve the foreigners earn infinitely more money than those who don't. And the distinction is clear in the housing, clothing, cleanliness and the big eyes of the more unfortunate looking at those who are not.

It's a good idea not to flash any indicators of wealth: cameras, jewellery, expensive clothes or wads of cash.