Where am I again?
Region: Northern Laos> Province: Phongsali> Location: Muang Khua

Getting There and Away

Bus

The one bus or large songthaew out of Muang Khua goes to Udomxai three times a day: 8:00am, 11:30am and 2:00pm. It can get quite crowded, and takes about 3 hours. Buy tickets for 20,000 kip at the small wooden hut in the centre of the intersection.

Boat

The main mode of travel to and from Muang Khua is by boat, on the scenic Nam Ou River. Fast and slow boats go north to Phongsali and slow boats go south to Muang Ngoi and Nong Kiaow. Boats leave every day at around 8:00-9:00am, whenever enough passengers turn up. It's best to get down to the boat landing by around 7.30am with a good book, to be sure. If there are not enough passengers, it will not depart and you will have to either wait until the next day or charter a whole boat to yourself.

Fast boats do the job quicker, but are a much less safe, pleasant and relaxing way to travel than the small slow boats. These are hardly a luxurious journey - boats are small, often cramped and crowded, have no toilet on board, and there is little movement to be had once on board - but they have a roof to protect from the sun, and offer a quieter, more peaceful way to watch the scenery pass.

Boats leave from the end of the road that leads down to the river - easy to spot because that's where all the boats are. The ticket man loiters down by the water's edge, and will help you find the right boat, though he speaks limited English.

A very small boat also makes the journey to the other side of the river, for 1,000 kip per person. This goes regularly throughout the day, and departs when there are enough passengers. You will probably be able to hire the whole boat if you are in a hurry, for about 10-15,000 kip.