Traveling around Laos can be an adventure in itself. Getting from the beautiful city of Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw in the north is actually very simple, if not very fast. Aside from the Laos – China Railway, transport infrastructure is not very good in Laos. But there is always a way to get places, and often lots of ways. You might just have to compromise on comfort!
Our bus journey from Luang Prabang up north was straightforward enough and very cheap, but not very comfortable. However there are other options, which we’ll go through.
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There are no public bus services that transport people from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw.
But there are a fleet of minivans that pack people in, throw the luggage on the roof, and make the journey twice a day, every day.
We booked 2 seats in a shared van to Nong Khiaw through through one of the many hostels in town that sell tickets. Since the van worked out so well, they offered a good price (and had the cutest dog), we also returned to book our slow boat tickets when we were back in the city.
It cost us 130k Kip per person, around $6, with pick up from our hotel included.
The timekeeping on the vans can be a little sporadic. You will be told a pickup time but depending on how many people they’re picking up and how far along that route you are, it could be up to an hour after they tell you. So you’ll just have to be patient, and trust that they are coming to get you, eventually.
Our Experience taking a Shared Van to Nong Khiaw
We were picked up within the 30 minute window we were told we would be, which was nice. Then we were taken literally 200m round the corner by tuktuk to the van.
Being first off the tuktuk and into the van meant we could secure “good” seats. There are no “good” seats but there are beer crates with cushions on top where the isle would normally be so getting a proper seat is a good result.
They packed 18 of us into a van built for 15 and off we went. This was around 20 minutes after the alleged departure time, which is excellent for a lot of transport across SE Asia. Though we’ve also heard of people leaving a few hours later than planned so don’t rely too heavily on the timings.
It takes around 4 hours to drive to Nong Khiaw from Luang Prabang on twisty and not very good roads. They will stop around half way for 20 mins or so and you can stretch your legs, buy drinks/snacks, and use a not very clean squat toilet if needed.
We didn’t find the journey too bad. There was a French couple in their 60s who seemed to be having a great time on their milk crates. There’s a feeling of adventure not often found in Europe anymore, or even much of the rest of SE Asia to be honest.
Arriving into Nong Khiaw
The van arrives into Nong Khiaw Bus station which is at the edge of town. There are tuktuks waiting to take people to their various accommodation which, for a small amount, you can share with everyone else.
Depending on where you’re staying (and how heavy your bags are), you might be faster walking. It will ease you into some of the hiking you’ll likely do in Nong Khiaw as, whilst it isn’t that big a place, there are a lot of possible hotels to stop at.
Overall for $6 it was great value.
The van had air conditioning, even if it wasn’t the best, and it was comfortable enough. It almost ran to time too. These vans can be incredibly late though depending on a myriad of factors I won’t pretend to understand. So don’t plan something critical based on the alleged arrival time.
And if you get motion sickness, take whatever medication helps you.
The Return Journey
We didn’t find anybody selling return tickets.
So when we were in Nong Khiaw, we booked a ticket for a shared van back to Luang Prabang through our hotel. And the set up was the same:
They picked us up at the hotel in a tuktuk, took us to the Nong Khiaw bus station to get the van, and the van dropped at the Luang Prabang bus station just outside of town where we shared a tuktuk into town with the other passengers.
The system at the Nong Khiaw bus station was a little more chaotic.
We had to “check in” and were given a van number. They didn’t explain the system though, so people kept trying to get into any van that was there rather than the one they’d been “assigned”. For us, it was about 30 minutes of waiting before our van showed up and we set off.
Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw via Private Taxi
If that all sounds a bit cramped and maybe not very safe, then you can always get a private taxi to take you.
This will cost you A LOT more but they’ll also work off your schedule so it gives you more flexibility. Not only are you paying for them to take you there but for them to travel back alone as its extremely unlikely they’ll get another fare.
Expect to pay $120-160 (US) depending on the size of the car and number of people.
Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw by Boat
It used to be possible to get a boat directly to Nong Khiaw from Luang Prabang. But the construction of a dam has made this impossible so you have to use the “excellent” Laos roads to make the journey instead.
Self-drive Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw
If you are very experienced and very confident on a motorbike you might be able to drive yourself.
The main problem will be finding a company that will rent you a bike to do this since the roads are bad and Laos drivers are crazy. Most bike rental companies won’t let you leave the city or province that you’re in.
It’s really not very safe, and that’s me being generous.
If you love to explore by bike then buying one in Laos to use for the entire time you’re in the country and then selling it again is probably the best option.
Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw by Bicycle
If you’re mildly insane, like a nice German friend of ours, you can cycle to Nong Khiaw from Luang Prabang. It will probably take you 2-3 days to do the journey so you’ll need to work out where to stay overnight in between.
If you want real adventure, and maybe some hair raising road experiences, then this could be a perfect choice. Just remember how mountainous Laos is and take that into consideration. Oh, and how dusty the roads are!
The countryside in Laos is spectacular though, so you’ll also want plenty of time to stop and take photos.
Final Thoughts
Travelling from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw isn’t too difficult. They’re well connected with shared van services that run twice a day ferrying people back and forth. While not very comfy, it is very cheap and easy to travel in this way. If you don’t fancy a slightly cramped van, you can get a private taxi, as long as your budget isn’t too tight.
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