Pakbeng, Laos: The Mekong’s Halfway Stop

Halfway between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang, Pakbeng clings to a hillside where the Beng River flows into the Mekong. Far from the bustle, it is a place where the silence is broken only by birdsong and the lapping of the river.

For most visitors, Pakbeng is a night rather than a destination: boats travelling in both directions stop here between the two days on the river. This guide covers how to get there, where to stay and how to make the most of your evening and morning in town.

Pakbeng sits on the Mekong in northern Laos, roughly halfway along the stretch of river that runs from Huay Xai, on the Thai border, to Luang Prabang. That stretch is about 300 km long and is considered one of the most spectacular on the river: limestone cliffs, forested hills and villages that are reached mostly by boat.

Coming from Thailand, Pakbeng is the end of your first day on the river. On our downstream cruises, your guide meets you at the Lao immigration office in Huay Xai and the boat casts off at 10:30 a.m. A Lao lunch is served on board around noon, and in the afternoon the boat stops at a Khamu or Hmong village in the hills before reaching Pakbeng.

You can also make this leg on the public slow boat: our guide to the public slow boat and the cruise compares the two.

Heading upstream, the boat leaves Calao pier in Luang Prabang at 7:00 a.m., with a Western breakfast served on board. Mid-morning, it stops at the Pak Ou Caves, home to more than 2,000 Buddha statues. After a Lao lunch and the guide’s stories about Lao culture and history, you reach Pakbeng around 5:00 p.m.

Pakbeng is reached mainly by river, but a mountain road also leads to the town. If you take our one-day cruise from Huay Xai and want to continue to Luang Prabang the next day by land, we can arrange a private minivan from Pakbeng to Luang Prabang for US$ 277 per trip.

Luang Say Lodge is our own lodge in Pakbeng, built in 1998 on four hectares of riverbank on the left bank of the Mekong, surrounded by jungle-covered mountains. Its 20 bungalows of 33 m², in teak and rosewood, have large open windows, high ceilings with mosquito nets, a king-size or two single beds, and a private bathroom with a hot shower.

Raised wooden walkways join the bungalows to the restaurant, a terrace built out over the water. The kitchen serves Lao dishes made with vegetables grown nearby. On our signature cruise, the night and dinner at the lodge are included.

Pakbeng also has other places to stay in town. Travellers on the public slow boat, and on our 2-day cruise without the lodge, choose their own; on that cruise, the room is not included in the price.

The hills around Pakbeng are home to Khamu and Hmong communities. From the lodge, a short walk leads to the neighbouring village, and trails climb into the surrounding hills. On a cruise, the boat also stops at a hill village on the way, so you meet the people of the river before you reach town.

Pakbeng’s morning market is the place for local flavours and colours. On a cruise, you can stroll there before the boat leaves.

After a day on the water, the simplest pleasure is to watch the sun go down over the river. At Luang Say Lodge, the restaurant terrace looks straight out over the Mekong.

On a two-day cruise, Pakbeng sits between the two halves of the journey. Downstream, the first day brings the hill village; after the night in Pakbeng, the boat leaves at 8:00 a.m., stops mid-morning at Ban Baw, a village known for its lao-lao whisky and handicrafts, then at the Pak Ou Caves, and reaches Luang Prabang at 5:00 p.m. Upstream, the order is reversed: Pak Ou on the first day, then, after an early 7:00 a.m. start from Pakbeng, a hill village and arrival in Huay Xai around 5:00 p.m.

Short on time? Our one-day cruises cover half the route and end, or begin, in Pakbeng. Compare all our cruises.