Mention Pak Beng, Laos, to anyone and you will get a strange look, followed by where? That is, unless, like us, you have taken the slow boat to Laos. Pak Beng is the overnight stopping point for the slow boat halfway between Huay Xai and Laung Prabang. This is how we got along during our overnight stay in Pak Beng.
Where is Pak Beng, Laos?
Located on the Mekong River in northern Laos about half way between Huay Xai and Laung Prabang.
How to get there?
Slow boat between Huay Xai and Laung Prabang.
Where to stay?
This is a difficult one, especially when travelling as a family. Every single guide you read about staying in Pak Beng says not to book online in advance or from the touts on the pier, and you will be able to get cheaper accommodation on arrival at the guesthouse or hotel. Doing this with a child is problematic; after 7-8 hours on a boat, the last thing you want to do is trail a child around guest houses (of which there are plenty) trying to find a room that suits them. We have heard some horror stories of people having to move guesthouses during the night as their rooms were bug-invested, and others who found cheap accommodation on arrival and were not sure how many nights the bed sheets had been on before they arrived!!
We stayed at BKC Villa for £28.70 for the family room in the basement overlooking a building site. The room was basic and slightly dirty, but it was enough for us for the night. The room was prebooked in advance. I wouldn’t expect anywhere else to be much better! Sorry, we didn’t get any photos.
I would recommend staying as close as possible to the landing dock, save you having to get up even earlier to make the trek to the boat.
What to do in Pak Beng?
Am?! There ain’t a hell of a lot to do in Pak Beng. We went for a walk planning to have a bit of an adventure in this rustic village in the middle of no where. However, our adventure lasted about 30 minutes walking from our hotel as there was really not much to see or do. A few shops, a monkey in a cage (hate that) and a couple of temples.
There was a cracking sunset which we found was best viewed up on the hills, but down by the Mekong might be just as good.
Where to eat in Pak Beng?
There are tonnes of options, but quality could vary dramatically between places. We ate in SABAIDI on Main Street, not far from the boat docks; it was recommended, and it was absolutely rammed with people from our boat. That was a slight problem, as they cooked everything fresh, and as everyone turned up at the same time, that meant a major backlog. We waited an hour for our meal; it may have been sped up as the owner noticed Megan losing her sh*t at the wait and came over to ask what we had ordered. It was worth the wait, though! Her sweet and sour chicken with rice was the best she has ever eaten, apparently.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to have. However, after seeing any number of Buffalo along the Mekong I went with Buffalo Laap and it was beautiful.
We bumped into people from our boat later on; they had moved on from SABAIDI as it was bunged. They found another place, and the food came quickly. They put their fork into the rice, and ants were in the rice pot. After that, they left and ended up in Sabadi.
Be careful in Pak Beng; Nicola got absolutely fleeced the next morning buying stuff for the boat. What she paid I cannot even repeat, but they know you have no other option when heading for the boat!
Cash is king in Pak Beng!
Laotian kip cannot be purchased outside of Laos, which makes this a bit difficult. There are people selling Kip in Huay Xai, but the exchange was questionable. Baht and dollars are accepted, but you will get a bad exchange rate, and card machines are non-existent.
If you need to lift cash, there are two cash machines in town. The JDB ATM is the closest to the boat landing point; it was empty of cash when we arrived, and we were one of the first there. There is a MoneyGram ATM a bit further up the hill, but we experienced long queues here with locals lifting, in Megan’s words, “bricks” of cash. We did get money, but there were very worried faces at the back of the queue.
Final thoughts.
I enjoyed visiting Pak Beng Laos; we didn’t have much choice as that is where the boat stopped. However, I enjoyed the rustic feel of the place. I was annoyed at how expensive some things were, but if you wanted something, you had to pay for it; you had no choice, and they know that. The views are amazing, and the sunset is classy, so when you arrive, drop your bags and get out for that, as it will cheer you up after a long journey.
Thanks for taking the time to read about our experience in Pak Beng, Laos.
Any questions please ask.
The Lewis Family.
