Fusionoize 2008
This is a summary of all our travel details on the trip that we would want to share with others traveling into the same remote areas or are simply as crazy. This is a round route that would require at least 14 days to cover through overland bus routes and our original itinerary is available on this blog too for reference. Remember to practice responsible tourism and preserve the culture, lifestyles of the people there!
Note: Accurate as of December 2008
Singapore (Budget Terminal) - Vietnam, Hanoi (Noi Bai)
Tiger Airways, booked 6 months in advance - SGD250 taxes included per pax.
Flight takes about 3.5 hours
From the airport to Ga Ha Noi (train station)
Airport Taxi service - 25 USD for a 8 seater MPV
Touts that approached us - 20 USD for a 8 seater MPV
Takes around 40 mins or so
Ga Ha Noi to Ga Lao Cai
3rd Class Sleeper train (overnight) - 88000VND per pax.
*we took the last train @ around 2210 hours; tickets were almost sold out by 2130 (when we purchased them) and only the crazy, the brave or just mad just attempt taking the 3rd class seats overnight!
Departs at 2210 and arrives the next morning at around 0630 in Lao Cai
Ga Lao Cai to Hekou (China-Vietnam border crossing)
Before you do anything, have some breakfast @ one of the many restaurants in town and freshen up.
We chartered a minivan for 8 people for 10000VND per pax. for a 15 mins ride to the checkpoint.
*Apparently some travellers' accounts and the locals say its' a mere 3km to the checkpoint and walking is possible. However from our van ride we doubt its' the 3km we are familiar with (its' waaaay longer).
Hekou Crossing into China
For Singaporeans (or ASEAN nationals), no need for a VISA or anything to go into China. The Vietnam side was particularly slow and inefficient; they were rude and pushy when we did not offer any 'incentives' for them. After stamping passports take a short 3 min scenic walk across the bridge linking both sides and pay 6000VND per pax. (everyone including the locals pay!) for crossing. Chinese customs was a breeze and guards were friendly (esp. if you speak Chinese)
; cleared in a matter of minutes. No baggage check for both sides.
Hekou to Yuanyang (Old Township)
From the border its' a 5 min walk to the town's bus station, ask for directions since its' not highly visible. Theres' only one bus a day leaving here @ 1010 so be sure to catch it; I highly discourage you to be stuck in this town since I did not see anything resembling a guest house! It costs 45 RMB per pax. and the bus captain/driver/ticketmaster was very friendly towards us. If you have missed the bus, you may have to hire taxis to 'chase' after the bus which cost a bomb in our case. BE SURE NOT TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME IN LAO CAI UNTIL YOU CROSS INTO HEKOU TO MISS THE BUS!
*Theres a new Yuanyang township being built, be specific when asking about buses since both towns are 2 hours by bus apart!
Yuanyang (Old township)
The old township is located on top of a mountain and it gets rather cold at night (10 Deg C in Dec), so please be smarter than us and bring more than a windbreaker and do buy gloves and beanies if you have to! Theres plenty to see for the rice paddy fields around the old township; one attraction you cannot miss is Lao Hu Zhui (Tiger's Mouth), a mountain side full of rice paddy fields that took our breaths away. There are many other sites (all rice paddies though)
that are as beautiful but we only had time to see one. Lao Hu Zhui is a 20 mins drive away from the city centre and it costs 30 RMB per pax. for a 2 way trip there in a chartered minivan.
our accomadation in yuangyang
Yuanyang to Jianshui
Jianshui is a transport hub in the region to get to other detsinations away from Yuanyang. Buses leave here daily to Jianshui and the first buis departs from the bus station @ 0905 for 42RMB per pax. (more than 1 bus daily). However we were lucky when a woman offered to drive us there in her minivan for 40 RMB per pax. Both takes about 3-4 hours to reach Jianshui. You may want to make short stopovers along the way at Yan Zi Dong (swallows' cave)
Jianshui to Jinghong
From the public bus station @ Jianshui, there are 2 public buses leaving here daily for Jinghong, the next major city in the area. the first one is at 1330 and the later one is at 1630. It costs 155 RMB per pax. and its' a sleeper bus that has proper beds for each passenger (its' not as cosy as you think!). For the earlier bus, we arrived in Jinghong @ 0200 in the morning but most of the passengers slept in the bus till 0700 since we were allowed to. The 1630 bus from Jianshui arrives @ around 0700 as well.
Jinghong
This city is like any other major Chinese city; big, crowded with vehicles and people smoking. There are many things you can do here including playing pool, watching movies (yes, theres' a cinema here!) and even purchase Burmese stones from the many jewellers who hail from there.
Personally I would strongly recommend not staying at the Traffic hotel directly next to the bus station as it provides poor service and lousy WCs for a 2-Star hotel. (private joke, sorry....)
Jinghong (China) to Luang Nam Tha (Laos)
The bus station sells direct tickets to Nan Tha (literally as Southern Tower) which is Luang Nam Tha, Laos. This is a new daily service and the bus covering this route was almost brand new and run by a Chinese couple. It costs 70 RMB per pax. and it leaves at around 1040 from jinghong and arrives in the late afternoon @ 1630 in Laos. (trust me, the sun sets at 1730 over there!). The Chinese and Lao crossings are fine and rather efficient; for both sides you don't have to pay anything. No baggage check for both sides. Do note that there are 2 bus stations in town; you get dropped off in the NEW bus station (located near the town centre) but to take buses to other parts of Laos you would have to travel 8-10km out of the town centre from the OLD bus station.
jianshui-jinghong-luang nam tha
Luang Nam Tha
This is a quaint, quiet little town that has its' own rustic setting in the middle of nowhere. You can take a bus to Muang Sing, an Akka people village 2 hours away by bus for an overnight stay if you want something different as well. For travelling around you should hire a bicycle for the day (10000kip for 1 bike). You can also hire motorbikes for the day and explore the Ecotours (I personally think its' a rip-off) outdoor adventures.
Luang Nam Tha to Luang Prabang
The public bus from Luang Nam Tha to Luang Prabang leaves the OLD bus station daily at 0900. Purchase tickets 1 day in advance as I am not sure if there are other buses at later times of the day itself. It costs 85000kip per pax. and its' a winding 8 hour road trip through mountains that is bound to make you hurl. You will be dropped off @ the Northern bus station of Luang Prabang after the sun has set (around 6pm?) and from there you will have to take a tuk-tuk/Strungthew (used interchangeably for this travelogue) into the town centre for 10000kip per pax., its' a 15 minutes ride.
Luang Prabang
This would be one of the highlights of travelling in Northern Laos. Prices are generally higher here for accommodation and meals but the town is more well-developed than other parts of Laos, judging by its' streets, guesthouses and the night market. (shopping paradise, even for a guy like me!) The many beautiful temples and its' rich history is enough to keep you there for a few days for sightseeing or simply RnR after being on Lao roads.
* While you are there, do stop by the Learning @ My Library run by the American non-profit group, thelanguageproject.org. They work towards promoting the learning of English and the teaching of photography as a livelihood for the locals for free. They would appreciate very much an old laptop of yours or any related computer peripherals, photography equipment, English storybooks or simply cash donations.
Luang Prabang to Phonsavanh
This bus departs daily from the Southern Bus station of Luang Prabang to Phonsavanh, a 7 hour ride which is rather winding too. It costs 45000kip per pax. and it departs at 0830; be there earlier at 0800 just in case. Upon reaching Phonsavanh there are many guest house touts around who will offer free rides (10 mins or so) into town if you stay with them. I would recommend the White Orchid Hotel or if not possible, Sabaidee Guest house as a last resort. There are many other guest houses in town as well, but almost all of them look like the set of a typical Chinese ghost flick especially Phonsavanh guest house. (I understand this may be subjective, but if you think you have what it takes then be my guest!)
Phonsanvanh(xiengkhouang province)
Phonsavanh is a rather small sleepy town that pretty much closes by 830pm at night. Theres an excellent Chinese restaurant that serves wonderful eel cooked in various styles that we ate every single meal there (forgot the name but its' the one next to a travel agency). You should also stop by the MAG (mines advisory group) office cum museum to learn abit more about the atrocities of the American bombings of Xieng Khuang Province during the 'Secret War' (they screen related movies for free at night daily). And don't pass up on the Plain of Jars sites, which are the main highlight of the town. All tourists need a tour guide to enter the sites and I highly recommend getting Fue vue or (Witubhmoobvwj@hotmail.com), a local tour guide who speaks good english.
This is a summary of all our travel details on the trip that we would want to share with others traveling into the same remote areas or are simply as crazy. This is a round route that would require at least 14 days to cover through overland bus routes and our original itinerary is available on this blog too for reference. Remember to practice responsible tourism and preserve the culture, lifestyles of the people there!
Note: Accurate as of December 2008
Singapore (Budget Terminal) - Vietnam, Hanoi (Noi Bai)
Tiger Airways, booked 6 months in advance - SGD250 taxes included per pax.
Flight takes about 3.5 hours
From the airport to Ga Ha Noi (train station)
Airport Taxi service - 25 USD for a 8 seater MPV
Touts that approached us - 20 USD for a 8 seater MPV
Takes around 40 mins or so
Ga Ha Noi to Ga Lao Cai
3rd Class Sleeper train (overnight) - 88000VND per pax.
*we took the last train @ around 2210 hours; tickets were almost sold out by 2130 (when we purchased them) and only the crazy, the brave or just mad just attempt taking the 3rd class seats overnight!
Departs at 2210 and arrives the next morning at around 0630 in Lao Cai
Ga Lao Cai to Hekou (China-Vietnam border crossing)
Before you do anything, have some breakfast @ one of the many restaurants in town and freshen up.
We chartered a minivan for 8 people for 10000VND per pax. for a 15 mins ride to the checkpoint.
*Apparently some travellers' accounts and the locals say its' a mere 3km to the checkpoint and walking is possible. However from our van ride we doubt its' the 3km we are familiar with (its' waaaay longer).
Hekou Crossing into China
For Singaporeans (or ASEAN nationals), no need for a VISA or anything to go into China. The Vietnam side was particularly slow and inefficient; they were rude and pushy when we did not offer any 'incentives' for them. After stamping passports take a short 3 min scenic walk across the bridge linking both sides and pay 6000VND per pax. (everyone including the locals pay!) for crossing. Chinese customs was a breeze and guards were friendly (esp. if you speak Chinese)
; cleared in a matter of minutes. No baggage check for both sides.
Hekou to Yuanyang (Old Township)
From the border its' a 5 min walk to the town's bus station, ask for directions since its' not highly visible. Theres' only one bus a day leaving here @ 1010 so be sure to catch it; I highly discourage you to be stuck in this town since I did not see anything resembling a guest house! It costs 45 RMB per pax. and the bus captain/driver/ticketmaster was very friendly towards us. If you have missed the bus, you may have to hire taxis to 'chase' after the bus which cost a bomb in our case. BE SURE NOT TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME IN LAO CAI UNTIL YOU CROSS INTO HEKOU TO MISS THE BUS!
*Theres a new Yuanyang township being built, be specific when asking about buses since both towns are 2 hours by bus apart!
Yuanyang (Old township)
The old township is located on top of a mountain and it gets rather cold at night (10 Deg C in Dec), so please be smarter than us and bring more than a windbreaker and do buy gloves and beanies if you have to! Theres plenty to see for the rice paddy fields around the old township; one attraction you cannot miss is Lao Hu Zhui (Tiger's Mouth), a mountain side full of rice paddy fields that took our breaths away. There are many other sites (all rice paddies though)
that are as beautiful but we only had time to see one. Lao Hu Zhui is a 20 mins drive away from the city centre and it costs 30 RMB per pax. for a 2 way trip there in a chartered minivan.
our accomadation in yuangyangYuanyang to Jianshui
Jianshui is a transport hub in the region to get to other detsinations away from Yuanyang. Buses leave here daily to Jianshui and the first buis departs from the bus station @ 0905 for 42RMB per pax. (more than 1 bus daily). However we were lucky when a woman offered to drive us there in her minivan for 40 RMB per pax. Both takes about 3-4 hours to reach Jianshui. You may want to make short stopovers along the way at Yan Zi Dong (swallows' cave)
Jianshui to Jinghong
From the public bus station @ Jianshui, there are 2 public buses leaving here daily for Jinghong, the next major city in the area. the first one is at 1330 and the later one is at 1630. It costs 155 RMB per pax. and its' a sleeper bus that has proper beds for each passenger (its' not as cosy as you think!). For the earlier bus, we arrived in Jinghong @ 0200 in the morning but most of the passengers slept in the bus till 0700 since we were allowed to. The 1630 bus from Jianshui arrives @ around 0700 as well.
Jinghong
This city is like any other major Chinese city; big, crowded with vehicles and people smoking. There are many things you can do here including playing pool, watching movies (yes, theres' a cinema here!) and even purchase Burmese stones from the many jewellers who hail from there.
Personally I would strongly recommend not staying at the Traffic hotel directly next to the bus station as it provides poor service and lousy WCs for a 2-Star hotel. (private joke, sorry....)
Jinghong (China) to Luang Nam Tha (Laos)
The bus station sells direct tickets to Nan Tha (literally as Southern Tower) which is Luang Nam Tha, Laos. This is a new daily service and the bus covering this route was almost brand new and run by a Chinese couple. It costs 70 RMB per pax. and it leaves at around 1040 from jinghong and arrives in the late afternoon @ 1630 in Laos. (trust me, the sun sets at 1730 over there!). The Chinese and Lao crossings are fine and rather efficient; for both sides you don't have to pay anything. No baggage check for both sides. Do note that there are 2 bus stations in town; you get dropped off in the NEW bus station (located near the town centre) but to take buses to other parts of Laos you would have to travel 8-10km out of the town centre from the OLD bus station.
jianshui-jinghong-luang nam thaLuang Nam Tha
This is a quaint, quiet little town that has its' own rustic setting in the middle of nowhere. You can take a bus to Muang Sing, an Akka people village 2 hours away by bus for an overnight stay if you want something different as well. For travelling around you should hire a bicycle for the day (10000kip for 1 bike). You can also hire motorbikes for the day and explore the Ecotours (I personally think its' a rip-off) outdoor adventures.
Luang Nam Tha to Luang Prabang
The public bus from Luang Nam Tha to Luang Prabang leaves the OLD bus station daily at 0900. Purchase tickets 1 day in advance as I am not sure if there are other buses at later times of the day itself. It costs 85000kip per pax. and its' a winding 8 hour road trip through mountains that is bound to make you hurl. You will be dropped off @ the Northern bus station of Luang Prabang after the sun has set (around 6pm?) and from there you will have to take a tuk-tuk/Strungthew (used interchangeably for this travelogue) into the town centre for 10000kip per pax., its' a 15 minutes ride.
Luang Prabang
This would be one of the highlights of travelling in Northern Laos. Prices are generally higher here for accommodation and meals but the town is more well-developed than other parts of Laos, judging by its' streets, guesthouses and the night market. (shopping paradise, even for a guy like me!) The many beautiful temples and its' rich history is enough to keep you there for a few days for sightseeing or simply RnR after being on Lao roads.
* While you are there, do stop by the Learning @ My Library run by the American non-profit group, thelanguageproject.org. They work towards promoting the learning of English and the teaching of photography as a livelihood for the locals for free. They would appreciate very much an old laptop of yours or any related computer peripherals, photography equipment, English storybooks or simply cash donations.
Luang Prabang to Phonsavanh
This bus departs daily from the Southern Bus station of Luang Prabang to Phonsavanh, a 7 hour ride which is rather winding too. It costs 45000kip per pax. and it departs at 0830; be there earlier at 0800 just in case. Upon reaching Phonsavanh there are many guest house touts around who will offer free rides (10 mins or so) into town if you stay with them. I would recommend the White Orchid Hotel or if not possible, Sabaidee Guest house as a last resort. There are many other guest houses in town as well, but almost all of them look like the set of a typical Chinese ghost flick especially Phonsavanh guest house. (I understand this may be subjective, but if you think you have what it takes then be my guest!)
Phonsanvanh(xiengkhouang province)
Phonsavanh is a rather small sleepy town that pretty much closes by 830pm at night. Theres an excellent Chinese restaurant that serves wonderful eel cooked in various styles that we ate every single meal there (forgot the name but its' the one next to a travel agency). You should also stop by the MAG (mines advisory group) office cum museum to learn abit more about the atrocities of the American bombings of Xieng Khuang Province during the 'Secret War' (they screen related movies for free at night daily). And don't pass up on the Plain of Jars sites, which are the main highlight of the town. All tourists need a tour guide to enter the sites and I highly recommend getting Fue vue or (Witubhmoobvwj@hotmail.com), a local tour guide who speaks good english.
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