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Huay Xai - Laos Tours

Huay Xai is the capital of Bokeo, which is a province in Laos. It is also known as Houay Xai or Houeo Sai and is located on the banks of the Mekong River. This is also part of the border with Thailand.The fact is that most visitors to Laos treat Huay Xai as a stopover to other destinations. This is quite unfortunate since there is a lot to experience in this small town in terms of local life in Laos and it’s worth it to try some local beer, relax on the banks of Mekong or simply interact with fellow tourists here.
  • Huay Xai Laos
  • Mekong river Huay Xai Laos
  • Mekong river Huay Xai Laos

Huay Xai Activities

The only difficulty in visiting local spots is that they are hidden away from tourists. Therefore, the only way you can find them is by seeking help from locals. Ban Nam Keung Kao is a village which does not receive too many tourists.
You can reach Ban Nam Keung Kao within half an hour by a speedboat that leaves Huay Xai from the northern part of the city. You cannot converse with locals in English so make sure you have someone with you to act as a translator. Other than the Nam Yong Waterfall, the hot springs and the local sights and sounds, there is nothing unique here and although the springs are quite ordinary, it is the 20-feet-high waterfall and its majestic appearance makes this experience worth coming to see.

How to get Huay Xai

Laos allows travelers a 30-day visa on arrival from the immigration office which is situated very close to the ferry. It costs 35 US dollars and a passport-sized photograph to acquire this temporary tourist visa; however, the cost can vary depending on which country you come from. If you don’t have a photograph, you can get it done at the immigration office in exchange for 40 Thai baht. Other conditions attached to this service are raised prices for the procedure at weekends.

By air

You can fly into Huay Xai from Vientiane on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

By road

You can take the bus from Luang Namtha at 09:30 to be dropped off two kilometres away from the town of Huay Xai at 14:30 in the afternoon. From there you can take a tuk tuk to the border of Huay Xai or to a specific motel or lodge as directed by you.

If you are smart then stay away from touts that hound unassuming tourists and bully them into buying bus tickets that can take them to Luang Prabang, which is the more preferred destination from Huay Xai. However, these tickets are wildly overpriced. At the bus stand you can find the same ticket for half the price. Most foreigners who don’t know the system are pushed into believing that these tickets are hard to find and are sold out all the time.
The ideal thing to do at Huay Xai is to hire a tuk tuk for the day and buy the bus tickets at the bus stand.

Cruise on boat
You can travel by ferry between Thailand, Chiang Khong and Huay Xai which will cost you very little including your luggage. As long as you arrive before 18:00 you can get your visa on arrival at the office which is right beside the ferry stand.
Only a handful of people can travel on a single ferry, therefore service is pretty regular here. You probably have to take a tuk tuk from the ferry stand to get to town.
If you want to go out of Huay Xai you can use the slow boat to complete the upstream travel. You’ll find these boats for hire at the ferry dock. Bargain down the original asking price.

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