Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mahathai. Over the centuries Juon paid tribute to Chiang Rai, then Chiang Saen and fi-
nally Nan before being occupied by the Siamese in the 1880s. The territory of Chiang
Khong extended all the way to Yunnan Province in China until the French turned much of
the Mekong's northern bank into French Indochina in 1893.
Today, the riverside town is a popular travellers' gateway into Laos. At press time,
crossing to Laos was still done by boat, but a bridge over Mae Nam Khong was set to
open in December 2013, which will inevitably facilitate transport links to Laos and China.
From Huay Xai, on the opposite side of the Mekong, it's a two-day slow boat trip to
Luang Prabang. And for those who have set their sights even further, Huay Xai is only an
eight-hour bus ride from Boten, a border crossing to and from China.
