Luang Prabang - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 184

only set off when full, often leave (much) later; since there's no guarantee they'll run, some
travel agents are reluctant to sell tickets in advance. More advice on travelling on the Mekong
is given in the chapter “The far north”. Note that there are several luxury cruise boats between
Luang Prabang and Houayxai, including the beautiful Luang Say .
Destinations Houayxai (1 daily: slow boat 2 days; speedboat 1 daily, 6-7hr); Pakbeng (1
daily: slow boat 8hr; speedboat 3-4hr).
< Back to Arrival and departure
INFORMATION
Tourist office The main tourist office is on the corner of Sisavangvong and Inthasone roads,
opposite the Hmong Market (Mon-Fri 8-11.30am & 1.30-4pm, Sat & Sun 9-11.30am &
1-3.30pm; 071 212487, tourismluangprabang.org ) . It is not always open when it should
be, and the large room feels rather understocked for such a popular tourist destination.
Maps Hobo Maps ( hobomaps.com ) produces the most useful maps to both the city and
the surrounding area, which you can access for free online. Their indexed city map is also
available in printed form from most bookshops and some souvenir shops (20,000K).
< Back to Information
GETTING AROUND
Bike rental Although you can comfortably walk everywhere in the old city, bicycles are
ideal for exploring the town at large. Most budget guesthouses and a number of shops on Sis-
avangvong/Sakkaline Road (and the surrounding roads) rent out road bikes for 20,000K per
day.
Motorbike and minivan rental Motorbikes - a great way to reach out-of-town attractions
- are available to rent from around 120,000K a day from rental shops in the old city, and
from Pinekham Service, at the bottom of Kitsalat Road, southeast of the Dara Market ( 071
212922). It's slightly cheaper to book them at the Naluang bus station , which also rents out
minivans (from $60/day).
Tuk-tuks Tuk-tuks can be surprisingly hard to find when you need one, but there are always
congregations outside the tourist office and above the vehicle ferry pier, and in the early
morning drivers hang around guesthouse areas waiting for foreigners bound for the bus sta-
tions or airport. Tuk-tuk journeys around the city are priced at a flat rate of 20,000K for for-
eigners, but you'll probably be quoted a higher price and be expected to haggle.