Pakbeng Trips & Tours

Pakbeng Trips & Tours

A lovely, sleepy stop on the famous Mekong River circuit, hidden away in the forests of northern Laos.

If you find yourself in Pakbeng, you’re probably enjoying a leisurely, languid cruise along the Mekong River. Hidden away in a sleepy corner of north-west Laos, right on the confluence of the Nam Beng and the Mekong, the town has, for many centuries, been a favoured stopover on the river circuit. Today, you’re more likely to find tourists looking for lunch than exotic merchant dealers, but it’s convenience is still hard to beat. It’s located almost exactly halfway between the Thai border and Luang Prabang on a particularly beautiful stretch of the river where the mountains almost scrape the sky and chocolate-coloured waters swirl peacefully around tiny fishing boats. Most visitors stay for a night, and the restaurants and bars above the main street offer a perfect vantage point over the ebb and flow of the water and its accompanied happenings. The next morning, rise early and join the tribal Hmong and Tai people for their daily shop in the central market. Then, it’s back onto your longtail to float off into the horizon…