Chiang Rai: Lusso Slow Boat a Luang Prabang 2D1N

The boat trip itself with Shampoo Cruises was excellent. The problem is with booking via Tripadvisor. We paid €370. If we had booked at Shampoo itself it costs 200 dollars there. So please book directly.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our two-day, one-night (2D1N) luxury slow boat from the Thai-Laos border to Luang Prabang. Our private transport from Chiang Rai arrived promptly at our hotel at the assigned time (6am) and after a 90 minute drive handed us off to the first of several people who assisted us with the border crossing. Once clearing immigration in Laos, we were met by our guide for the boat who put us on a van that drove about 20 minutes to the boat dock. All in all, a very smooth process. Once we got on the slow boat (the boat company is call Shompoo, and some people on our tour booked directly through them but did not get the transportation and personal assistance provided by this package), everything was amazing. The boat was clean and comfortable, and the lunches they served were superb. The guide and crew were lovely. Oh, and the toilets were so clean everyone raved about them! Although the boat can hold 40 passengers, we only had 24 so there was plenty of space for everyone. The scenery along the Mekong River is beautiful, and we saw the daily life of Laotian villagers happening along the river banks. The overnight stop in Pakbeng went smoothly. There were two stops in local villages that we could have done without, but the stop at Pak Ou Caves was great. Highly recommend!

It was 5/5 amazing on the boat! The people were lovely, the boat was great and the Laotian host was 10/10. The transport services was a 1/5, which was the big premium for this tour. The pick up was a mess and they grouped us with the cheaper company which made it confusing since they processed payments, food, and visas there while this tour had included in a package. So the entire time they were telling me to convert more because I need to buy food but lunch was included in our tour. Obviously the other company didn’t know that but they kept pestering me to convert my dollars there. Wouldn’t have been an issue but there was no one to represent the company on the Thai side which was stressful and confusing as other people dropped off their visa paperwork, I had to hold onto it and even the other tourists told me to hand my paperwork in. “Not same company” was what I kept hearing. Didn’t know visa processing was different by the company 🤷🏻 After the border it got better as we had the private Lao Guide on that side explaining the visa processes and transportation. Then we arrived to Luang Prabang and I was told that the van can’t drop me off because of the narrow streets. So instead of providing me a $2 motorbike ride I had to walk to my hotel without good internet connection. Remember this tour is about $200 more than the others due to shuttle/transport service, all of the transportation provided was very budget. They didn’t even give me the last ride or accommodate with a motorbike cause my hotel was in “narrow streets” Get the Shampoo Boat tour for $200 less and book your own private driver for $100. At least that way you’re getting what you paid for and pocket the $100 difference in what otherwise is being on the back of a pickup truck. The boat ride was worth it as you get your own space and can stretch out your legs. It included stops that would be extra on the local public boat. It’s the shuttles that I prepaid for that literally did not deliver me to my accommodations. Although I want to give more stars I cannot give more stars because the boat was the only good thing in the tour and you can get it for $200 less by booking the boat ride direct without the pickup/drop off services.. Boat ride: 5/5 Shuttles: 1/5 Overall: 3/5