From Kunming to Luang Prabang

Hi everyone!

We did not do very much in Kunming. The hostel was pretty good, but the town was rather disappointing. We then had to figure out how to get to Luang Prabang, in Laos. Flying was out of the question as the cost was prohibitive on a backpacking budget.

No trains run from China to Laos, so we were left with a long distance bus. We could have taken a 13 hour bus to the border, then a tractor across the border, and then Lao buses to Luang Prabang, but it would have meant sleeping at least one night at the border, and probably a

second night in northern Laos. The other option, of which we were rightfully scared, was a 28 hour sleeper bus.

If you are planning the same route, and can possibly afford it, fly. Otherwise, I believe that we made the right decision by taking the 28 hour bus. The Laos buses would have taken forever. That said, by the end of the ride, the bus driver seemed to have horns, it was unbearably hot and with a bit of imagination you could hear the tormented souls of th

e damned crying out in agony as the wheels turned. Seriously, it was a hellish bus ride. We booked the tickets late, which meant we were sandwiched on the bottom bunk at the back of the bus. This bunk was the size of a queen sized bed, and five people were expected to sleep there. As if that were not already enough fun, there were metal bars in between the very small mats, further cutting down on sleeping space. About halfway we were lucky enough to switch to the top bunk, where I spent the better part of ten hours being alternatively spooned and elbowed by a small Laotian man. (Do you hear the hellish laughter yet?). The bathroom stops were infrequent and were best spent outside. I assume that the toilets had been cleaned at some point, but we could find no evidence of said efforts. The stops for food were orchestrated such that there was only one very expensive option. That would have been acceptable if the food was good, but it was basically leftovers from the evening meal at restaurants. Needless to say it made us feel rather ill. As if all of that were not enough, since it is a Chinese bus, everyone is alternatively smoking and spitting. So, if you are planning this trip, bring your own food, book in advance, and prepare yourself.

Note: We no longer have to worry about the Great Firewall of China!

Thanks for reading!