Since 1999, our custom built luxury river boats have travelled on the Mekong in Laos between Luang Prabang and Huay Xai. We are renowned for offering a unique cultural journey and an opportunity to understand more about life and nature along the legendary river. As part of our 2 days cruise, you will spend the night at Luang Say Lodge, and experience the fiery and romantic sunset from your luxury teak and rosewood bungalow along the river.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
My partner and I stayed at Luang Say for one night in January on our honeymoon, and it was an amazing choice.
I had wanted to stay at this Lodge and take the Luang Say cruise, but we had a tight schedule and the Luang Say didn't depart from the Thai border on the date we needed, so we took a different cruise. I had read several reviews trying that off-season, the experience wasnt great, but given January is peak I decided to go for it.
It was a great choice! We had one of the best stays of our trip. When we arrived at the dock on our other cruise, the manager had very kindly come in a 4x4 to collect us (Luang Say is quite far from the main dock). He drove us to the lodge, and we were the first to arrive. We were welcomed with a refreshing juice, and then decided to watch the sunset from the porch with a cocktail from the bar. It was amazing! A little later another couple arrived (also not on the cruise) and then a group from the Luang Say cruise from Luang Prabang arrived. Most people stayed in the porch to watch the sunset, and then went to their rooms to get changed before the evening. Best sunset experience of the trip!
In the evening, there was a lovely dance performance of a number of local dances, and we were asked to join in which was fun. Then we went for dinner, which had a great variety of dishes, all very tasty.
We then went back to our room. All the rooms are little lodges, very beautiful and as advertised, and not too close to one another. I had read some reviews that it could get cold and that warm showers were a challenge sometimes, but we had long Pjs and everything including l shower was fine. The bed was also very comfy.
In the morning, we had a similarly varied and delightful breakfast, before we were again kindly driven to the dock for day 2 of out trip.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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I did the one day cruise up the Mekong from Luang Brabang to Pakbend and an overnight stay at their lodge. It’s a 10 hour journey up stream fighting a very fast current with two stops on the way up.
The boat leaves at 7am and once we are off breakfast is served. There are snacks, fruit, tea and coffee for the whole journey. And there was a tasty lunch served with three different dishes.
Along the Mekong it’s mainly scenery to enjoy as well as a bit of river traffic and people working along the river front.
Overnight was at the Luang Say Lodge. It’s in a beautiful setting overlooking the Mekong. In the dry season it’s a bit of a walk up from the river bank.
The accommodation is individual wooden huts which are lovely with big wooden louvred windows opening up to great views. There is a big comfortable bed. The bathroom has a walk in shower although the water pressure is pretty terrible. And be warned - it’s VERY co,d at night with only the bed covers to keep you warm.
All meals were included in the package. Dinner was very tasty and plenty of it and the same for breakfast. There is pretty good wifi available around the dinning / bar area.
The staff at the Lodge were delightfully friendly and helpful. A great place to stay for a night or two.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I so enjoyed my cruise on the Mekong River through the mountains of northern Laos to Pakbeng . Our guide Kee was very knowledgeable and his English was very good indeed . He genuinely enjoyed talking to all his passengers and was most helpful when we were applying for a visa / sorting out appropriate currency etc .
We were looked after incredibly well in every respect throughout the cruise .
Our overnight stay at Luang Say Lodge was an absolute delight . I loved my room with its amazing views and although there was limited choice of menu everything was delicious .
Thank you so very much .
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mekong Cruises, Marketing at The Luang Say Lodge & Cruises
Responded Mar 7, 2020
Dear Guest, Thank you for choosing our cruise, we are delighted that you had enjoyed our cruise on the Mekong Cruise. We hope one day you can come again and experience our Southern Cruise in the South of Laos.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The cruise and accommodation far exceeded my expectations. The boat was very comfortable, the scenery stunning and the guide very helpful and knowledgable going out of his way to help and talk to all passengers. All the visits along the route were very interesting and relevant to local life. The lodge although classed as “simple” was very clean, comfortable and with a good restaurant and bar. The dancing display was lovely and gave a real taste of Laos culture. Would strongly recommend this as a must when visiting Laos.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mekong Cruises, Marketing at The Luang Say Lodge & Cruises
Responded Mar 3, 2020
Dear Guest, Thank you for your review and for enjoying our cruises. We will keep up the good work! Hope you can come back one day and experience our Souther Cruise in the South of Laos!
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All the cabins have a fantastic view over the river, with good beds and a decent bathrooms. A wooden pathway took us to the restaurant, which was run by an excellent, female manager. The took very well care of us. The foood was also excellent. Highly recommendable! Just be sure to put on enought mosquito oil...
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Date of stay: July 2019
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mekongcruises, Manager at The Luang Say Lodge & Cruises
Responded Jan 14, 2020
Dear Sir! Thank you very much and enjoying your trip with The Luang Say Crusie & Lodge. We do hope you can also experience our Southern Crusies in Laos.
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The Cruise was relaxing, and the service was excellent, with fruits and tea/coffee between the meals. When we finished the cruise the hotel staff came to meet us and carry the suitcases to the hotel. The rooms are wooden beautiful cabins. The food was good and we enjoyed dinner in the open air. The staff accommodated our special dietary needs.
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Date of stay: December 2019
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We arrived at the hotel on the Luang Say Cruise boat from Houey Say.
The boat was not at all what I expected, it was more like a ferry than a cruise ship, with car type seats bolted to the floor. It was relatively spacious however, with a wide aisle in the centre, covered decking at the stern and a small open deck at the bow.
When we arrived on the boat, it initially appeared that there were no spare seats - however, it turned out some tourists had been hedging their bets by placing their personal items on the seats inside, but actually sitting outside, thus effectively occupying two seats each. Fortunately the cruise guide managed to sort this out smoothly and diplomatically so that we all ended up with seats together with our travelling companions.
I have to say the cruise was a little disappointing, and with hindsight I would have left it out of our itinerary in Laos. There wasn't a great deal to see along the way (some unexpected scenery of jagged rocks and perfect sand dunes however), and as a result of extremely slow immigration procedures (total chaos is more like it) into Laos, we left 1.5 hours late. The guide confirmed that this is quite normal, so don't expect to set off at the suggested time! Because we'd left late, and the very low water levels, we were unable to make any stops on the first day. The second day we did make a stop at an ethnic village, which I felt was way too touristy and just a sales opportunity for the locals. I was also very disappointed with some of our fellow travellers, clambering all over a sacred shrine to get a better view for photographs.
We could see the lodge long before we arrived, and it was dwarfed by a new build (nowhere near finished) on the hill behind it. When you actually arrived at the lodge itself you were no longer aware of the other building though.
You step off the boat on to rough rocks, using a simple gangplank with a hand held handrail. Staff await you to take your luggage (this part of it is extremely well organised) up to the lodge, but be aware that during the dry season there are 70+ steps to get to the reception area. Some people did struggle a little with this. It helps the porters if you pack what you need for the lodge in an overnight bag, rather than take the main luggage up the hill. The other bags can be left securely on the boat where the staff sleep overnight.
Refreshing wet towels and a welcome drink awaits you in reception as you watch the sun set over the Mekong. I could not fault the staff of the lodge in any way, they were consistently charming, polite, friendly, helpful and ever-smiling.
The lodge is set on a hillside, with beautifully lit wooden boardwalks liking them to the main reception/restaurant area. Our room was split level and spacious with a fan, mosquito net and shutter rather than window glass. I absolutely loved it, very rustic and comfortable. An attached simple bathroom provided plenty of hot water for a shower for both os us before dinner.
The lodge laid on a traditional dance show before dinner, with mostly young girls who were absolutely adorable. Plenty of seating for all guests and a bar serving drinks, with complimentary nuts/snacks.
Dinner was buffet style which I am not terribly keen on; however the food was absolutely delicious, hot and enough variety to suit everyone. I had two helpings of the Lao Larp, and when the waitress came to collect my plate I commented on how superb it was, so she brought me another small portion!
The lodge is in a beautifully quiet location away from the main drag of Pakbeng, but don't expect a quiet night, as the jungle is full of exciting noises: I could hear cicadas, frogs, geckos, birds and the couple in the next room arguing.
I set the alarm for early the next morning, but no sunrise as it was very misty, enveloping the whole area in a moody glow. You could hear the boats on the river, but couldn't see them through the fog.
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Date of stay: January 2012
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a great trip down the Mekong from Thailand to Luang Prabang, but go now because the new road bridge at Pakbeng and the new construction high above Luang Say Lodge will bring in the crowds. At present the Lodge is in unspoilt jungle with the only noise being the river, the birds and the elephants. The villas are not bamboo but sturdy timber, but try to get one of the individual ones as it seems the semi detached ones can reveal rather too much of the neighbours. Yes, the river is low and it is a very steep 200 metre climb both on sand and steep steps up to the accommodation. Luggage is safe overnight on the boat so just take a small bag ashore. One reviewer noted the lack of electric sockets, we took a multi plug to charge our batteries (your cameras will be low from all the photos you'll want to take) The villas are attractive and rustic (you ARE 150kms from anywhere) so don't expect luxury. But the rooms are a good size, the beds big and comfortable with mosquito nets, although we neither saw nor heard any. The bathroom is a decent size and they have individual water heaters, ours was nice and hot. It is abit unusual to have glass less windows but we didn't find it cold in early February, there was enough bedding to keep warm, even for a hot house plant like myself, didn't use all the warm stuff I'd taken to sleep in. Flaky wifi in reception, but surprising there was any really. For remote jungle conditions we thought they did quite well food wise, but you can't expect haute cuisine out here. Food on the boat is freshly cooked in a tiny kitchen on board, coconut chicken curry very tasty and the perch with dill in banana leaves is excellent; rice and a pork dish too. Coffee and tea and endless snacks like deep fried bananas appear. The scenery is stunning and ever changing, the frequent Rapids in the river must be challenging for the skipper, the villages visited are fascinating although we do have reservations about peering into people's lives like animals in a zoo. Do go, it's a great trip and a fun experience.
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Date of stay: February 2015Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a wonderful 2days on the Mekong with Lee from Luang Say Combination of interesting sights and relaxing on the boat. Lodge was fun and local entertainment very good Nothing but praise for this entrance into Laos Thanks
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mekongcruises, Manager at The Luang Say Lodge & Cruises
Responded Feb 9, 2020
Dear Guests! Thank you for cruising with Luang Say Cruise and Lodge. We are delighted that you had enjoyed your cruise and our local dance show at the lodge. We wish one day you can come back and enjoy our sister cruise in the South of Laos !
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If relaxation is at least one of your aims on a holiday to Laos, a trip down the Mekong, with an overnight stay at the Luang Say Lodge, is pretty much obligatory.
Along with about 15 other travellers, we cruised down the winding Mekong River at a stately 10 knots or thereabouts. The steady noise of the engine coupled with a cooling breeze was enough to lull this weary traveller to nod off to sleep on more than one occasion.
The first day saw us complete around 140 kms, with an unscheduled stop to allow an elderly passenger who'd become ill to disembark. Our excellent guide Keelee arranged this, no mean feat considering our distance from roads and support vehicles.
The staff at Luang Say deserve a mention, too, for their Herculean efforts in lugging our suitcases about 50 metres, mostly upwards, to the lodge. Which is beautiful, by the way. Nicely camouflaged against the hillside, unlike the ugly Grand Pakbeng hotel complex nearby, and constructed entirely from local hardwoods. We got there just in time for the sunset and a lovely meal, then proceeded to get drunk with convivial American travellers Sam & Matt.
Back on the boat for day 2, again travelling downstream but stopping off at a hillside village to look at traditional weaving and sample rice whiskey, then on to the 'Buddha caves', where you climb the equivalent of a 25-storey building to see some caves with, yes, Buddha statues in them.
It's the river cruise part of the trip that most appealed to me: watching herdsmen and their cattle on the riverbanks, crash-helmeted taxi drivers powering their longtail boats from place to place, unattended wooden fishing rods poking from rocky outcrops, lush jungle reaching from the water's edge and rising impossibly high on either side. Odd and perplexing lack of birdlife, however.
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Date of stay: January 2019
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:It can start off quite cold on the boat.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
You can book it directly with The Luang Say Lodge & Cruises company it's better because that's how we booked ours and for Laos we booked through Tiger Trail Company. If you book through UK company, it might he 3 times the price!
There are a few other boat companies that do it, plus the much cheaper public boats which can be overcrowded and uncomfortable and you need to bring your own food on board. Read the reviews for them.
Also, it may get complicated having one boat deliver you to the Lodge (it is open to all, not just from the Luangsay cruise) then you would have to have another boat organised to take you on further.
Think some of the other boat companies may be a bit cheaper but we really enjoyed the Luangsay Cruise.
Hi, we booked a 2 day trip from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang with the included night at the Lodge. So, you get all instructions from the organiser at what time to be where in Huay Xai, the you are picked up to cross the border from Thailand to Laos. It's a fantastic experience, super service on the boat, a visit of a village each day, delicious food on the boat, everything very good - really recommend to do this way. We booked through the agency in Luang Prabang of mekong Cruises. Enjoy!
There are more places to choose from in the Pak Beng area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
luang say hotel pakbeng
LOCATION
LaosOudomxay ProvincePak Beng
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
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