Nightmare bus trip

Trip Start Dec 06, 2006
1
17
38
Trip End Sep 2007


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Lao Peoples Dem Rep  ,
Tuesday, May 15, 2007

This was absolutely the worst bus journey ever. We'd heard loads of bad stories but flying from Hanoi to Vientiane was a lot more expensive. So we asked around at lots of tour agencies and they all showed us photos of busses with reclining seats, toilet, tv, lots of space etc etc. We left at 7pm heading south to Ving. This bus was ok, pretty similar to the photos. At 2am we had to change bus to the bus heading to Laos. Well this bus was completely full already as the driver was supplementing his salary by taking box loads of stuff across to Laos, he put this on the back 6 rows of seats, meaning when 6 more people got on, there were no seats left. We had to sit on rice sacks down the aisle for the next 4 hours to the border and then the next 9 hours in Laos. So painful on twisty mountain roads, no leg room and a very sore bum! The worst thing was, when we got to Laos, we heard that another border crossing had opened nearer both Hanoi and Vientiane but the tour operators in Hanoi didn't tell you this so you would still buy their bus tickets, it wasn't on the internet either! Not the best journey of our lives, the scenery was stunning but it didn't make up for it! Maybe this was one time we should have brought out the credit card...
Print this entry Vientiane hotels