Boats from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang are they running ?
 

A travel agent in Chiang Mai has informed me via email the following....
"Suggest you to fly there because of the draught and tide is too low to sail along the Mekong River .
Will not operate until big rainstorm comes to help the tide getting higher."
Was planning to do this on around the 8th of April with either
Nagi of Mekong boat
or
Chiang Saen River Hill Resort
Can anyone confirm what the travel agent believes there is currently no services of the above 2 operators.

mmmm ..... two thoughts.

The river rises on the Tibetan plateau so I guess is fed by snow melt - April would be early. Also flow has been impacted by dams built upstream in China (see link below).

If you want up to date info from people who may have just travelled that way, or are in the area now, you would do better to post on the Thorn Tree.

thorntree.lonelyplanet.com

http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/stor...177292,00.html

Cheers.

We are doing the same trip leaving Huay Xai on 01 April for LP via Pakbeng. We arranged a private boat with Tiger Trails and I have checked with them and all is ok for our trip. I have done this trip before at the same time of year but going from LP to the north and had no problems. Having said that the boats we are travelling on are small longtails which are better for negotiating the difficult stretches of low water. The bigger boats may have a problem.
If the dams in China re already having an effect then this could be catastrophic for Laos and Vietnam!!
Probably too late for you but, if possible, I will try and post some info upon arrival in LP (assuming we make it!)

T1NT1N

I asked some more questions of my agent and got the following response:

"Thanks for asking about the traditional boat operates on the Mekong
river at the moment in regards to your question
I am pleased to inform that the traditional boat like LauangSay cruise
and Mekong sun cruise are larger than traditiona boat ,so. during this time is not operated ,due to low water levels between only Houeixay and KoneTeun before arriving at Pakbeng but from Pakbeng to LuangPrabang is fine , there is no any problem with traditional boat .You are still able to travel by boat to LuangPrabang from Houeixay ."

I hope this helps in making your decsion.

Thanks everyone for their input, we are booked on the sleeper from bkk to chiang mai and I will see what the situation is like on the 4th April.
If we have to we can fly.