This is my beginnig itinerary for the upcoming 2 months trip to SEA.
Oct 7 - 12 Singapore
October 12 BKK – Vientiane
Oct 13 Vientiane
Oct 14 fly to Luang Namtha 14.30
Oct 15 Luang Namtha
Oct 16 Luang Namtha
Oct 17 Luang Namtha
Oct 18 Luang Namtha
Oct 19 fly to Vientiane 16.00
Oct 20 Vientiane to Van Vieng by bus
Oct 21 Van Vieng
Oct 22 Bus to Luang Prabang
Oct 23-27 Luang Prabang
Fly back to Bangkok

If I want to do Plain of Jars I will have almost no time I Luang Prabang. My thoughts are to skip Plain of Jars and work my way up to Luang Prabang by bus. Am I really missing something extra ordinary by doing that?
The problem is that the flights are only a few times a week, it also seems to me that I rather stay an extra day in Luang Namtha than sit on bumpy buses.

What think ye all

Lucky you going to Laos. I'd take the Vang Vieng day and add it to LP - just spend the afternoon and evening there. VV was hopelessly overrun by backpackers back in 2002, and I doubt it's gotten any better. Pretty scenery, but no reason to hang around - unless you want to float down the river on an inner tube wearing a bikini and chugging beer.

As far as Vang Vieng is concerned , thursdaysd is spot on! I would miss it out completely (unless of course, you are in to hardocre partying with twentysomethings!)

LP deserves a little more time and I would add a day or two there.
% days is a long time to spend in Luang Namtha. I presume you are using this as a base to travel out around the far north. if so I would recommend you consider staying a night or two in Muang Sing and/or Phongsali. Both are very picturesque and have some great walks/drives out to the villages of the minority peoples (mostly Akha from memory).

Hi NY: wouldn't it be more obvious to fly in to Vientiane, then fly to Luang Namtha,
BUS, CAR or WHATEVER down to L.P.,
then back to BKK?

All you are doing is flying to somewhere you're going to leave - getting on a crappy bus, going to a crappy backpacker town, staying overnight, getting on a crappy bus and ending up 2/3 of the way back to where you started.

Hmmm - Dog might have to recant: I note that its a 9-12 hour drive, fantastic scenery and very dreadful roads. lol.

You won't do this: but a creative way to solve your problem would be to bus L.N. to Houie Xai on the Thai border [4 hours] then jump on that Luang Say boat down to L.P. 2 days, 1 nite.

I like Dog's suggestion - traveling (by SLOW boat) on Lao's rivers can be magical. Plus I much prefer to go overland. The scenery between Vientiane and LP is great, but so is that further north.

I guess I wasn't thinking too clearly, which is not unusual for me, in backtracking.

You are dead right Doggie, I won't take the slow boat to L.P.
However if the 1 day boat is running again I may consider it.

This is my new thought from Luang Namtha, take the bus to OudomXay, change to a bus to Nong Khiaw, get the boat to Muang Ngoi, stay a day, then take the boat down to Luang Prabang.

How does that sound?

What drugs is this woman on? Luang Namtha OudomXay Nong Khiaw Muang Ngoi Luang Prabang? Why doesn't the poor thing just get on a plane like anyone else?

Ahh, NY - I'm afraid you're out of my zone now. I'm sure a Nong Khiaw expert will be in here, any minute...

Wow, dogster - did you get out of bed on the wrong side today? If you can take a car off into the wilds of northeast India, why shouldn't NY head off into northern Laos?

"I'm sure a Nong Khiaw expert will be in here, any minute..." - wouldn't claim to be an expert, but have been there. Probably has grown in the past seven years, though - then it was a very small village, perched on top of a steep muddy slope above the river. See wilhelmswords.com/asia2002/index.html for description and an absolutely magical day on the river. But according to my map Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi are the same place?

Nooo thursday - I'm speaking in laconic Australian: not being rude. This is one of those subleties of inflection that the internet doesn't allow. When Australians say things this way, this is a compliment! lol lol lol.

Obviously it doesn't translate. Don't fuss. Just help NY - YOU are the Nong Khiaw expert!

Sorry dog - I was having a literal moment - makes a change from senior moments.

I now realize I've also been to Luang Nam Tha, and like crellston I wasn't impressed. If you're going to spend all your time hiking I guess the town itself doesn't matter so much, but if crellston can recommend some other bases I'd go with his advice - picturesque is not a word I'd associate with Luang Nam Tha.

I am glad someone else said it. I didn't like Luang Nam Tha either, mind you I was sick and had to spend what should have been a hiking day in bed. My husband said I didn't miss much. Loved the boat trip up from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw & Muang Ngoi but LNT was a disappointment. Horses for courses I guess but I enjoyed Vang Vieng as a break in the bus journey to LP which was our only option as Laos airways headoffice told us "all the planes were broken". Sue

"all the planes were broken" - lol I hope this was before they became a "good" airline.