Why you should NOT take the sleeping buses in Laos

Summary

The article recounts a negative experience with sleeping buses in Laos, contrasting them with generally comfortable experiences in other Asian countries.

Abstract

The author, Robert Knight, shares a cautionary tale about the perils of taking sleeping buses in Laos, particularly a harrowing journey from Pakse to Vientiane. Unlike the comfortable sleeping buses found in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia, the one in Laos was old and poorly maintained, with cramped bunk beds instead of reclining seats. The roads in Laos were in terrible condition, filled with potholes and treacherous mountain paths, making sleep nearly impossible. This contrasts with the pleasant experience of traveling on sleeping buses in other parts of Asia, where one can save on accommodation and enjoy a restful night's sleep. The author and his companion arrived in Vientiane so exhausted they had to spend a day recuperating. They ultimately chose to fly to their next destination, Luang Prabang, after a local travel agent confirmed the widespread issue of poorly maintained roads and dangerous bus rides throughout Laos.

Opinions

The sleeping bus in Laos was uncomfortable and in poor condition, unlike those in other Asian countries.
The roads in Laos are described as being in bad shape, leading to an unpleasant and dangerous journey.
The author regrets choosing the sleeping bus in Laos, as it resulted in a sleepless night and lost time due to exhaustion.
A local travel agent corroborated the poor state of Laos's roads and shared her own negative bus travel experience within the country.
The author recommends flying instead of taking the bus in Laos, considering the minimal cost difference and significant improvement in comfort and safety.

Throughout most of Asia, the sleeping buses are quite comfortable.

Marie and I took sleeping buses all through two months of traveling all over Vietnam and again later in Thailand and Malaysia. If you’re going any distance they usually leave at night and arrive the next morning, so you save on the cost of lodging for one night. The seats fully recline and usually, you’re provided with a pillow and a blanket. Unlike an airplane seat, you really can get a good night’s sleep. The beds (seats) are arranged in three rows of double-decker seats (see the photo above). The buses are air-conditioned and there’s a toilet or two in the back.

The sleeping bus we took in Laos to go from Pakse in southern Laos to Vientiane, the capital of Laos was the bus ride from hell!

The roads in Vientiane itself were fine/photo by author

To begin with, the bus was old and in bad condition. The seats were not the normal sleeping bus-type seats. They were more like bunk beds stacked on top of each other. If you were a couple you shared the same bed. The beds were narrow and with no headroom to be able to sit up or even move easily.

The worst part was the trip itself. The roads in Laos are not in good condition once you get out of a city. They are narrow, mountainous, and full of potholes that look like they could swallow a VW bug. It was nearly impossible to sleep with all the bouncing around due to the road conditions. So much for saving on the cost of a room. Instead, we lost nearly the first day in Vientiane in order to catch up on our sleep.

We toured most of Vientiane by bicycle/photo by author

Vientiane itself was very nice. It is the most laid-back capital city I’ve ever seen. Traffic is not bad and you can ride a bicycle to most of the city. While there, we stopped at a travel agency to ask about the best way to get to Luang Prabang, our next stop. We told the travel agent about our bus ride from Pakse. She recounted a similar story on a trip she took to Luang Prabang by bus. She explained that the roads all through Laos are poorly maintained which accounts for the uncomfortable and even dangerous bus rides. She tried once to go to Luang Prabang by bus just for the experience. She said she had to get off about halfway and return by air. She couldn’t stand it.

The cost for a flight was only about US$23. We decided to fly.