A Serious Incident on the Mekong Slow Boat

Dear little friends,

Our readers will remember that we rode on the two-day slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Laos in early December.

Unfortunately there was an accident on one of those boats on December 18, an hour away from Luang Prabang, with the boat hitting a rock and sinking. Boats nearby rescued nearly everyone but a Lao mother and her small children perished.

More reporting here: https://laotiantimes.com/2025/12/21/slow-boat-sinks-in-mekong-river-near-pak-ou-cave-in-luang-prabang-no-injuries-or-deaths-reported/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAO1zeJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEenQFBBcN7gYb4ixRVZbkAFoyESxcztxQWCA__CalNS00uYtdSp1waHo3Zk2o_aem_TinMCPNqHosUjRgpvtI-Sg

The story was updated, reporting the casualties.

This is a serious matter and it remains to be seen whether there will be an appropriate government response to the obvious safety concerns on these boats. While we have done the trip several times, both up and downstream, we are not dismissive of the risks therein and we feel that potential travelers should be informed about them.

We already knew we won’t be doing the slow boat trip again, but this seals the deal. The Mekong is a magical river and we love and respect its beauty and power, and the traditional ways of life on and around it, including the boats. We feel very privileged to have traveled on it safely and in awe.

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John SolemI’m so sorry to hear about this, awful. And awfully close.
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1 month ago

John SolemI would like to clarify that I read everything you both write and I look at all of the pictures. I appreciate the time you take to share your journey, your observations, humor, your writerly skillful prose with photographs. I’m grateful you’re both safe and I “❤️” this post because it’s reminds us to not take anything for granted.
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1 month ago

Bruce LellmanTo John SolemThank you, John, for agreeing that this post is important for others to see. The Mekong River is a powerful river and this accident shows how quickly things can go wrong. I feel awful that a Lao woman and her two little kids didn't make it. The reason they didn't was because they always go way back by the deafening engine. In the past I have tried to get them to sit with the tourists but they don't generally do it. I think it's quite possible that the government has told them that tourists come first. But I think the local people come first. It's very sad no matter how you look at it. The reports suggest the rock was hit back by where the engine sits and water poured in there first. The boat went down fast. I would bet that most Lao women do not know how to swim either. But how can you if you are trying to save your two little kids! It's just a terrible accident.
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1 month ago