The Sam Neua / Vieng Xai ‘direct’ bus to Hanoi. How to cross from Northeast Laos into North Vietnam at the Nam Soi-Na Meo border.
Vat Khome Khaou Maniratn, Huay Xai
Laos is an adventure no doubt about it, from the moment you cross the northern Thai border over the Friendship Bridge at Huay Xai this is evident… the lively frontier river town, a slow boat voyage down the Mekong watching kiddies from tumbledown jungle shacks play by the riverbanks, orange-robed monks walking through Luang Prabang at dawn, war-scarred Plain of Jars and Ban Napia where villagers make spoons from bombs, and the haunting tales of Vieng Xai cave city.
It’s a slow-paced, unforgettable discovery journey through a land of reserved but welcoming people, 3 weeks immersed in a cultural experience different from anywhere else in the world. I even learnt to eat noodle soup with chopsticks! Needless-to-say, leaving Laos is an adventure too.
Northeast Laos to North Vietnam by Bus
Getting the bus in Sam Neua to Vietnam
Sam Neua is not that far from the Lao-Vietnam border although the ‘direct bus’ actually takes all day to reach Hanoi. Fortunately, the adventurous journey is anything but boring! The ticket office won’t confirm beforehand whether a bus is going to Hanoi direct, it depends…
We get to the ‘south’ bus station early, and yes, they’ll take us straight through on the 8am departure along with a handful of ‘western’ travellers. After a credit card mishap and no cash at hand, Juan and I eventually catch the 10 o’clock bus down on Main Street. Everyone is very helpful.
It’s a smallish well-worn bus, filled with local Laotians and Vietnamese. They are pleasant amicable people. Some speak English. They commiserate over the ATM fiasco, and say it’s happened to them, that we’ll get our money back eventually. Reassuring at the time though the bank has never reimbursed us!
The young guy ‘ticket collector’ is helpful and friendly, compelling to watch as he jumps off at countless stops to pick up the letter post from shopkeepers, lugs sacks of root vegetables aboard to fill the aisle and spare seats, straps cages of live chickens on the roof, and generally makes space for passengers and their market-stuff possessions. Unbelievable.
Vieng Xai to the Vietnam border
The bus stops in Vieng Xai so, theoretically, you can overnight here after seeing ‘victorious cave city’ then go on direct to Vietnam the next day.
We’re ready to roll. It’s a full bus, inside and out. Hamlets and villages disappear from sight as we zigzag through these rather remote mountains. The torturous ‘main road’ has quite a lot of lorry traffic, and the narrow surface is being widened along the way. Mechanical caterpillars are working in the mud as trucks slowly swerve past. Our bus and other heavy vehicles get stuck in the muck, more than once. We get off. A digger hauls us clear, one row of treads dangling perilously over the precipice. Everyone is amazingly laid back, no stress, no worry.
The bus reaches the Vietnam frontier around midday. It is a squalid dismal place. No problem leaving the Laos side but the Viet guards look stern. It’s obvious that our passports are going to be stamped last – 2 maroon EU passports are conspicuous among the pile of blue and green ones which they are used to processing.
Nam Soi-Na Meo border crossing (Laos – Vietnam)
Vietnam is ‘visa-free’ up to 15 days for several nationalities (6 months validity on passport and onward flight ticket per norm). I’d ascertained this personally from the Viet Embassy in Luang Prabang and that we could enter the country here, at the Nam Soi-Na Meo border crossing between Laos and Vietnam. An E-visa gives you 30 days in Vietnam but is only accepted at designated airports and border points. Na Meo is now one of them.
Tourists don’t often come this way and the guards can’t speak English, but our experience is surprisingly simple… a duty officer glances at the list of visa-free nations stuck on a filing cabinet in his cubby-hole office, looks at us briefly and stamps our passports up.
No ATM in sight. The other bus passengers are eating lunch in the canteen and they call us over to share their meal. Really nice people, and a godsend as we don’t have any Vietnamese currency, and there’s no time to order food by now anyway. Not very sure what I’m eating, tasty bits of chicken, fish and veggies no doubt.
Travelling on the bus in Vietnam
Our trusty dusty bus is on the road again, now in Vietnam. How exciting! It’s all still remote green countryside until we reach a town with roadside cafes for a pit stop. However much I look things up afterwards, it’s impossible to pinpoint the names of places we have been through on a map.
Juan asks the ticket guy if he can change some cash, and he sits us down with a business-like passenger. Not expecting any kind of good exchange rate at all, just wanting rid of our last Lao kips into Vietnam dongs – I am amazed he exchanges the notes at today’s official rate, no commission. Honestly nice people.
Finally we reach civilization, the bus stops and starts, letting people off with their belongings… some of the chickens haven’t survived, a sack of grain has split but the Lao Beer crates are still intact!
It gets late, and is dark outside by now, travelling down on a big highway lit by oncoming headlights. The driver pulls over, and from the gesticulations it’s apparent that we have to get out – just Juan and I, and our bags, on the verge of a road in the middle of nowhere. No verbal explanation, seriously, but understandable as we don’t speak their language.
As it turns out, we’re taken onto a flashy, ultramodern, super-duper overnight coach to Hanoi. Is it the 24 hour express sleeper from Luang Prabang, the route that most digital nomads heading for Vietnam arrive on? I’ll never know. Money changes hands between the busmen, we take our shoes off, quietly climb to the back of the bus and lay down in the only space available between dozing backpackers.
Arriving in Hanoi
Hanoi bus terminal is on the outskirts of the city. It’s after midnight and the only transport into the centre right now is a taxi. I feel like a sitting duck. And the ATM is out of order. Hey, ho. I bargain with the taxi drivers and eventually get a reasonable fare with a rookie cab driver willing to take us to a bank in the ‘old town’ en route to our guesthouse.
Ridiculous turns to bizarre as he asks his cell phone to locate the nearest ATM, I spot one but he doesn’t stop, just carries on obeying ‘Siri’s’ voice instructions until he’s pulled up by a police car. He shows his ID (so glad this is a bonafide taxi). Finally, we find a hole-in-the-wall. Juan gets out, slides the card into the slot, taps the keys…no money comes out, no indication whether the transaction has gone through or not. Can this day get more absurd?
In the early hours of the morning Hanoi’s street are deserted. Eventually the taxi finds the scribbled down address. A sign on the door says ‘Dentist’. I ring the bell anyway, and a sleepy lady in dressing gown comes out… yes, she has our booking and calls for her niece to translate.
My-Lan Guesthouse is in a typical Vietnamese building, narrow shop front housing a family business, and premises which stretch far back revealing a succession of stairways and indoor patios. Once again such kindness, the two women have been sleeping in a room by reception waiting for us to arrive, even though we are long, long overdue. Thankfully, they pay the taxi and show us to our room. We’ll sort out the money issues in the morning.
Travel information for Sam Neua to Hanoi
Xam Neua (Sam Neua) is the capital of Houaphanh Province in Northeast Laos.
Sam Neua Tourist Information Center: The staff speak English and are extremely helpful. Open Monday to Friday from 08.30-12.00, 13.00-16.00.
Viengxay (Vieng Xai) Caves visitor centre is open every day from 08.30-16.00.
Sam Neua bus station
The Phou Tanou ‘south’ bus station is 1km south west of town at the top of the hill. Take a songthaew ‘tuk tuk’ ride up from the riverside.
A daily bus service leaves Sam Neua’s Phou Tanou bus station to Thanh Hoa at 8am and at 10.00, stopping to pick up passengers on Sam Neua main street, and on Route 6 highway at Vieng Xai. We paid the official price on the bus and had absolutely no problem (except the delay due to road works).
It is possible to go straight through to Hanoi although you will be transferred to a second bus later in the journey – confirm this at the bus station when you buy your ticket or ask tourist information in the town for advice. You cannot book in advance. Otherwise, catch an onward bus from Thanh Hoa to Hanoi the following morning.
Length of journey
Sam Neua to Thanh Hoa approx. 9 hrs; Sam Neua to to Hanoi around 12 hrs (337 km).
Money matters
Make sure you have enough cash to pay for your bus tickets, food and refreshments on the journey, taxi fare, accommodation and any eventualities – Lao kip, Vietnam dong, or US dollars.
The ATMs at Sam Neua south bus station and Hanoi bus station were out of order; others in Sam Neua main street and Hanoi old town centre did not work correctly. There were no ATMs or exchange facilities at the Nam Soi-Na Meo border crossing. Always take at least 2 international bank cards with you on your travels. Juan’s card was only accepted in Vietnam at HSBC banks, which made things difficult.
Accommodation
Book one night’s accommodation in Hanoi (contact them to explain the situation and don’t leave a deposit in case the bus does not go through direct); checkout alternative accommodation in Thanh Hoa and write down the details.
Vietnam Visa Information
Vietnam Immigration Department E-visa issuance: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/
- Apply for the Vietnam E-visa on the official Government page above
- Single entry visa valid for 1 month
- 25 USD fee
- Applications processed within 3 working days
- Citizens from 80 countries are eligible
- Allows you to enter exit Vietnam at 33 international checkpoints
- Don’t forget to print your E-visa *
*Visa Information November 2019
Laos Visa Information
- Lao Visa Policy https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/laos/entry-requirements
- 30 day Visa on Arrival approx fee 30-45 USD depending on nationality. You need 1 passport photo & name/address of your accommodation in Laos. Valid for most airports and borders. Check on your government website to see if you are eligible. Alternatively apply for a Tourist visas (roughly the same price).
- Department of immigration of Lao PDR https://immigration.gov.la/
- E-visa information https://laoevisa.gov.la/index
- Visa exempt countries https://immigration.gov.la/visa-exemption/
Juan and I had a positive experience overall on the Sam Neua / Vieng Xai ‘direct’ bus to Hanoi. The people we met were friendly, kind and honest. However, use your common sense and bear in mind that scammers exist anywhere in the world.
Related Posts on Travelling in Vietnam
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Here are more posts on out travels through Laos, an incredibly interesting but little-known land in the heart of South east Asia:
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Sounds complicated? Not at all, see how we did it…
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Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage landmark famous for its Buddhist sites and French Colonial mansions.
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3 days in Luang Prabang – unvisited places and sites not yet discovered by tourists.
Luang Prabang unvisited. Behind the genteel glamour of colonial Luang Prabang there’s a different world waiting to be discovered…
Luang Prabang – Alms Ceremony and Kuansi Falls
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The last day in Luang Prabang is memorable…
1 day Guide to Plain of Jars and Ban Napia, Phonsavan
1 day Guide on visiting the Plain of Jars and Ban Napia ‘spoon village’ near Phonsavan in Northeast Laos.
The private minibus ticket is not much dearer than getting a standard bus which covers the route from Luang Prabang to Phonsavan….
1 day visit to Vieng Xai Cave City, Laos
How to get to Vieng Xai and our fascinating 1 day visit to the secret Cave City in remote Northeast Laos.
The minibus leaves Phonsavan and the mysterious Plain of Jars behind on its journey along the tortuous road to Sam Neua…
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Hi! Thanks for this really useful info, i plan to make the same journey in a few weeks
I have a question though, I am uk citizen so I get 15 days free (like yourselves)..
But I need to stay 30 days because my flight out of Vietnam isn’t until then
I planned to do the e-visa, but didn’t realise this land border didn’t accept e-visas until I read your page
Do you have any recommendations? I contacted the embassy but haven’t had a response yet
Thanks!
Hi Ollie, I’ve checked the Vietnam Immigration website and you can now cross the Na Meo border checkpoint with an E-visa. You can apply personally on the offical website https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/
Let us know how you get on with the bus and if there have been any changes. Have a great time in Laos and Vietnam, they are amazing countries!