Traveling From Kunming to Luang Prabang via the Mohan Boten Border

Starting Off in Kunming

After having weeks of black smog choking your lungs, Yunnan is literally a breath of fresh air. Known throughout the country as the spring capital, Kunming (昆明) is the jumping-off point for enjoying some of the most beautiful natural and cultural sites of China. The city of Kunming itself does not particularly offer anything different from any of the other mega-cities throughout China. But being able to visit temples and parks without a grey haze hovering above you is already a step in the right direction.

Kunming offers several parks and temples throughout the city, but the real reason most people travel to the spring capital is to explore some of the ethnic communities in the north-west. While places like Dali (大理), Lijiang (丽江), and Shangri-la (香格里拉) sees hoards of visitors every year, the southern communities of Yunnan are often overlooked.

You could always hop on a bus from the Kunming South Bus Station (昆明南部汽车客运站) and go directly from Kunming to Luang Prabang for 400 Yuan (57 USD). But why endure a 22-hour bus ride when you can take it slow and explore some of the famous towns spread about in Southern Yunnan?

Wanting to head north? Read about crossing the border into Mongolia here!

Exploring Southern Yunnan

Little known to foreign travelers, Southern Yunnan offers some of the most striking landscapes with its untouched jungles and bountiful wildlife. From the world-famous tea plantations (and more recently coffee) of Pu’er (普洱) and the tropical rainforests of Xishuangbanna (西双版纳). This region is noted for being so untamed that elephants wreaking havoc in local villages is a local occurrence.

While in some of the major tourist hubs you will find cringy souvenirs and tacky shops, it is quite easy to get off the beaten path in Xishuangbanna. The roads in Dali and Lijiang have been trodded to death. For better or worse, most of southern Yunnan remains unexplored and untapped by the tourism industry, giving you the chance to explore a side of China most of the world never sees.

Want to explore more off the beaten path destinations in Southern China? Be sure to check out Yulin!

Where China Turns Into Laos

As you start to head south on your journey to Laos, you will see a drastic change in not only the landscape but the culture as well. The script on buildings will change from typical block Chinese letters to a kind of winding cursive. Rather than being adorned in colors of jade, gates and buildings are decorated with golden curved roofs. The lions which are usually found guarding the temples of China turn into glimmering nagas (serpents).

The prefecture of Xishuangbanna is noted as being an autonomous region of the Dai people. The Dai (also spelled Tai) have a culture more closely relating to the people of Thailand and Laos. The second you cross over into the autonomous region, it is obvious that you have left the Han majority communities and entered practically a new country altogether.

In Xinjiang, you can also explore Chinese minority cultures and cross the border into Kyrgyzstan!

Exploring Mengla

The last major town before crossing the border from China into Laos is Mengla (勐腊). This quiet city has been slowly growing over the years, building massive hotels for tourists heading south of the border. This is not quite any other town in Yunnan where you can see the blending of both Dai and Han cultures than in Mengla. With red lanterns hung outside shop windows and golden stupas towering over the skyline, this town makes for the perfect transition from China to South East Asia.

Around Mengla you could spend several days exploring the markets, jungles, and temples. While there is no one particular place that puts Mengla on the map, the canopy rainforest known as Wangtianshu (望天树) makes for a perfect day trip for those travelers looking to spend a day in town before heading towards Laos.

Wanting to look over the Chinese border into North Korea? Read about traveling to Dandong here!

Crossing the Mohan Boten Border

If you have elected to pass on the grueling 22-hour ride directly from Kunming to Luang Prabang, you can still find a ride to the Mohan (磨憨) Botan border in Mengla. The only way to get to the border from Mengla is to take a van from the South Bus Station (南站) for about 40 Yuan (6 USD). Mohan is only about 40km away taking roughly half an hour to arrive. The border is open from 8:30 to 5:30.

The border is dead when arriving before the gates to immigration open. A few shop owners can be found lazily preparing for the day, illegal money changers beckon you from the bushes, and an old man smokes a massive water pipe (烟筒) in front of the doors to the Chinese immigration.

The border process is quite simple. The Chinese side will thoroughly check your bags and passport before sending you off to the golden gates which are the Laotian immigration. At Botan, travelers are able to get a visa on arrival. For just 35 USD and a completed application form provided at the border, you will find yourself stepping into Laos in a matter of minutes.

You may have second thoughts about traveling to China’s far west. Read more about staying safe in Urumqi here!

Pulling Into Luang Prabang

After crossing through the golden gates, which resembles the Pha That Luang in Vientiane, you have a few options as to how to continue your journey. If you looking to spend some more time around the border areas to do some trekking or are just wanting to put off going to the tourist trap that is Luang Prabang, you will want to head to Luang Namtha. From Boten a van going to Luang Namtha should cost about 25,000 kip (3 USD).

If you are wanting to head straight to Luang Prabang or elsewhere in Laos, then hopping on a bus to the transport hub in Udom Xai is your best bet. Buses should usually cost no more than 28,000 kip (3 USD).

If you have decided to hop on that direct bus from Kunming to Luang Prabang, you will be missing out on a lot of what makes this part of the world so special. Being a melting pot of cultures in East Asia, nothing can compare with the experience of slowing making your way to the Chinese-Laotian border.

You will find that Luang Prabang has its own charm. Unfortunately, it is a small, isolated town on a peninsula where nearly all of the locals cater to foreign tourists. As great as this is for the local economy, Luang Prabang has been slowly losing its soul over the years. Those who are quickly transported from the sprawling city of Kunming to the tourist hub of Luang Prabang are missing out on the adventure of a lifetime and the chance to explore the true beauty of the Dai people.