Is it possible to go directly from Siem Reap to Vientiane over land?

Question

I'm planning on going to Vientiane in Laos, but I wanted to cross over land from Cambodia. Are there direct bus connections from Siem Reap to Vientiane, and if so, how long does the journey take? I have heard conflicting reports - some say yes, some say there's no way around it but to double back to Phnom Penh and catch a bus from there to Vientiane, which doesn't make sense at all to me. Or, if not a direct bus from Siem Reap, then is it possible to get to Stung Treng checkpoint by local bus, then connect to Vientiane from there? (If not bus, boats / ferries are acceptable too.)

I have also heard that even though the official Lao immigration site says visa-on-arrival is available at land border checkpoints, they have stopped issuing them at Stung Treng and require visitors to get a visa beforehand. Is that true?

Answer 1

Recently while planning my trip to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, I did a little research: I am not sure about direct buses from Siem Reap. However, Stueng Traeng is about 5 hours. From there, you can get a mini bus connection to Pakse. This takes about another 5 hours. From Pakse it is an overnight sleeper to Vientiane. If you have time, it is advisable to stop over either at ST or take a slight detour to Kratie. Stay overnight here, and then get a bus to Pakse (an extra 2 hours).

I also stumbled upon this website: http://www.ppsoryatransport.com/index.php?page=service, could be useful you, though the buses seem to start from Phnom Penh. You might be able to get more information from them.

Another post I saw was about this couple who did a trip to Vientiane from Siem Reap via Thailand: http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/visabordercrossings/8753_trip-report--siem-reap-to-vientiane.

I finally dropped Laos from my itinerary, so cannot advice you from personal experience though.