The bus left Luang Prabang 3.5 hours late and arrived in Vang Vieng 4 hours late. The bus service had more people packed in than seats available so we each had very little room and after picking up even more people on the route I ended up with a stranger sitting in my feet. The roads they drove down could barely even be called roads with us getting stuck multiple times but I guess that's not the bus's fault
Bus left late and the vehicle was different than the one I booked. No AC like promised and the driver had the most awful music on. Usually wouldn’t be bothered but for a 9 hour drive it was awful. For the money you pay you would expect better service and/or explanation.
The ride was okay! It was 5 hours, not 9 hours which was good! The van itself is small, and the driver squeezes 14 people in it, so if your at the back row then good luck, especially if your a bigger person.
But the driver was friendly, stopped of once, and got here quick!
I came one hour before the time and the van departed half an hour late. The driver changed the van and when I realized, the locals that arrived way after me filled the van and only when the van was full they told me to go inside. I got the worst seat at the back, shoulder to shoulder with 3 local guys and could barely move my legs. The other people got fine seats and I had to stay 4 hours in that uncomfortable seat in a horrible road. Only when a man left, I could go to his place.
I don't complain for the road, because it's not their fault, but the attitude of sending me to the worst seat, since I arrived first and probably payed way more
Reservation was "instant" confirmation, but did not receive confirmation from the vendor until 9pm (via WhatsApp), twelve hours after making the reservation, and less than 12-hours prior to departure. Pick-up was on-time, there is roughly a one-hour window where the driver picks up all 15-pax and luggage. Drive is rough, 125-miles over cratered and dusty dirt roads. Two stops en route (food/restroom). Arrived "on-time" before 3pm.
The driver overfilled the car and accepted more passengers along the way. There were 6 of us on a row of 3, which felt very dangerous on such unpredictable roads, when questioning the driver they just laughed.