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View of Luang Prabang from Mount Phousi – lots of steps, and lots of Buddhas!
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Mekong River
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Tuk-tuks, motorcycle taxis, and some sort of “mini-bus”.
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A common sight in Luang Prabang.
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Another common sight – baguette stands. This one sells baguettes with Asian fillings. You can also get ‘falang’ fillings like cheese or ham. There are also plenty of crepe stands. They often also sell coffee and fruit shakes (both very good!) at attractive prices.
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There are a few good French bakeries here and in my humble opinion, I think La Banneton is the best! Ready to lose some weight now! 🙂
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Friendly expat Lisa, who moved to Luang Prabang in 2000 from her native Hungary. She believes she is the only Hungarian in town. She owns and runs The Icon Klub, a bar in the middle of the old town. The bar is about meeting people, as clearly written on the entrance “There is no stranger, only friends you have not met yet.” Lisa is also an outspoken and opinionated artist. It was a pleasure meeting her, and I thoroughly enjoyed our discussions!
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Guess who lives here?!
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It brought back memories when I saw these kids playing the very game I used to play when I was a kid. Good times.
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Wat Xieng Thong was built around 1559 and is one of the most important Lao monasteries and remains a significant monument to the spirit of religion, royalty and traditional art.
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Restoring Wat Xieng Thong – this current round of restoration is funded by the US Embassy in the capital Vientiane.
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Many walls and pillars are decorated with figures and motifs in gold leaf. The motifs are designed and then stencils are cut out of handmade paper with chisels on a plank of wood.
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Here comes free labour!
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This labour-intensive exercise is kinda meditative! I was helping out for a few afternoons but I must admit, I couldn’t do this for a living.
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No expenses spared – pure gold leaf.
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Nothing beats a Lao massage after an afternoon of gold leafing! The owner of this place is Lao-French, who also owns the bakery La Banneton.
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Nam Khan River
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It costs $0.60 to cross this temporary bridge, which is built by villagers for the dry season when water levels are low. During the wet season, you can get across the river by boat. If your hotel happens to be on the other side, a free boat service is usually included.
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This traditional method of weaving looks anything but simple! I doubt I have the patience.
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Monks at work
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Monks at work
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Big Brother Mouse is a local publisher of predominantly children’s books. Their aim is to publish “books that make literacy fun”. Here at their Luang Prabang branch, students, novices and adults can drop by and practise their conversational English, or get help with their homework. A lot of young novices have travelled from the countryside to enjoy the education that monks receive, a luxury not available in their home village. Most study English as part of their curriculum and are always eager to chat with visitors.
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For just $2, you can donate a book to Community Learning International (CLI) and the Luang Prabang library. CLI operates the Lao Children’s Book Boats, bringing books to children in hard-to-access villages.
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Veg out with a book or play scrabble at this great little cafe overlooking the Nam Khan river, or join one of their morning or evening yoga classes.
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Every morning at dawn you can witness Tak Bat, where hundreds of monks from various monasteries walk through the streets collecting alms. Tak Bat is a living Buddhist tradition which has become a major tourist attraction. Outside every temple you will find a sign explaining to tourists how to behave, and to please respect the practice such as to observe the ritual in silence, not getting too close to the monks, not using flash photography etc. For a quieter Tak Bat experience, take a tuk-tuk to a temple in the new town.
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Visiting Thai monks giving elms to the local monks.
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Locals having a good ole time drinking and listening to (loud) Thai pop music.
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Gorgeous sunset over Mekong river.
Luang Prabang
| 33 imagesUnesco-listed Luang Prabang lies on a peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers. The historical centre is well-preserved, and away from the main tourist drag, this former royal capital with around 50,000 inhabitants is charming, quiet and peaceful.
The town has over 30 Buddhist temples dotted amongst French colonial architecture that remains relatively unchanged. It is a culturally rich city with a laid back, cosmopolitan community.
If you are looking for bustling, grand and amazing, then this is not the place. But if laid-back, friendly and a place free of McDonald’s is more your thing, then Luang Prabang is the place to be.
Decision to linger
After surviving the first night in a horrid guesthouse which I had booked in a hurry, I ventured out the next morning to look for a new place to stay. I soon found a very good room in a convenient location with a very decent bed, a hot water system that actually works, and even cable (yes, BBC!). I then proceeded to wander around with the aim to just get a feel of the town.
As soon as you get away from the busiest areas – which is convenient for booking tours and such things – it is lovely and quiet, especially along the river. Being the dry season, the weather is very pleasant, with cool mornings and nights, although day time temperatures do sometimes reach the 30s, but it is not humid.
I liked what I saw, and felt good. I decided it was a good place to hang out for a bit. So despite initially wanting to stay for three nights, I ended up staying for eight.
A Fish Called Wander 
Must have been a pretty great place for my itchy feet friend to stay! 😉 V.
Not my favorite place in the whole wide world but very pleasant. Plus, nice gipfelis hahaha