The quiet peacefulness of Luang Prabang was so strange to us after Thailand. A World Heritage Site with a French history, Luang Prabang is by far the cleanest town in SE Asia we’ve been to so far. There is little trash on the streets, many bakeries and nice restaurants. Though the traffic can be busy, the kids rented bikes and rode around town to pass the time in this small town.

The hotel where we stayed–the Villa Somphong–was on the Mekong River, had a fantastic staff, and included breakfasts. Noy, the manager, helped us out tremendously throughout our stay in Laos. The girls ordered Laotian pancakes for breakfast every day. Most meals came with a baguette on the side, which we discovered were fantastic!

Good restaurants for lunch and dinner were a short walk from our hotel. Always one to try the local specialty, Dad ordered the Laotian “larb” and dug right in. WARNING–it is so spicy he was rendered mute for a good ten minutes!

For our first adventure in Luang Prabang, we walked around outside the Royal Palace Museum but it was closed at the time because it has complex business hours—so check ahead of time and be sure to mind the dress code. Afterwards, we went to to the Wat Pa Huak temple right across the street to watch the sunset. Be warned. There are many steps and many tourists. It’s quite a small area, so I recommend finding a spot to sit early on and don’t leave it defenseless. Along with swarms of people, there are little birds in cages for sale. The idea is that you’ll buy the birds and release them, but in truth the birds will just be caught again, so please do your research–don’t buy these birds.

Heading back down the stairs to the street we crossed over earlier, the night market was just getting started. Coconuts (H’s favorite), banana pancakes, shirts, elephant pants, purses, headbands, jewelry, decorative bowls, chopsticks. We loved the laid-back atmosphere of this market and the items were really good quality. Needless to say, we came back multiple times throughout our visit.

 

After being in Luang Prabang for less than a full day, we realized how small of a town it is. We had already bumped into everyone we had met there at least one other time.

We got a bit of “behind the scenes” of the town by taking a boat ride on the Mekong to the Pak Ou Caves (Retired Buddha Caves) and whiskey village. Wrapped around every reed and blade of grass on river’s edge, there were remnants of plastic bags, strips of colorful plastic. We saw farmers, kids playing, monks in bright robes, and laundry hanging on the line. It was very different compared to the clean, “tourist version” of Luang Prabang we had witnessed back on shore.

At the whiskey village, you guessed it–they make rice whiskey. They also sell colorful, woven scarves, sarongs, bags, and other souvenirs. As we walked around the village, we saw kids playing and building something which I imagine was some sort of racetrack. There were dogs, chickens and cats wandering around as well. There really wasn’t a lot to do but it was nice to stretch our legs.

Further up the river at the retired Buddha Cave, the eerie, unlit caves full of Buddhas were somewhat haunting. Our day trip wasn’t much of a tour, our driver didn’t smile or talk much, but this entire boat trip was still Dad’s favorite part of our trip to Laos. This was mostly because of the importance of the the Mekong River and it’s role in international events and American involvement in SE Asia.

On another day we hired a tuk tuk and driver to take us to the Kuang Si waterfall and the other activities along that road. On the walk to the waterfall, you first walk through the Asiatic Black Bear (Moon Bears) rescue center (free to take a look at the bears and facility). Past that, the waterfalls are GORGEOUS, breathtaking, mesmerizing. H was one of the few brave enough to swim in the chilly water. We heard it’s best to go early to avoid the crowds and we’re glad we did!

Our day trip included two more stops: the beautifully-run, educational Butterfly Garden where there was a fish spa for our feet in the garden, and the Buffalo Dairy for delicious ice cream and buffalo cheese tasting plate. (More details about the Buffalo Dairy coming soon from Dad’s Page).

Around town, we enjoyed street meat, cautiously crossed the seasonal (temporary) bamboo bridge to go to lunch across the river, and H and Dad got haircuts.

Early one morning towards the end of our trip, Dad and I watched the Alms Giving ceremony. Buddhist monks of all ages dressed in all shades of orange walked in lines passing the almsgivers, receiving sticky rice. Dogs trotted along next to them, enjoying the occasional forgotten rice on the ground. It was mostly silent except for the click of cameras or the officials telling tourists to make space for the procession of monks.

Next up–the busy and crowded Hanoi, Vietnam!!