Luang Prabang

What to do in Luang Prabang? Just relax to the fullest!!!

It seems I arrived on a big day in Luang Prabang: it’s the Laotian version of the Oxford-Cambridge rivalry. All the stores are closed, and the locals are crowding the banks of the Mekong with their kids, dogs, mothers-in-law, and folding chairs.

About 40 rowers are crammed into those enormous boats, and to my surprise, they’re very well coordinated…. Where’s the typical Southeast Asian chaos? What doesn’t surprise me as much is how calm the “fans” are: they watch the race calmly, without hurling insults—I think—and without getting too worked up…. There are no hooligans here….

Luang Prabang, like Chiang Mai or Georgetown, is one of those cities that has successfully adapted to Western tourism. It doesn’t have any spectacular monuments or attractions, and its greatest asset is something that’s hard to capture in photos: a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere—the feeling that, at that very moment, nothing is going to happen…

The town is divided into two areas: the tourist area (completely renovated for tourism, on the south bank of the Mekong) and the local area (on the other side of the river)

TOURISTIC ZONE

Arriving and Choosing a Place to Stay 

There are two bus stations, one in the north and one in the south; to get to the city center, you have to take a tuk-tuk, and that’s when you’ll have the first surprise of the day: !! You don’t have to haggle with the taxi drivers or worry about getting ripped off !!. The prices are fixed and posted on a huge sign, and they’re not exorbitant: 10,000 kip per person—almost unheard of in Southeast Asia….

Choosing a place to stay is also quite an experience. Along the banks of the Mekong, there are dozens of hotels that advertise “river views.” This isn’t entirely true. Where the road ends, the trees have, naturally, grown tall and block that so-called view; add to that the fact that almost all the hotels are no more than two stories high, and you might be in for the unpleasant surprise of paying for an expensive room with a view… of the trees 😡

The visit 

What to do in Luang Prabang? The historic center will be our top priority, and after that, the best thing to do is rent a bike or a motorcycle and simply ride along the banks of the Mekong or head north to enjoy its more rural side.

I wouldn't spend more than 3 days there unless you get caught up in laziness: the day you arrive, another day to see the city center, and one more to explore the surrounding area.

Visiting some temples….

There are several temples to visit in Luang Prabang.

They're all pretty much the same, and if I remember correctly, you have to pay at the ticket booth at each one: 20,000 kip. You're not supposed to have to pay to enter a Buddhist temple, but little by little, they're learning how to fleece tourists here, too.

My favorite is the Wat Xieng Thon

A little quieter than the National Museum It's just as beautiful. As I mentioned above, they're all in the same style, so if you've already visited other temples in Southeast Asia, you won't be missing out on anything by not going inside (and paying) at any of them.

One thing that’s typical of temples in Laos is the AWFUL interior lighting they’ve installed—with extremely bright white spotlights that ruin the warmth and dim lighting needed for worship or meditation inside—and, while they’re at it, they ruin any photo you take, no matter the angle 😡

Sunset on Mount Phu Si

What to do in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon and evening? You can go watch the sunset at Mount Phu Si

A while back, the locals discovered an unusual passion among Western tourists: watching the sunrise or sunset from the highest possible vantage point. Well, let’s get to work. Does the gringo want to watch the sunset from the summit? Well, then he’ll have to pay… (20,000 kip).

It’s a shame that a hill obviously designed for worship—there’s an altar, a Buddha statue, or something similar in every corner—is now a little circus, but that’s life…. I climb the 100–150 meters to the top and elbow my way through the crowd to find a spot. All tourists. Not a single Laotian. I make a mental note. Well, it’s nice in the end, but it’s not all that…

People in Luang Prabang save themselves the 20,000 kip and watch the sunset at the Khem Không Street (the one that runs north to south along the east bank of the Mekong). The sun sets behind the mountains rising on the other side of the river, and when you look at them from below, they seem to be on fire… just as good—or even better—than from above

Anyone who wants to see what life is really like for a resident of Laos—or at least of Luang Prabang—should cross the Mekong….

THE LOCAL ZONE

It's amazing how just crossing to the other side can make life so different… First, you have to cross, of course… The pier is across from the Royal Palace Museum, but on the river side. As you get closer, there are a lot of wise guys will tell you all sorts of things: that there's no longer a ferry to cross, that they'll take you there for less... it's all a lie.

The ferry costs 5,000 kyps (10,000 if you bring your motorcycle or bicycle on board).

Once you reach the other side, if you walk up about 100 meters on the left side of the road, you'll find a small map with a suggested route for exploring the area

For those who don't want to complicate things, the walking trail marked on the map is the easiest option: the entrance is literally right in front of the map—across the street, via a small, hidden wooden bridge—and it's a pleasant stroll along the left bank of the Mekong with some ups and downs.

High because you can climb the hill on which the Wat Xieng Maen stands (10,000 kip) and relax there for a while, taking in the view

And lower, because once you leave this temple behind and continue down the path, you come to another temple (Wat Tham Xieng Maen, another 10,000 kip) with a cave inside. The best part of the cave is a sort of natural chimney through which bats fly like it’s a highway… I don’t recommend sticking your head in like I did, or you’ll get a real scare 😅

If you've come by bike or motorcycle, you can follow the long route on the map; I'll admit it's not much to write home about—don't even try it if it's rained—but at least it's authentic, a glimpse into the real lives of the people of Laos, and a welcome change from the tourist circus.

That was everything there is to do in Luang Prabang; I hope you enjoyed it.

If you liked this post or have more information to add, let me know in the comments!

And if you want to know more about Lao: https://999millas.net/category/paises/laos/

Or you can visit their official website: https://www.visitlaos.org

Foto y textos : Mike !