Charming Laos
It was only a little over a one-hour flight journey from Bangkok, but what greeted us couldn’t have been more far removed from the craziness of the Thai capital that we had left behind us. Luang Prabang is a charming peaceful town, which lies at the convergence of two rivers, the mighty Mekong and the smaller Nam Khan River. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is lined with fantastic French colonial style villas, hundreds of temples, great bars and restaurants.
We spent five nights here and divided our time between the charming Villa Chitdara which was within the UNESCO area and the Dream Boutique which is a bit further out, and was linked to the town by a bamboo bridge built by the locals and is for pedestrians only.
On completing our Visa formalities at the airport, we were met by our guide and transferred to the Villa Chitdara. This guesthouse is ideally located, only a few minutes’ walk from the night market which is the central focus of the town. The following morning, we met our guide for our full day tour of Luang Prabang. We visited the Royal Palace Museum, we travelled by boat to a pottery village, we visited a silk factory, the UXO museum and finally we climbed Mount Phousi where we had amazing views of the town stretching below us.
The next morning, we set our clocks for 5.15 to observe the traditional alms giving ceremony. Hundreds of monks proceed through the town at dawn collecting alms from devotees. This is a highly respected Lao tradition that we felt privileged to witness.
Kuang Si falls is must for any visitor to Luang Prabang. They are located about 30km away from Luang Prabang. The walk to the Falls take you by a Zoo which houses bears which have been rescued from captivity. The Falls themselves are truly magnificent. There are different terraces, each further up along the path. The main terrace is awe inspiring; the water is an amazing colour. It really was a highlight of our Laos visit.
Our final days in Luang Prabang were spent in the Dream Boutique which is a lovely property with lush tropical gardens leading down to the river. A short walk across the bamboo bridge brought us to the town centre where we dined on street food, had some pampering treatments and purchased some souvenirs at the street market. This charming town is a must for any South East Asia itinerary!