Half a day after arriving in Luang Prabang we were already stunned by its beauty and convinced that the town is one of the gems of the whole South East Asia.
Luang Prabang is a small town of around 50.000 people in the heart of Laos along the Mekong River, and its center is a UNESCO site because of its“outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries” (Unesco website).
This little city has its charm and it is the perfect base for a few days to explore Laotian history, its Buddhist culture, and its colonial heritage without missing out on cozy little restaurants and vibrant markets.
We found it very relaxing, charming and romantic and we recommend spending at least a few days here.
Below is a small list of what we enjoyed the most in our few days in and around Luang Prabang. As usual, we focused on what we liked and not on a huge list of things you could do there (on which there are plenty of very good blogs already).
- Rent a bike and stroll around its temples
- Visit the UXO museum
- Enjoy Laotian or the international cousine
- Visit the Kuang Si Waterfalls
- Enjoy a Yoga class
- Listen to a traditional Laotian storyteller
- Enjoy the street foot and the local market
- Pray with the monks at sunset or experience the Alm ceremony
1. Rent a bike and stroll around its temples
Luang Prabang is very small and surprisingly in Asia, very bike-friendly. Most of the hotels and guesthouses there give you the possibility of taking a bike for free or rent it for a small fee. Rent the bike for a whole day to stroll around the town and visit what most interests you. Do not miss the old quarter, which is nestled on a small peninsula surrounded by the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers on three sides. Get to the Royal Palace, the old residence of the king during the French era, or visit Wat Xieng Thong with its beautiful buildings and artifacts.
There are 34 temples in Luang Prabang, and we recommend to visit at least 1 or 2. Some of them have a small entry fee, but some others are free.
Leave the bike and climb Mount Phousi for a 360-degree view of Luang Prabang, the Mekong, and the nature around.
It is 100 meters in elevation, not much, but can be daunting under the burning sun (as we did) so bring some water.
2. Visit the UXO visitor centre
Around 10-15 minutes away from downtown, the UXO museum is a small but interesting museum on the atrocities committed by the US during the Vietnam War and how the UXOs (unexploded ordnance) are still causing many problems today in rural Laos. We discovered here that Loas has the sad record of being the most bombed country in the world.
Between December 1964 and March 1973, at least 260 million bombs were dropped on Laos and millions of unexploded cluster bombs were scattered through it.
Pay a visit there to learn something new and leave an offer if you can: there are still millions of bombs around the country and they are a danger, especially for kids.
3. Enjoy a Laotian meal or the thriving international cousine
We found Luang Prabang particularly interesting in its culinary offer, from Laotian restaurants to fusion or French ones, you won’t be disappointed with what the city has to offer for dinner. After trying different restaurants, here you have our personal top 3 highlights:
- Dyen Sabai Restaurant: cozy and romantic restaurant, immersed in a beautiful bamboo garden overlooking the river. We jumped on a small boat from downtown to just cross the river and get directly into the restaurant, and this made it even more special. Dinner was fantastic: we tried the Laotian barbecue with a cocktail and enjoyed a very special night here.
- Bouang Asian eatery: centrally located, it specializes in vegetarian Asian dishes and burgers.
- Khaiphaen: Laotian menu with a creative twist, run by an NGO - Friends-International - that focuses on marginalized youngsters and gives them professional restaurant training and counseling.
4. Visit the Kuang Si Waterfalls
One of the highlights of our entire Laos trip was the visit to the Kuang waterfalls. They are among the best waterfalls we have ever seen, making it the best half-day or day trip you can do from Luang Prabang.
After a long breakfast, we decided to rent a scooter to visit the waterfalls. We recommend going there with a scooter because it is a beautiful ride (even though the road is very bumpy) and there are options to stop along the way, such as a couple of nice coffee places and a buffalo farm. If you don’t feel comfortable driving, there are other options to go there: tuk-tuk or guides willing to bring you there.
The falls are spectacular, made of 3 different layers and shallow turquoise pools all along its downstream path. Moreover, most of the pools are open for swimming.
Secret tip: you can walk up past the top pool and and continue on the path along a small trek in the jungle, that will lead you to a nice hidden restaurant. We enjoyed the atmosphere and we swam in the river.
5. Enjoy a Yoga class
If you want to relax and be energized for an hour or so, we enjoy the yoga class here, in the city center. It is a nice studio with well-prepared teachers, so if you feel about staying active on your vacation, check it out!
6. Listen to a traditional Laotian storyteller
One of the most “different” evenings we had in our whole trip was going to listen to a traditional storyteller in a small theatre of Luang Prabang. They present a selection of local folktales, legends, and myths. The stories are told in English, with live musical accompaniment, and are very engaging and interesting. We never experienced something like this before, and we felt like being transported into the past, in the heart of rural Laos.
Coupled with a drink, this was one of the best evenings we had in Laos.
7. Enjoy the street food and the local market
Every evening before sunset Sisavangvong Road in the center gets busy with vendors selling all kinds of Laotian traditional handicraft products. Close to that, is a street food area in which you can eat different types of Laotian street food and fresh fruits at a very affordable price (a couple of Euro/Dollars). It is very touristy and crowded, however, it still keeps its charm, and you can still find interesting items on display. Make sure to bargain if you find something you would like to take home.
8. Experience the Alm ceremony at dawn or Pray with the monks at dusk
Sai Bat (Morning Alms) is a longstanding tradition in Laos Buddhist culture.
In observing it, the devoted offer food to barefoot monks throughout Luang Prabang every morning. It became quite controversial in the past years, because often tourists behaved badly, spoiling or interrupting the ceremony just for a picture. We heard that there are even organized tours with buses bringing tourists to the ceremony and selling them the offerings to give to the monks.
Because of its secular tradition, and considering that we could have interfered with the ceremony just by standing in the streets, Sofia and I decided not to go there. Instead, we visited a temple at dusk and experienced a blissful prayer with many young monks chanting their evening prayer. It was an equally rewarding moment, and we enjoyed the authentic feel we got. If you want to experience it, just ask a monk in a temple in the city whether the evening prayer will be held there.
We hope you enjoyed our best experiences in Luang Prabang. If you have questions, doubts, or improvements, feel free to get in touch! Enjoy Laos ❤️
