Luang Prabang is located north of Vientiane in Laos and has lots to offer. It is a beautiful laid back town where the Laotians here are friendly. Laos is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world with 49 officially recognised groups.
UNESCO has recognised Luang Prabang as one of the best-preserved cities in Southeast Asia, making it one of the World Heritage Sites.
Getting To Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang’s airport (LPQ) is accessible via Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Jinghong in China, Pakse, Siem Reap, Vientiane. Airlines that services flights at Luang Prabang include Lao Airlines, Lao Skyway, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia and Vietnam Airlines. The airport is located about 4km from the centre of Luang Prabang. The airport has one shared terminal for both domestic and international flights and one runway.
There isn’t much to do or buy in the airport. So if you are flying on Bangkok Airways, you get to rest, relax and enjoy some refreshments at the lounge.
SilkAir is launching flights to Vientiane and Luang Prabang on a circular route from 31 October 2016 subject to approvals. The thrice weekly flights will take flight on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. SilkAir will operate its Airbus A320 featuring Business and Economy class seats from Singapore to Vientiane en route to Luang Prabang and back to Singapore.
Where to Stay
Luang Prabang is home to many hotels. Tripadvisor has rated these top 10 hotels in Luang Prabang – Belmond La Résidence Phou Vao, the Luang Say Residence, Mekong Riverview Hotel, Le Sen Boutique Hotel, The BelleRive Boutique Hotel, Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel, Burasari Heritage, Kridara, Sofitel Luang Prabang Hotel, Satri House amongst others.
We stayed at the Sofitel Luang Prabang and also visited the 3 Nagas Luang Prabang MGallery by Sofitel. The Hotel de la Paix first opened in October 2010. This year it is under the management of AccorHotels and renamed Sofitel Luang Prabang. These 23 luxury villas are set in the former governor’s residence. Each of the spacious villas comes with a separate shower and bath indoors and an outdoor bathtub in the attached garden. The pool here is very inviting and because the villas and single-storey, you get an unblocked view wherever you are. The Governer’s Grill is the only Food and Beverage outlet here.
We got a glimpse of local life during our recent visit to Luang Prabang in May. Here are some sights and places to visit when visiting Luang Prabang.
Street Markets
Visit the street markets of Luang Prabang and soak in the local atmosphere. Find out the local produce locals consumer and be intrigued by the chickens, frogs, rats and others that are sold here. If you are adventurous enough, you may just get some to try while you are here.
Laotian Street Food
We didn’t get the chance to try the grilled Mekong Fish pierced in Bamboo, but we saw a lot of that sold on the streets throughout Luang Prabang. They are grilled over charcoal and smell amazingly delicious.
Remember to enjoy local beer produced in Laos. Beerlao can be very refreshing, especially during the hot seasons.
Learn About Laotian Culture
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC), the only independent non-profit museum and resource centre in Laos exhibits a collection of text, photographs and objects from villages throughout the north of Laos. Check out the ethnic clothing, household objects and religious artefacts.
The exhibits at the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre have information in Lao, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese. The artefacts here are rotated regularly. Buy crafts sourced directly from artisan communities from the Museum Shop.
Entry tickets are priced at 25,000k per person. There are guided exhibit tours available (an additional 240,000k per group of 12 by the TAEC Guide or 400,000k per group of 12 by the TAEC director). Half-day handicraft workshops (Hmong Embroidery/Applique or Kmhmu Bamboo Weaving) come with lunch and an additional fee.
TAEC is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9am to 6pm. It is closed on Mondays. TAEC is located at Ban Khamyong, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR.
Ock Pop Tok
Ock Pop Tok was set up to help people discover Laos through textiles. Using only the finest, locally sourced raw materials, the folks at Ock Pop Tok produce handmade products on a platform for fair trade. With women’s empowerment as one of the key pillars here, women are the driving force behind Ock Pop Tok and the handicraft industry.
Ock Pop Tok has multiple locations. With Ock Pop Tok Heritage in Ban Vat Sene, Ock Pop Tok Boutique in Ban Vat Sene, Living Crafts Centre, Fibre2Fabric Gallery, Mekong Villa & Silk Road Café in Ban Saylom.
Visit Ock Pop Tok at Ban Saylom for a more complete experience. See the women working on the fabric at the Living Crafts Centre as well as take a journey to understand more about the steps it takes to complete a handicraft product. And there are even lessons you can take, such as cloth dyes.
Dine at the Silk Road Café while overlooking the Mekong River. A fusion of Laotian and Western cuisines is served here.
Kuang Si Park Waterfalls
Tat Kuang Si houses a forest and wildlife discovery trail, its popular three-tier waterfalls, a bear rescue centre and a new butterfly park. It is located 29km south of Luang Prabang. Taking an excursion to this area lets you cover quite a bit of nature sites. Bring along swimwear and towels to dry off after a dip in the natural pools by the waterfalls. The turquoise basins’ water is cool and perfect for a hot sunny day.
An entrance fee is charged for entry into the waterfalls.
Kuang Si Park Waterfalls ButterflyPark
The Kuang Si ButterflyPark opened in January 2014, and it has been funded by Dutch Olaf and Ineke. It is inspiring how the duo sold everything they owned in the Netherlands and began their dream within 11 months with the local community. Visiting biologists, botanists and entomologists visit the park and train the staff here.
Learn about the different types of butterflies in the Kuang Si Area, how they breed and their life cycle in this park. There are ten common butterflies here, including the Great Mormon, Common Striped Crow, Tailed Jay, Common Cruiser, Red Helen, Common Tiger, Paris Peacock, Glassy Tiger, Clipper and Dead Leaf Butterfly.
Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre
The Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre houses the Asiatic black bears commonly known as moon bears. The residents here were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Moon bears are endangered because they are highly sought after for their traditional medicinal value through the bear bile and even as pets.
The sanctuary takes care of them, giving them nourishment, and a second lease of life in the sanctuary. The sanctuary was completed in 2015 as part of the Free The Bears cause. Here the bears enjoy large forested enclosures which are cooling with freshwater streams from the nearby waterfall. There are even bath pools for these bears to soak in and you can see how much they enjoy these nice cooling baths.
Learn about the different types of bears worldwide and how they live in the Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre.
Get Blessings from Almsgiving Every Morning
Every morning, the little town of Luang Prabang turns orange as monks from around walk bare-footed down the streets in saffron robes carrying containers on their right collecting alms along the streets. The Tak-Bat Monks Procession happens in the centre of town. Almsgivers sit along the streets on stools or mats with glutinous rice and other food. They fill their fingers with these alms and quietly put them into the containers of all the monks who walk by until they run out of food.
There are some rules to follow. They include being seated so you are below the monk’s eye contact, and women should not touch the monks. As this is a religious ceremony, be respectful and stay out of the way of the monks while taking photos or videos. Avoid using flash so as not to ‘blind’ the monks too.
Enjoy Sunset on the Mekong River
Take a boat ride down the Mekong River during sunset and enjoy the tranquil ride. This is quite a beautiful experience. Remember to bring your cameras and get ready for many selfies and postcard-perfect picture moments. Soak in the atmosphere and local life and you cruise down the Mekong river.
Luxury on the Mekong takes you out on Dok Keow, the 28-metre boat of Lao tradition and Western style. There are different itineraries available including full private charters for up to four guests overnight or eight guests for day charters.
The boat features an aft and forward stateroom with beds, 100% cotton luxury bedding and ensuite bathrooms with an electric toilet, sink and vanity. The boat is also equipped with cookware, glassware, two burner propane stove top oven, blender, toaster, ice chests.
We took the Champagne Sunset Cruise which brought us to a deserted island. Here tables were set up. Champagne and canapés were brought out and we had a beautiful time given that the sunset breeze kept the heat away. Yes. We had the whole island to ourselves.
Luxury On The Mekong also offers an Elephant Cruise, Kuang Si Waterfalls and Butterfly Garden, Pak Ou Caves Brunch or Lunch, Romantic Dinner Cruise, Mekong Jungle Camp, Thai Border Cruise.
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The Tak Bat Monks procession is taking place every morning, not just on Fridays!
Thank you for letting us know.
Hello,
Thank you for those informations. However, you forgot a very important word in the section about almsgiving: “and women should NOT touch the monks”. Also, it is preferable to do the almsgiving only as a spiritual process. If not, it’s better to observe the scene at the good distance (no one enjoys being closely observed during a religious process).
Have a very nice day