A Change of Scenery

I got temple-d out after traveling around South East Asia. Tomorrow, I'm going for a totally different holiday. Off to Hollywoodland aka California! Hope to see some stars.

Loving Luang Prabang

When I told people I was going to Luang Prabang, I got mostly blank faces and the question "What's there?". Although I have a few friends who have been there and truly enjoyed it, Laos is not really a destination that's on top of mind. Which is such a shame because the place is gorgeous.

Luang Prabang is quiet, peaceful, quaint and full of greenery. People are nice and helpful, crime is almost nonexistent and no one bothers you as you go about your business unlike other towns where people bother tourists 24/7 just for a quick buck.

Getting There

There are two options. One is to take an Air Asia flight to Vientiane then take a connecting flight with Lao Airlines to Luang Prabang. Another is to take a flight to Bangkok, then proceed to Luang Prabang with Bangkok Airways. We heard a lot of bad reviews about Lao Airlines so we decided to take the latter option. Bangkok Airways had excellent service and great airline food. The ride was a bit bumpy though because of rain.

Hotel

Le Bel Air Hotel is just wonderful!

It's around 15 minutes walk to the centre of town and the main tourist area (where all the action is), situated right in front of the Nam Khan River, along the Old Bridge. I thought the location was perfect because the place is very quiet and idyllic, with sweeping gardens and great views of the river. The place is still very new, having just opened less than a year ago. Le Bel Air is also owned by locals but their service and facilities are comparable to the other hotels in town that are owned by foreigners.

I'll begin my comments with the staff. Bunmi, Ta, Eing, Yang, Noy (etc) together with the managing director, Mr Somnuek, were nice and helpful, making our stay at the hotel really pleasant. They made great suggestions as to what to do around town and were always smiling. I think the only fault I saw was that they were not very confident about speaking in English so they tend to mumble a lot. I had to ask them to repeat what they were saying a few times. Otherwise, they were a great lot and delivered probably one of the best services I have experienced in any hotel.

I loved the hotel grounds and their facilities. The reception area is located in a cute hut.

The restaurant and bar are outdoors with a view of the Nam Khan. They serve really good food.

They have a small internet hut where you can surf while being surrounded by greenery.

Love their garden.

They rent bikes for free and their van can take you to town and back, also for free. Nice!

As for our bungalow, it made my husband and I feel like we were on our second honeymoon. It was so romantic.

They stock the bungalow with fresh fruits (again, free) everyday,

which you can eat at the balcony

while looking at these views of the river and the old bridge.

I also loved the big red bathroom.

All their rooms and bungalows are decorated with native Lao products like carved wood and silk. A bungalow costs around US$75-95 based on the season and a double room costs US$50-75. This includes breakfast. I find the prices quite reasonable compared to the other foreign-owned hotels that don't even have the same expanse of space that Le Bel Air has.

Only problem we had was in reserving the room on the internet. There is no online reservation except through agoda.com. We had a hard time looking for it. It would have been easier if we can reserve and pay directly on the website or through Octopus Travel, Asia Rooms or Hotel Club.

But, otherwise, I highly recommend staying at Le Bel Air if ever you find yourself in Luang Prabang.

Food and Drink

Lao food is really tasty and full of healthy ingredients. We had a hard time thinking of what to eat because there are so many choices. Here are a few suggestions:

You MUST have a Beer Lao during sunset at one of the restaurants in Khem Khong street, facing the Mekong River.

Try Laap, a typical Lao vegetable and pork dish that is oh-so-spicy but oh-so-nice.

Eat at Tamnak Lao Restaurant and try their yummy eggplant with minced pork and garlic, their Lao noodles and Tom Yam.

Have a profiterole for dessert at the Apsara. My husband loved it.

Grab a bite of the best hamburger in Luang Prabang for only 15,000 kip. Sadly, I wasn't able to take a picture of the burger, my husband gobbled it up right away.

Try the vegetarian buffet at the night market for only 5000 kip or go to the Coleur Cafe for good Lao sausages.

Things To Do

Go biking. Luang Prabang reminded me how much I loved riding a bike. I live in a big city where biking can be a dangerous pastime so going around town for a few days on a two-wheeler was heaven for me.

The streets are clean and there are only a few vehicles, mostly motorbikes and bicycles going around town.

I actually had a good full day's workout while I was in Luang Prabang, biking for 3 to 4 hours a day. No wonder people there are so slim!

Climb Mt Phousi. There's a small mountain in the middle of Luang Prabang called Mt. Phousi that has an easy uphill trail.

On the way up, you'll find different Buddha statues.

Once you reach the peak, take pictures of the town.

You need to pay around 20,000 kip to go up Mt. Phousi. It's not such a bad hike since there are stairs but be prepared with a bottle of water in handy. If you're lucky (like we were) you can catch monks pounding their drums in a Buddhist ritual during the afternoons.

Go temple-hopping. Luang Prabang has 43 temples with around 700 monks and novices as residents. There's one in almost every corner and a lot of them are located close to each other so biking or walking to each one is quite easy.

This one is Wat Sene

And if you have time only for one temple, go to Wat Xieng Thong, the most magnificent one. Entrance fee is 20,000 kip

Well, you don't need to go to all the temples (we went to 4) because there are a lot of other things to see and do. Besides, most of the temples look alike so seeing just a few should be fine.

Watch the sunset beside the Mekong River. I was dumbfounded by the beauty of the Mekong. It's such a lovely river and seeing the sunset skim along its waters is a magnificent sight.

Swim in the Kwang Si Water Falls. The water is clean but very cold. To get there, you need to hire a Tuk Tuk that would cost you around US$25. Entrance fee is around 20,000 kip.

Around the falls, there's an enclosure where you can watch cute Asiatic bears play.

Go on a river cruise to the Pak Ou Tam Thinh Caves. We hired a private boat (which turned out to be enormous) for about US$40 per person. You can take a tuk tuk or a mini van to the town of Pak Ou at a lower price but the best way is to hire a boat because the caves are only accessible through the river.

Here's our huge boat.

Cruising along the Mekong was a great experience. It's peaceful yet full of wildlife. I never expected it to be so big.

The trip to the caves takes an hour to an hour and a half depending on how fast your boat is. Entrance to the caves costs 20,000 kip. This is the lower cave taken from the river.

The lower cave contains buddhas,

buddhas,

buddhas,

and buddhas.

There's also an upper cave that is completely dark but also contains buddhas and the remains of a 'naga' , a dragon-shaped vessel, used by the King of Lao during New Year. This is the entrance of the upper cave which is a hundred steps from the lower cave. Make sure to bring a flashlight.

After our visit to the caves, we headed back to Luang Prabang but had to make a pit stop at a very interesting petrol station.

Freaked me out. But we were able to get back safe with no explosions or leaks happening. I guess they're pretty used to this.

Visit the Royal Palace Museum.

I have no pictures because they took our camera away for safekeeping. This Museum was the home of the King and Queen of Laos during the old days and are filled with furniture and interiors that were crafted so well, they are almost artwork.

In here, you can also see the Prabang, the golden (90%) buddha statue, that's supposed to weigh around 115 pounds. Some say that the Prabang at the museum is a duplicate and the real one is in some vault somewhere. So it's worth a look to see if the story is true.

Go shopping. Don't expect any Louis Vuitton or Prada shops in Luang Prabang. The place does not even have a McDonald's or a Starbucks. The western world's consumerism hasn't fully reached this place so expect to see only native items for sale. Forget about malls, too. The main shopping area is the night market.

Full to the brim with handwoven items, trinkets, clothes and knick knacks, the night market is a great place to get souvenirs that are truly Lao.

My suggestions are a beautiful Lao skirt for the ladies,

check out its beautiful weaving,

a Beer Lao tee for the men,

and a nice handwoven sling bag.

Stalk the Monks. You'll see them everywhere. The presence of monks gives Luang Prabang a spiritual atmosphere. It's nice to take pictures of them going about their business but make sure to show respect by keeping your distance.

The best experience we had was giving alms to the monks at 6am along Sisavangvong Road. They line up silently, barefoot and wearing their orange robes.

We sat along the sidewalk together with other locals and gave them sticky rice.

It was one of the most spiritual experiences I've ever had. Locals say that giving alms to the monks will bring you blessings. This was the last thing that we did before our flight out of Laos so it was nice that I was leaving this beautiful town with a handful of blessings on hand.