Robsons-Adventures_Luang Prabang

What can I say about Luang Prabang - Fabulous!! The jewel of Laos and the former capital of the Kingdom. Here you can still breathe in its tranquility and capture the spirit of old Laos. It is a place to explore on foot in order to appreciate the beauty and serenity of this city of approximately 32 Pagoda's. There are many temples (Wats) in the city and it is a spiritual place for monks and each morning you can witness them all leaving their temples and collect their alms for the day. It is a truly amazing and moving sight to see the locals gather on the pavements each morning and see the monks file past and receive food for the day, but it does mean getting up at 06:00 to witness this.

The pace of life is slow here, apart from during Pi Mai Lao (Lao New Year in April) when they bring the New Year in by washing the Buddha's and once that duty is done, they wash each other - actually that means water pistols, buckets of water, hose pipes etc. and no one is spared from a soaking and that includes the police - where else in the world can you soak a policeman and get away with it!!!

So what else is there to see in Luang Prabang, well there are many temples to visit or you can pay 8000 Kip to climb up Mount Phousi and take in the amazing views of the mountains and the Mekong River in one direction and the River Kham in the opposite. You also get a great view of the airport a short distance away. Outside the city and a short boat trip down the Mekong is the Pak Ou caves where thousands on Buddha statues are located and opposite the caves on the other bank of the Mekong is the Lao Lao (Rice Wine) village; if you dare - actually very nice and smooth. Then another excursion is to the Kuang-Si waterfalls, where you will also be able to visit some bears and a tiger after you have had a dip in the lovely refreshing water.

Again there are hotels for all budgets, a good moderate priced hotel is the Muang Luang which has a nice pool and large rooms and well decorated. For first class hotels there is no shortage with the Villa Santi (former Royal residence) and for the more budget conscious I can recommend the Villa Merry Swiss which is a smallish family run hotel in a great location and at around $40 for a double room for the night. If you really want a budget hotel there are many guest houses which you can get for about $10, don't count on air-conditioning in those mind you. On the subject of air-con, if you are visiting during the months Nov-Jan you will probably not need air-con as it can be quite cool at night (12c) but during the day can still get up to 25c so very comfortable. The hottest month is usually April (hence the water fights!).
If you are looking for a lively nightlife, this really isn't the place, but there are a couple of lively western bars, but just chill out!