Luang Prabang – the best place in Laos.
Luang Prabang offers unique location on a peninsula formed by the Mekong river, surrounded by limestone hills, with many picturesque Buddhist temples and its hospitable inhabitants. All these makes, in my opinion, the best place in Laos.
No wonder, Luang Prabang attracts many tourists each year. I stayed there only a few days, and I enjoyed every moment.
First of all it’s not a big city, time and people don’t seem to run so fast here. Daily routines of monks and locals designate a specific atmosphere.
Night markets offer good street food, many handicrafts and souvenirs for its visitors.
Luang Prabang is on the MEKONG SLOW BOAT track, so people coming here by boat from the North already know the meaning of the word slow:) and it’s a good thing. Many travelers have usually a limited time schedule. They want to see most attractions in the area, quick and fast, because they have only few days left before the flight back home. Slow is a key word here. If you stay longer, just wondering around, taking time walking or riding a bicycle, this place hits you with its unique charm.
Temples and monks
A vast amount of Buddhist temples shape the town landscape in a very pleasing way. You can come to some and talk to monks and young adepts – English usually manages if not, French helps a lot. I had a really long chat with a few monks in their free time between ceremonies. I learned about their living in monastery and how strict and ascetic their rules and lives are, but they say they accept it.
One monk was asking me how my life look like back in Europe? I replied that I also had a lot of learning and classes, and routines, just like them. But do our goals or purposes go the same way? We train, practice, master. I think I should ask myself his question more often….
You should respectfully ask them if you can have a talk. Monks like to have conversation to practice their English or other languages.
Lots of tourists want to see a morning ALMS GIVING CEREMONY. It’s an everyday ritual of food offering by inhabitants to the monks. I didn’t like cameras’ clicking and the sea of people trying to get best shots of monks, twisting elevated moments of Buddhist rituals…so ignorant.
I preferred talking to the monks in their free time, not disturbing them while in ceremony.
Food
I love Asian cuisine and Lao cuisine as well, but traveling for more than 6 months in Asia sometimes makes you miss your local bread, and your European food. In Laos you see French influences all over. I could use my rusty French – just good enough when asking for directions and ordering food, and especially very popular all sorts of crunchy, fresh, stuffing baguettes and a really appetizing aromatic coffee. Ohh.
There are lots of restaurants serving Chinese, even Mexican dishes if you like, I tried some… not bad for the record, but best food you can get, I think is from street stalls. Always fresh, just pick a place where most people are, and it’s an explosion of taste.
Entertainment
There are also many modern attractions in Luang Prabang.
One of them is bowling – very popular among locals usually at night. I met some guys from here. We had a blast playing, laughing about a tourist guy kissing a really good looking ladyboy, and not getting that it’s not a girl. Talking lots about traveling, pros and cons of living in Laos and how happy people are here.
Discotheques are also very popular. Dao Fah Night Club was the most popular place when I was there. Hitchhiking someone on a scooter to get you to the club is a great way when you don’t know where it is located. Once you are inside, a never before experience of sipping Beerlao with ice cubes in a high narrow glass, or having shots of lao-lao, standing around small tables, talking to locals and fellow travelers and dancing to the newest beats makes the night… Worth going, to see how Lao people entertain, singing Kareoke, or just party all night long.
There are so many guesthouses all over town in all price ranges so you can find what suits you best. I stayed in lovely place near center, clean room with a helpful hosts.
Laos Luang Prabang is definitely a must see. So enjoy it your way as I did …
