Luang Prabang
From Vientiane to Luang Prabang
After my initial pitstop at Vientiane upon arrival in Laos to pick up the rental vehicle to head east to Khammouane for my caving adventures, and back to return the vehicle and explore the city for 2 days, it was time to head north to Luang Prabang for my final leg of my Laos trip.
There was an Airport Shuttle/Lao ITECC-CBS Line which had buses plying between the airport and downtown Vientiane. You may wish to check for the nearest bus stop to your accommodation.
When I was doing my research for domestic flights from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, I found that there was an airline company which operated propeller planes for the flights. I have not taken a propeller plane before thus I booked a flight without further consideration. If you have not taken a propeller plane before, you could try taking the 50-minute flight on one from Vientiane to Luang Prabang.
Arriving at Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang International Airport (IATA: LPQ) is a small airport thus you would have to disembark from the plane and walk on the tarmac to the airport terminal.
From the airport, my research suggested to take a taxi (50,000 LAK) from outside the airport terminal or a songthaew (10,000 LAK) from outside the airport gate to downtown. As the difference was not much, I opted to take a taxi.
I realised later that the taxi was not the typical taxi but a passenger van with better seats and the ride was shared with other passengers.
In and Around Luang Prabang
Popular places to visit include:
- Bamboo Bridges
- Morning Market
- Mount Phou Si
- Night Market
- Tat Kuang Si (Kuang Si Waterfall)
- Wat Xieng Thong
Bamboo Bridges
There are 2 seasonal bamboo bridges that crosses the Nam Khan River, on Khem Khong Road and Kingkitsarath Road (7,000 KIP). The bridges were first built in 2006 by a local family and the tradition continues up to this day. They would be up from November to April but would be dismantled and kept during the rainy season from May to October.
Morning Market
The morning market is located around the streets between Sisavangvong Road and the Mekong River, near the Royal Palace. As the name suggests, most of the stalls operate along the streets early in the morning, some setting up their stalls before sunrise.
The stalls sell products from clothes, fruits, handicrafts, herbs, jewellery, meat, souvenirs, spices, textiles, vegetables among other products.
There were also shops and stalls selling food.
It was a good experience visiting the morning market to understand and immense myself in the lifestyle of the locals and to try their local cuisine.
Mount Phou Si
Mount Phou Si offers breathtaking panoramic views of Luang Prabang from its summit and is a popular destination to be at, for sunrise and sunset alike.
There were 2 staircases which you could use to ascend to the summit, from Sakkaline Road, next to Icon Klub and from Sisavongvang Road, opposite the Luang Prabang National Museum. Both were a little over 300 steps.
Along the way to the summit, you would come across various statues and shrines,
Please check the sunrise or sunset time before your trip and allocate sufficient time for your climb and pitstops, and to 'reserve' a seat at the summit. There were limited benches and if you are not among the firsts, you would have to stand all the way.
It is recommended to ascend by the steps on Sakkaline Road and descend by the steps on Sisavongvang Road so that you could proceed to the morning market or night market after your exercise. 😋
Night Market
The night market is on Sisavangvong Road. The stalls would start setting up their canopies from late afternoon and starts packing up from about 11 p.m.. You can expect to find products such as artwork, handicrafts, souvenirs and textiles. Many of the products are handmade.
Tat Kuang Si
Kuang Si Waterfall can be done on a 3/4 day trip.
The passenger van picked me up at about 1000 hours and arrived at the waterfall in about an hour.
The driver gave about 2.5 hours to explore the waterfall and to regroup after for the trip back. Remember to take a photo of the van with its registration number as there could be other similar looking vans around.
Kuang Si Waterfall is a three-tiered cascading waterfall with a main fall of about 60 metres.
After entering the welcome arch, you would pass by the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre where you would see bears playing in an enclosure.
After admiring the waterfall viewing area, you can embark on either of the hiking trails at both sides of the waterfall to get to the top.
There are pools and smaller waterfalls long the way for your photos and videos. It took me about half an hour to reach the top.
You may have come across in your research that there is a secret pool which is out of bounds and some people have managed to sneak in when it was just gated with a simple fence. Yes, it was still there when I went and it was heavily fortified so you may not want to trepass and risk getting injured by the web of barbed wires.
Wat Xieng Thong
Wat Xieng Thong was constructed in 1560 by King Setthathirath, a prominent ruler of the Kingdom of Lan Xang, served as the royal temple and used for important royal ceremonies and events.
Its architecture showcases traditional Lao design elements and the temple's main hall features a multi-tiered, sloping roof with ornate gilded carvings, glass mosaics, and intricate gold stenciling. The interior of the temple houses various Buddha statues and there is a Tree of Life mosaic at the back of the hall.
iseasywith.me Travel Hack
When sunset approaches and if you are near the pier along the Mekong River, you could see tour operators soliciting for sunset tours on the river which could cost you anything from 100,000 to 200,000 KIP.
If you do not wish to spend this money, you could walk along the Mekong River and find a good spot, sit down and catch the sunset, and take nice photos and videos of the sunset at your leisure pace.
Food and Beverage
Luang Prabang offers a flavourful and unique cuisine that combines elements of Lao, Thai and perhaps some French influences.
Popular dishes include the Laap, a traditional Lao dish made from minced meat e.g. beef, chicken, fish or pork mixed with fish sauce, herbs, lime juice and served with fresh vegetables and rice.
There are shops and stalls selling food at the morning market. These were what I tried for my breakfast.
Off Sisavangvong Road where the night market is, there are food streets where there are a couple of food stalls where you could have your dinner. There are stalls which offer food buffet style and you can fill your plate once for 15,000/20,000 KIP and stalls where you pick your food for them to heat up and serve you at your table.
There are also fancy cafes and restaurants for you to indulge for lunch or desserts.
Departing Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang was my last leg of my Laos adventure.
Due to the flight route, the plane took me back to Vientiane for a layover of about an hour before my onward flight back to home sweet home Singapore.
