LUANG PRABANG, LAOS- ( Part 8 ) Temples of Luang Prabang

Visitors to Luang Prabang are usually struck by the serene, tranquil nature of this idyllic Laos town. Luang Prabang is so small and compact in fact, it is almost absurd to call it a city. The town is a lovely place to take a leisurely walk and soak up the peaceful atmosphere that surrounds you. No cough-inducing fumes, traffic jams or the unsightly presence of fast food franchises to ruin the landscape, just lots of French style architecture and tons of monks.

The wat is a photographer's dream, there is so much that beckons the eye, and one has to be quick to take advantage when a monk goes walking by. For me there is a timeless quality that is reinforced by not being able to see the monk's face. I think a photo leaves a lot to the imagination....

The temple structure in Luang Prabang contrasts to the southern Lao and Thai styles. The sweeping tiers of the multiple overlapping " saddle " roofs spread nearly to the ground. The most impressive example is the Wat Xieng Thong. The building is lavishly decorated with mosaics of tiny red, green and blue mirrors on a gilded background. 

There are a few customs to consider when visiting the temples or wats of Luang Prabang. First, always remove your shoes upon entering the temple. There will usually be a sign, but it general, take them off before going up the last few steps. Monks are not permitted to touch women, so female travelers should NEVER TRY TO SHAKE HANDS or pass something directly to the monk. The feet are considered the lowliest part of the body, so take care not to point your foot at any Buddha image. Finally, dress modestly on your visits to the temple. Short shorts or skirts will cause stares or possibly offense to the monks.

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS- ( Part 7 ) ROYAL PALACE MUSEUM and WAT MAI

Luang Prabang is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique , remarkably well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two cultural traditions. 

The Royal Palace Museum is set back off the main street of Sisavangvong. It is located right at the center of the Heritage town.  It is directly across the Phu Si Hill. Its tall, swaying palm trees and elegant rooftop dominate the skyline. It is a beautiful museum to visit if you are trying to avoid the heat.

It is also known as the GOLDEN HALL or HAW KHAM. It was built in 1904. The Royal Palace was built in a combination of Lao and French styles. I really enjoyed wandering around the whole place although I was not allowed to take any photos inside the museum itself. I was intrigued to learn that the palace was specifically built on this site to allow tourists to gain entry to the palace. The palace museum contains royal religious artifacts and prized artwork.

The living quarters remain as they were when it was occupied by the royal family.  It is surprising how humble the royal family's quarters are. Although many locals believe that the palace is haunted by the spirits of the royal family.

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS- ( part 6 ) The Night Market

Shopping is still an informal affair in Luang Prabang. As everywhere, The morning market is the place to go for food and entertainment. There are hundreds of temporary and semi-permanent shops, stalls, and blankets spread on the ground, where virtually everyone converges to buy and sell almost everything. Here the primitive hill tribesmen comes face to face with the modern western traveler in a huddle strange to both of them. Yet, life comes easily here and such mood are taken with a broad smile. 

Every night, Hmong people come from their villages in the mountains to Luang Prabang to sell their hand made products. This market is really famous. It is filled with tourists from all over the world.... and I would surmise that we cannot call this place " out of the beaten track ". The things that are sold in the market are colorful and it is really a cheap place to buy your souvenirs to take home.

When dusk sets in the little town of Luang Prabang, the whole stretch of Sisavangvong is closed to vehicular traffic and it becomes a pedestrian walkway for the market vendors.

The local traders here sell a variety of merchandise ranging from puppets, silk lamps, scarves, exquisite ceramic pieces, silver bowls, antiques, paintings, rare spices and even some weird stuff like exotic insects and snakes bottled in rice wine.

You are not forced to buy anything you don't like at all... I just wandered around the market taking photos of their wares and sometimes stopping to chat with some vendors regarding their wares. That was enough for me. What I liked with these vendors is that you ask about their merchandise --- they are very accommodating to your every query.... They even offered me to try their rice wine with a small cobra in it.  I spent hours just observing the vendors and the buyers negotiating the prices of blankets, pillow cases and other items. I was surprised to find out that some of these vendors have a good command of English to greet the customers.

Despite the narrow walkways --- there seemed to be a universal understanding on which way to go. I could see a lot of tourists enjoying their time shopping and going from one stall to the other. It was a perfect time for me to take some photos of their wares. In the end -- I went through the market without buying anything , except for food and drinks.

This Luang Prabang Night Market is a must see cultural experience for everyone when you are in Laos. I enjoyed spending three nights checking out Luang Prabang Night Market. It was such a welcoming sight to see.... the red and blue tents along the Sisavangvong street with Mount Phu Si over looking the whole city.

I would love to visit Luang Prabang again and stroll through the Night Market once more.

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS- ( Part 5 ) PHNOM WEAVING VILLAGE

The Ban Phnom weaving village is about 7 kms. away from the Luang Prabang. This is a good place to buy cotton and silk textiles where you can also observe traditional weaving techniques of the Lao people.

This village became one of the acknowledged suppliers of the King. The ban Phnom village is full of history, culture and a weaving experience that you can still find in some other villages in Laos where methods, techniques and patterns are still those of old times.

The majority of the village's production is done according to a technique that uses cotton and silk. The weave is done using thick cotton threads that are often in different colors, which gives it a shimmering effect. Nearly all the families in this village possess 1 or more weaving looms. Some have even created small workshops. The prices of their handicrafts here in the village are a lot cheaper than that of the Night Market.

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS- ( Part 4 ) PAK OU CAVES

SABAI DEE !

When traveling to Laos, there are many places and sights to see. But one of the most unique and interesting destinations has to be the Pak Ou caves. These caves are one of the most sacred sights in the country. They are still being used as a place of worship. Every New Year, people from Luang Prabang make a pilgrimage to the caves containing over 4000 Buddha images and statues. These underground sanctuaries have been venerated for centuries where thousands of Buddha statues are housed. The caves can be reached either by a short trip on the Mekong River or by road to Ban Shang Hai Village.

Today  ----  let me take you to the PAK OU CAVES. These caves are found 25 kms. outside the city of Luang Prabang. We decided to go by tuk tuk rather than taking a boat on the Mekong river... The roads to the caves were not paved.. so it was a bit dusty on our way to there. Half way to the caves--- we asked the tuk tuk driver to stop for a while so we could take some photos of the Mekong River.

When we reached our destination---- we still had to hike some 350 meters to the boat landing where we would be taking a small boat to bring us to the caves.

It was nearly lunch so Oskie and I decided to have our lunch at the restaurant near the boat landing. The name of the restaurant was MANIVANH.  Here is what we had for lunch...

Deep fried  srping rolls..

Fried Fish ( caught in the Mekong River ) with pineapples...

Stir fried ginger with chicken....

After lunch, we met a boatman by the river bank and we haggled with him on the price he was  going to charge us just to take us across the river. He charged us 20,000 Kip ( which was roughly $ 3.00 ) to take us across... It was a good price, so we agreed. The boatman helped me get in the boat... the chairs were like the kind you would find in a little girl's tea set ---- small , wooden and very uncomfortable. Then the boatman pushed his oar off the dock and we slowly slipped into the current. The rattle of the motor drowned the sounds of life along the Mekong .... but we had a beautiful view.

The Pak Ou caves hosts thousands of interesting small and bigger Buddha images, mostly donated by the local people. There are 2 caves.... the upper and the lower cave. The lower cave is clearly visible from the river and is accessible by boat, while the higher level can be reached by climbing some stairs.... ( I counted almost 120 steps going up ).

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS- (Part 2) KUONG SI WATERFALLS

Kuong Si Waterfalls is located 35 kms. outside Luang Prabang. Another main attraction you should not miss while visiting Luang Prabang. This beautiful park is captivating with limestone formations and beautiful jungle pools for swimming. Oskie and I hired a tuk tuk for that day to bring us there. I enjoyed the ride which brought us down some unpaved dirt road past little villages and dry fields. Some people even waved their hands at us when we passed them down the road.

An hour later we arrived at the waterfalls.. and I even ran into some people who had been on our other tour to the Pak Ou caves. Luang Prabang and the tourist trail in general is so small that in Laos you hardly are surprised to run into the same people over and over again. On the entry of the park are many shops where you can buy drinks, souvenirs and lunch. The entry fee for this waterfall is 20,000 Kip which is equivalent to $ 3.50.

When you arrive at the falls you have to hike up a hill ( at least 1 1/2km. ) to get to the falls itself. Since I had a foot injury last February --- I was walking up the hill at my pace.... which was really slow. When you get to the bottom of the falls, it is very organized with some tables and chairs to sit on and a couple of bridges.

" WOW !! This is really beautiful !! " was what I could say about the Kuong Si waterfalls. I immediately set up my tripod on the little terrace meant for tourists in order to view the falls... I was not  happy with my first few shots... I decided to walk down to the bridge that was facing the falls. The current was very strong and the spray coming from the falls kept on getting in my way while I was taking my shots. I had to keep on getting out of my spot to a drier place just to wipe the lens of my camera and take some lightning shots with my camera in order for it not to get too wet from the spray.

The Kuong Si waterfalls were picture perfect!!! the view of the clear waterfall flowing into the beautiful turquoise colored pools surrounded by lush green plants was simply awesome !!! It was like spending an afternoon in paradise!!!  This waterfall is one of the tourist attractions here in Luang Prabang that surely lived up to its reputation. Luckily, the day I was at the falls, there were not that many tourists either, so it allowed us to experience the beauty in relative peace. The waterfalls consist of a 55 meter main waterfall, and several 3 meter cascades. The Kuong Si waterfall flows over a high limestone cliff through bamboo forests and tall jungle. Mists from the waterfall danced through the air as I started to take my photos of this lovely paradise. The only scary thing you should watch out for is the steps to the waterfall is quite slippery.

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS- Going back in time

                                   SABAI DEE  LUANG PRABANG!!  
                                           ( WELCOME to LUANG PRABANG )

Luang Prabang is nestled in the valleys of the mountainous north with the mighty Mekong River in the west and the Truong Son Range mountains in the east offer natural borders to Thailand and Vietnam respectively, while Laos also shares borders with China in the north, Myanmar in the northwest and Cambodia in the south. It was the former royal capital and now a World Heritage Site listed by the UNESCO.

Today Oskie and I flew to Luang Prabang via Lao Airlines which we took from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Our plane trip took one hour.  We stayed at Villa Treasure Guest House. It is a 15 minute walk to the city center. The main street is SISAVANGVONG.... this is where the night market is located and most of the tourist attractions of Luang Prabang.