Exploring Luang Prabang

Cracked cement stairs reach up in front of me through the woods. A thumb-sized ball of sticky white rice is placed every few feet along both edges of the stairway. Two Lao women lead me by twenty feet or so, chatting quietly and dressed in bulky jackets against the cool morning fog. They carry their sticky rice in small baskets that hang down by their sides. Each leaves their periodic little offerings on their respective side of the stairs. One runs out of rice before we reach the small pagoda at the top of Mount Phu Si, a hill in the middle of Luang Prabang.

The women take a couple photos of the pagoda at the top before kicking off their shoes and ducking inside. The sunrise arrives soon but keeps quiet about it all, mostly obscured behind clouds from last night’s downpour along the Mekong River.

Luang Prabang Highlights

Buddhist temples and colonial-era buildings in Luang Prabang. It’s the only time during the day in Luang Prabang that I’m the only foreigner in sight. Luang Prabang deserves the hordes of tourists, between the colonial architecture, expansive temples, sunsets on the banks of the Mekong, and diverse food.

Next to cities like Chiang Mai, the count of tourists who visit Luang Prabang is relatively small. But this isn’t a big place. A person can walk a loop through the whole town in an hour or so. Luang Prabang sits on a peninsula where the Khan River flows into the Mekong, the powerful artery of Southeast Asia that feeds as many as 70 million people. This little peninsula was the capital of Laos until the Phatet Lao government took power in 1975. Today, thirty-three of its temples are inside a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with many more in the area.

For travelers nervous about feeling bogged down by the crowds, there are a few standout places to visit, eat, and explore that are uniquely Luang Prabang, regardless of how many tourists you share the experience with.

Things to do in Luang Prabang

UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) Lao Visitor Centre

The UXO Lao Visitor Centre is a small museum on the edge of the touristy section of Luang Prabang, dedicated to educating people about the impact of the US “Secret War” in Laos. From 1964 to 1973, the US military ran over a half-million bombing missions that dropped over 2 million tons of explosives on Laos. This averages out to one planeload of bombs every eight minutes for nine years. As many as one third of the bombs failed to explode, covering the country in munitions. These bombs used to kill around 300 people per year, but that number has now dropped to about 50. Less than 1 percent of the unexploded bombs have been cleared. The U.S. spent, in today’s dollars, $13.3 million per day on bombing campaigns during the war, but until 2016 was contributing an average of $4.9 million each year to efforts to clean up the UXO in Laos. In 2016, Obama pledged an additional $90 million to help clear the bombs. Luang Prabang’s UXO Vistor Centre is one of the few pieces of war history visible in the town. The museum is full of information on the effects of the war and the process to clean up the aftermath. The bombs themselves are on display, with exhibits detailing how the UXO teams work to find and safely clear them. Entrance is free.

Wat Xieng Thong

You don’t really need to plan your temple visits in Luang Prabang – just wander into any of them as you pass, as long as there isn’t an event or a service happening. Nearly all are classic examples of Buddhist craftsmanship, with legends and icons depicted across walls and ceilings. The most famous of them might be Wat Xieng Thong, near the tip of the peninsula. It costs 20,000 kip to enter, but this is one that helped Luang Prabang gain UNESCO World Heritage Status.

Ock Pop Tok Living Craft Centre

Ock Pop Tok is a textile social enterprise founded by a British woman and a Lao woman, with the goal of building economic opportunities for Lao artisans and preserving traditional Lao culture. They offer free tours of their Living Craft Centre, as well as classes in weaving, natural dyeing and batik, ranging from a half-day to three days. They also have a store on the main street in town and their Silk Road Cafe serves traditional Lao food at both locations. You can also stay in their Mekong Villa, right on the river.

Gravek Storytelling

Gravek is a traditional storytelling project that works to share and preserve the legends and stories of Luang Prabang. Every night at 6:30 PM, a Lao storyteller welcomes a small group into a little black box theater to tell myths of naga serpents, kings, flying monkeys, and the land around the ancient kingdom of Luang Prabang. Entrance costs 50,000 kip. Drinks for sale inside. Gravek also has a project in Siem Reap.

Mount Phu Si

Mount Phu Si is in the center of town and the top offers a view of both rivers and all of Luang Prabang. The view at sunset is one of the best in Luangprabng but the top gets packed with tourists and it may not be worth it. Entrance is 20,000 kip from either side.

Kuang Si Waterfall

The tiered, bright blue cascades are 30 km from town and every tour agency and guesthouse will be trying to sell you a trip. Admission to the waterfall area is 20,000 kip or so.

Where to eat and drink in Luang Prabang

The Morning Market and Night Market

There are plenty of tourists at the Morning Market and Night Market, but both offer a chance to eat simple, classic Lao food and see how the town functions. The Morning Market starts before dawn along the little street between the Mekong and Mount Phu Si. The Night Market has a larger variety of prepared food.

Saffron Coffee

Saffron Coffee is a cafe and coffee roastery right on the Mekong River, selling specialty coffee grown as locally as possible in northern Laos. They offer tours out the processing facility, including a tasting, some bonus baked goods, and transportation.

Khaiphaen

Khaiphaen is a social enterprise restaurant that trains Lao youth to work in the hospitality and culinary industries. They serve traditional Lao food and cocktails.

Le Banneton French Bakery

Le Banneton French Bakery serves the best baguette sandwiches and some of the best croissants in town.

Popolo

Popolo is a new, colorfully-rustic spot in town tossing up phenomenal wood-fired pizza with locally-sourced water buffalo mozzarella.

L’Etranger Books & Tea

L’Etranger Books & Tea sells used books, serves big pots of tea and dishes up all-day breakfast and milkshakes. They also show free movies upstairs every night at 7 PM.

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