Luang Prabang Travel Guide - Laos Charming Moments
Luang Prabang Travel Guide - Laos Charming Moments
Luang Prabang (ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ), also Luang Phabang, Luang Phrabang and Louang Phrabang is the former capital of Laos and is now a UNESCO World Heritage city. Set at the confluence of two rivers that almost surround the city, and beneath a temple-topped hill, Luang Prabang is a wonderful patchwork of traditional Lao wooden houses and hints of European architecture; reminders of when Laos was part of the French colony of Indochine. Golden-roofed wats, decorated with mosaics and murals of the life of Buddha, sit under the gaze of wrap-around teak balconies and 19th century shuttered windows. All of this is set against a backdrop of verdant greenery and rugged mountains.
As a visitor, you cannot help but be amazed by the tidiness and cleanliness of perhaps the most charming city in all of Southeast Asia. With UNESCO so closely involved and a largely responsible group of local business owners, the pressures of mass tourism development have been held at bay, but for how much longer remains to be seen. Restaurants along the main street tend to be expensive and aimed at luxury tourists, whilst lower cost venues are along the banks of the Mekong.
The reopening of Laos to tourism in 1989 resulted in a remarkable turnaround in the city's fortunes, as crumbling timber houses and colonial mansions were sensitively restored and transformed into immaculate guesthouses and boutique hotels. In 1995 the city was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Luang Prabang has both natural and historical sites. Among the natural tourism sites are the Kuang Si Falls, Tat Sae Waterfalls, and Pak Ou Caves. Elephant riding is offered at some sites. Phou Si, in the center of the town, has broad views of the town and river systems, and is a popular place to watch the sun setting over the Mekong River. At the end of the main street of Luang Prabang is a night market where stalls sell shirts, bracelets, and other souvenirs. The Haw Kham Royal Palace Museum and the Wat Xieng Thong temple are among the best known historical sites. The town, particularly the main street, is dotted with many smaller wats such as Wat Hosian Voravihane. Every morning at sunrise, monks walk in a procession through the streets accepting alms offered by local residents, an event popular with tourists. Mountain biking is quite common, with people often biking around the town or to the waterfalls for the day. Down the Mekong River, a 15-minute boat ride from the city centre, Ban Chan (the pottery village) is an interesting place. Luang Prabang received 'Best City' in the Wanderlust Travel Awards 2015.
Luang Prabang features a tropical wet and dry climate (Aw) under the Köppen climate classification. While the city is generally very warm throughout the year, it is noticeably cooler during December and January. Luang Prabang is served by Luang Prabang International Airport with non-stop flights to adjoining countries. Luang Prabang is linked by Route 13 with Vang Vieng and Vientiane, and by Route 1 with Muang Xay. Route 13 also connects the city to Cambodia.
A lot to see in Luang Prabang such as :
Mount Phousi
Wat Xieng Thong
Royal Palace, Luang Prabang
Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham
Elephant Village Sanctuary & Resort
Wat Sen
Night market
Ock Pop Tok Living Craft Centre
Wat Aham
Wat Wisunarat
Wat Chom Si
Luang Prabang Morning market
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre
Dara Market
Wat Pa Phon Phao
Phra Bang
Wat Xieng Mouane
Wat Manorom
UXO - Unexploded Ordinance Information Centre
Wat Sop Sickharam
Bamboo Bridge - Nam Khan river (Luang Prabang)
Vat Sensoukharam
Tat Sae Waterfalls
Heuan Chan Heritage House
Vat Nong Sikhounmuang
Tad Thong Waterfall
Wat Sensoukaram
(Wat ChoumKhongSourinTharame
Wat Chomphet
Phu Si
Wat Pa Huak
Wat Siphoutthabath
Nahm Dong Park
Wat Kili
That Makmo
Phosy Market
Wat Sene
Vat Sop
Wat Mahathat
Wat Tat Luang
Souphanouvong
Kaysone Phomvihane Monument
( Luang Prabang - Laos ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Luang Prabang. Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Luang Prabang - Laos
Join us for more :
Wat Phao (Luang Prabang, Laos) - Class Dismissed
After the teachers from GVI (gviusa.com) finish their morning classes at Wat Phao, we hang out in the school's courtyard waiting for the van to arrive to take us back into the city. If we're lucky the ice cream vendor is there, and for 1,000 kip (13 cents) we get to devour the best tasting ice cream on a waffle cone in the world.
Luang Prabang Wat Mahathat
Wat Mahathat is probably the best preserved of the wats in Luang Prabang. The original 1548 wat was destroyed in a typhoon and the present temple was built in 1910 and renovated in 1963 and 1991. However, the large almost black stupa at the rear of the temple does date from that earlier period.