Recently updated on January 23rd, 2020 at 12:57 pm
The ancient city of Luang Prabang lies within northern Laos, in a valley at the confluence of the River Mekong and Nam Khan. Having once been the nation’s Royal capital, this city has a wealth of temples and other historic sights to explore, which its UNESCO World Heritage status can be attributed to. From this heritage-rich enclave, it’s then just a short diversion to thundering waterfalls, atmospheric caves, and rural villages where Lao traditions are kept alive, with a mesmerizing backdrop of forested mountains to take in along the way. Here are some of the reasons why you need to travel to Luang Prabang on your next trip to Laos.
The Heritage
Upon arriving in Luang Prabang, it’s often the landmarks that gave this city its UNESCO World Heritage badge that people encounter first. No wonder, with captivating sights like the ‘Temple of the Golden City’, Wat Xieng Thong, to behold. This ornate Buddhist temple is distinguished by its low-sweeping roof and elaborate gold detail, with an intricate Tree of Life mosaic across one wall. Throughout Luang Prabang, the fusion of Lao and French colonial architecture are evidence of its timeline. Even more insight into Laos can be gained at the Royal Palace Museum, which now tells the story of this fascinating country’s past.
Upriver and Downstream
Tucked amidst the mountains of northern Laos, Luang Prabang is surrounded by rural land, which can easily be explored by taking a long-tail boat up the River Mekong. It’s by setting out on this river journey that visitors can arrive at the atmospheric Pak Ou Caves; at the point where the Mekong and River Ou meet, visitors venture into these two caves to see the images and statues of Buddha that are displayed within them. En route, many of the long-tail boats’ passengers stop by the small village of Ban Muang Keo for the opportunity to try Laotian whisky, known as lao-lao, at its original source. By travelling to the south of the city, visitors can then reach the spectacular three-tiered Kuang Si Falls, which each fall from a great height into the aquamarine pools below.
The Cuisine
The local food is an integral part of any journey, reflecting the culture and landscape of its origin. Within the valley of Luang Prabang, soups and sticky rice are eaten with fish from the river that’s been steamed or grilled, meat and poultry that’s often cooked up in hearty stews, and an abundance of locally grown vegetables, with each dish’s distinct flavour owing to the addition of coconut milk, fresh herbs and condiments such as fermented fish sauce. For dessert, it’s worth trying the Laos specialties of coconut cake, or black sticky rice with coconut milk and taro.
Cultural Immersion
With its unique and well-retained identity, Luang Prabang offers many opportunities for visitors to become immersed in the distinct culture. Naturally, many of these experiences are integrated into each Trafalgar trip. From rising at dawn to participate in offering alms to Luang Prabang’s saffron-robed monks, to dining with a local family in a nearby village, and stopping by a local weaving centre for a demonstration of their work, it’s this cultural immersion that truly shows each guest the richness of the region.
Travel to Luang Prabang on the Secrets of Cambodia with Laos trip with Trafalgar.
Image credits: Cover photo of Luang Prabang © iStock / View Apart. Wat Sen in Luang Prabang © iStock / manx_in_the_world. Kuang Si Falls © iStock / manx_in_the_world. Black Sticky Rice in Laos © iStock / polarbearstudio10. Baskets in Laos © iStock / livcool.