Luang Prabang – A Two Day Tour
The name Luang Prabang means "Royal Buddha Image", and here you can visit many Buddhist temples. The city lies in the north of Laos on a peninsula where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet. Therefore, there are also beautifull waterfalls to visit. But above all, this former capital of the Royal Kingdom of Laos is a synergy of preserved architectural history – a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995 – and vibrant streetlife.
Let me help you to make the most of your visit to Luang Prabang! This tour is just a suggestion that includes some of the best destinations. I will be more than happy to tailor it to your needs and expectations.
Day One
Alms Giving
(Photo: Ton)
We will have to rise very early. I will pick you up at your hotel at 05:30 AM – as this Buddhist ceremony starts at 6:00 AM. It is part of the ancient culture that is unique to Luang Prabang
Alms or almsgiving is the respect given by a lay Buddhist to a Buddhist monk, spiritually-developed person or other sentient being. It’s not charity as presumed by Western interpreters.
It’s important to know the ceremony is also a spiritual practice to accumulate good karma for those who give the alms. It’s closer to a symbolic connection to the spiritual realm and to show humbleness and respect in the presence of the secular society. The act of almsgiving connects the human to the monk and what he represents.
The morning alms giving is a living Buddhist tradition for the people of Luang Prabang which, because of it’s beauty, has become a major tourist attraction. However, I will gently guide you to the necessary discretion, so that we will not interrupt the ceremony.
Morning Market
(Photo: Ekrem Canli, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
After almsgiving, we will walk some hundred meters to the Morning market – open 04 AM to 10 AM every day.
Here, you will see local lifestyle, fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs … and much more. You can also taste the local food or buy local souvenirs of Luang Prabang in the quiet streets near the Royal Palace.
After that, we go back to your hotel and you can have a hearty, relaxing breakfast.
Wat Xiang Thong
(Photo: Basile Morin, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
After breakfast, we will go to the Wat Xiang Thong temple and arrive there around 08:30 AM.
Wat Xiang Thong is one of the most important temples in Luang Prabang – and one of the oldest in Laos. It is situated amidst a beautiful garden on the banks of the Mekong River, near the intersection where it meets the Nam Khan river.
National Museum
(Photo: Alcyon, GNU_Free_Documentation_License)
Then we walk to the The Haw Kham Royal Palace Museum. It was built in 1904 by the French colonialists for the last king in Laos – Sisavang Vong.
It's architecture is a fascinating blend of traditional Lao motifs and French Beaux Arts-style. In modern times it was converted to a national museum with traditional art – murals, embroidered silk, a Buddha statue of gold, silver and bronze.
The museum also houses diplomatic gifts from all over the world: silver, silk, china, paintings – including a moon rock donated by the United States!
Wat Mai Temple
A short walk from the National Museum takes us to the Wat Mai (New Monastery). It is one of the largest and most richly decorated temples in Luang Prabang, and served as the Royal Family's temple.
A large gilded meditating Buddha is one of the main attractions.
(Photo: Alcyon, GNU_Free_Documentation_License)
After this visit, it is time for lunch.
Kuang Si Falls
(Photo: Basile Morin, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
After lunch, we will drive around 30 kilometres south of Luang Prabang to these cascading waterfalls. On the way, we will stop at the Buffalo Diary Farm, where we can taste the local ice cream made from buffalo milk.
Once at the Kuang Si Falls, we will follow a pathway to the main waterfall, with a 60 meters drop from shallow pools upstream. Further down there are unique terraced falls emptying their water in a turqoise blue pool.
In some of the pools, you are allowed to bathe and swim. Here, you can also try the local Buffalo Beer.
On our drive back to Luang Prabang, we will stop for a taste of local coffee in the rice fields. Then you will be back in Luang Prabang at your hotel.
Day Two
Mount Phou Si
We start the day by walking up this hundred metre high hill in the centre of the old town. From here, you will have a panoramic view of the town and Mekong river to the west, the Nam Khan river to the east and the hills all around.
Southwestern view from Mount Phou Si towards Nam Khan river and the Old French Bridge. (Photo: Ton)
Half way up, you can also visit the Wat Chom Si temple, a tourist highlight of Luang Prabang with it's gold sired stupa visible from most of the city. It is also one of the most sacred places in Luang Prabang, and you should be adviced to dress decently and remain quiet there.
Wat Chom Si stupa.(Photo: Allie Caulfield), CC-BY 2.0)
Weaving village Ban Phanom
A ten minute drive from downtown Luang Prabang, we will find the village Ban Phanom, upstream on the shores of Nam Khan River.
This village has a special history as a royal supplier of woven goods to the King of Laos. The village is full of culture and history, and we will visit weavers who still practice their traditional art. Nearly all families in the village has one or more weaving looms.
The weave is done with cotton thread of many colors, with patterns wowen in silk. The result is a shimmering effect. You will be able to purchase these textiles from a co-operative, and the price is negotiable.
(Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
Tree bark paper village
Half way back to Luang Prabang we will stop at the village Ban Xang Khong. Here you will find workshops making saa paper. The Lao name jia saa means that the paper is made from bark of the mulberry tree.
It comes in many textures and thicknesses, and is traditionally used for gift boxes, greeting cards, latern covers and religious texts.
Jia saa is only made in Laos, and you can buy it in the local shops.
Tree bark paper casted from pulp into sheets in water bath.(Photo: Shankar S), CC-BY 2.0)
Then, it is time for lunch and the return trip to Luang Prabang.
UXO Museum
The acronym UXO hides a dark period in the history of Laos – even casting shadows today. UXO means "unexploded ordnance" – meaning wartime explosives, and these unexploded bombs still pose a threat to the population in some areas. (You will be safe)
Laos was drawn into the Vietnam war in the 1960s, and USA dropped two million tons of bombs over Laos between 1974 and 1975 – more than dropped during World War 2. This makes Laos the most heavily bombed country in the world, compared to it's population. It amounts to nearly a ton of bombs for every person.
In the museum, you can learn more about this "Secret War", as Laotians call it. You can see disarmed bombs, read gripping stories from survivors and watch a documentary about the dangerous work done to clear farmer's fields and other areas of these still dangerous relics.
(Photo: Ton)
Elephant Village
We will finish the day's excursions in a lighter mood. Laos is known as the Land of a Million Elephants, and a half hour drive takes us to the Elephant Village.
This is partly a kind of "elderly home" for working elephants, many with hard days of labor behind them in the logging industry. But you not only meet retired elephants – baby elephants are born here, too. You will be invited too feed the elephants and participate in bathing them in the Nam Khan River.
From the Elephant Village, there is just a short ferry trip to the Tat Sae Waterfalls nearby, if you want to extend the tour.
After our elephant experience, we will drive back to Luang Prabang. There, you can finish your two day experience with a sunset by the Mekong river, a dinner and maybe a visit to the Night Market.
And remember – this two day trip was only a suggested program. I will be more than happy to tailor it to your specific wishes and needs.
(Photo: Ton)
Luang Prabang Map
One location is not shown on map: Kuang Si Falls, which is 30 km south of Luang Prabang.
(Map: OpenStreetMap, view licence.)