Luang Prabang

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In a nutshell

Enjoy the amazing concentration of Buddhist temples. Watch saffron-clad monks collect alms at dawn, while being respectful. Take a lazy boat ride down the Mekong and to the Pak Ou caves. Tuck into delicious traditional Lao cuisine or try a French meal; take a cooking class.

The northern province of Luang Prabang and its eponymous capital are among the most atmospheric and popular destinations in Laos.

The charming city of Luang Prabang, once the capital of Laos and still considered to be its spiritual heart, breathes a rich meld of French Indochinese architecture, Theravada Buddhist temples and a magical atmosphere.

Luang Prabang is strikingly situated on a peninsula formed by the confluence of two rivers, the Mekong and the Khan. Its palm-lined riverbanks, terracotta roofs, golden stupas and saffron-robed monks all come together to form a picture postcard increasingly difficult to find in Southeast Asia. Somnambulant and languid, its peaceful feel masks a history of conquest and recapture, and only hints at the intricate culture and traditional rituals that still take place here every day.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, the town was described by the global body as "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 distinct cultural traditions."

In 2008 the New York Times put Laos at the top of their list of "Places to Go". The city had already been considered one of Southeast Asia's must sees for well over a decade, so untouched it's certainly not. However, the city has a newfound popularity with older travellers and families seeking an exotic yet safe holiday, and prices are on the rise. With an international airport and daily connections to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, many people fly in and fly out and see nothing more of Laos. This means more foreign visitors per temple than perhaps anywhere else in the region (except Angkor Wat), so rein in any expectations of having the place to yourself.

Over the past decade tourist numbers have increased dramatically and local families have en-masse converted their family homes into guesthouses. House after house on street after street have found new lives as guesthouses and while this is a boon for those wanting a comfortable stay in Luang Prabang, it also threatens the very thing that made Luang Prabang so charming in the first place. In some parts of the town, it can feel a little bit like Disneyland with tourist-focused shops, hordes of camera toting tourists and a certain fakeness that some won’t notice and others will despise.

A simple walk about town illustrates Luang Prabang's charms. It's picturesque, with all the charm of a quaint European town mixed with the wonderful, woodsy spice of Asia. A popular pastime is simply lounging in a quiet cafe with a baguette and coffee (Laotians drink the real stuff, not espresso) and watching local life pass by.

With an outstanding range of restaurants, guesthouses, luxury resorts and hotels, a gorgeous location and friendly people, Luang Prabang has a reputation for wrecking tightly planned itineraries. Be sure to allow at least a few days to really take this wonderful town in.

With an outstanding range of restaurants, guesthouses and hotels, a gorgeous location and friendly people, Luang Prabang has a reputation for wrecking tightly planned itineraries. Be sure to allow at least a few days to really take this wonderful town in.

Sleepy much of the year, Luang Prabang bursts with life during Pimai Lao, Lao New Year. If you're planning on visiting at this time, be sure to book a room well in advance.

With the capital at its centre, Luang Prabang province stretches north to Phongsali and the Vietnamese frontier, east to Hua Phan and Xieng Khuang, south to Vientiane and west to Udomxai and Sainyabuli.

The east of the province in particular is a vast, mountainous swathe of real estate with next to nothing in the way of development, but to the north you'll find the villages of Nong Kiaow and Muang Ngoi, laidback, stunning riverside spots attracting a steady backpacker trade and increasingly tour groups heading out of Luang Prabang. Both can be reached by boat or road and if you plan on striking north to Phongsali, you'll definitely want to set aside a day or two in one or the other, or both.

Luang Prabang reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Luang Prabang best coconut shake

Since our trip to Cambodia, and in particular the Coconut Shake restaurant in Ban Lung, we are always on the lookout for a Lao equivalent of the best coconut shake in Cambodia. We might have found it.

Sunset River View Restaurant on the riverside of the Mekong serves all kind of food and drinks, including the best coconut shake in Lao if you ask us (7000KIP). It is just a small stall with a terrace scattered over the edge of the Mekong river. It is near the Wat Xieng Thong across the 'Le Calao Inn' auberge-restaurant.

They have also nice freshly cooked food.
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By demathias (dabbler)
Written on 28th April, 2012 after a visit to Luang Prabang in April, 2012
Luang probang lost??

I visited Luang probang in 2008 and was very impressed, what a beautiful, charming, magical riverside town. When i was there,there were alot of tourists but mainly of the backpacker variety, obviously every single backpacker has an effect on luang probabng as a town, but hopefully a limited one...... If the backpacker stays respectful, has a few meals sees a few temples and enjoys the views and then moves on in my opinion little harm has been done, the backpacker has no need for flash hotels and would rather not have them. I've returned back to asia since my first visit, unfortunately i didnt get to go back to laos, but im also returning this year and was thinking of heading back to luang probang for a while and maybe heading a little further north as well. My only concern is i have read a few articles saying that instead of the tourist being the backpacker variety, who passes through does his/her thing and go's it has changed to fly in fly out style tourist who have brought with them develpoment in the way of expensive hotels and from what im reading even a golf course!! Can anyone tell me if this is the case with LP??

It's such a shame that foreign investors forget the reason why people came to these places in the first place......because they're untouched by the capitalism that has ruined so many other places. Sooner on later there will be no stone unturned in this world for future generations to enjoy.

I would very much appreciate suggestions on other charming places to visit, that have been less influenced by western capitalism.

My review will be based on what i saw when i was there, as what i have heard is just hearsay.
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By davenic26 (dabbler)
Written on 10th July, 2011 after a visit to Luang Prabang in August, 2008
Markets, Monks & Mounts, Cafes & Caves: LP has it all

Luang Prabang was the final stop on a 19 day trip to Cambodia and Laos and it was my favourite of the entire trip. The French influence and architecture were beautiful and made me fall in love with the city right away. This might be due in part to my French roots, but I could have easily spent weeks in this city wandering the streets and the river front. The prices in this town were the highest we experienced on our trip - had a hard time finding a guesthouse for less than 10 USD; decent ones were 15 USD.

We came to Luang Prabang from Vang Vieng on the night bus. Word of warning: don’t take this bus if you can avoid it! I think we should have questioned things when there was only 1 ticket agent in the entire town that offered a night bus (10pm) but we didn’t want to waste a day of the precious few we had left on a bus. We paid 120,000kip, I think, which is more expensive than most buses but we assumed that was because it was a night bus…maybe beds? No, that was not the case. As it was the bus left over an hour early (good thing we arrived early!) and when we boarded the bus after not being allowed to stow our packs under the bus, we were shocked to see that the bus was 3/4 filled with boxes claiming to have cigarettes in them. With only 2 seats left, we took our spot with our heavy packs on our laps and boxes nearly falling on our heads. We were more than a little sketched out at this point. After a short drive, we stop for a break and a Lao man comes back to get something from under our seat – an AK47 rifle and hides it in his jean jacket, smiling at us all the while. This definitely left us feeling uneasy and we knew no sleep would be had that night. Later that night we ran into some bad luck when we got a flat tire. Only, the spare tire was on the bus, behind allll the cartons of cigs, so at 3am everyone had to get off the bus so they could move all the boxes to get at the enormous spare tire. I can only imagine what was put under the bus that even the spare tire had to be moved!

Once we arrived in Luang Prabang, things looked up some. This city is filled with lovely restaurants and cafes so you are never at a loss for what to do. We visited Wat Xieng Thong which was beautiful and if you go at 4:00 you will get to witness a drumming performance by the monks. Afterwards we climbed up Mount Phousi which had great views of the surrounding area. However, our great idea to go there for sunset was also shared by most of the tourists in LP it seemed. It was so crowded at the top that the beauty and peacefulness of the sunset were ruined, so we left before the sun even set!

The night market in Luang Prabang is amazing! They close down the main street and hundreds of vendors set up shop selling anything and everything at (usually) great prices. We spent hours at this market every night we were there and still it seemed like we couldn’t see everything!

We set up a day tour with Green Discovery to visit the Pak Ou caves. Our trip included lunch and a stop at 3 villages to learn about silk weaving and see how sa (mulberry) paper, laolao and seaweed were made. There were 7 people in our tour and the guide was great. We paid 33 USD each and while the trip was great, we felt at the end that we had overpaid and could have done this day trip much cheaper (but our hearts were in the right place wanting to go with a tour company that practices responsible tourism). The village stops were a great way to see how Lao things are made and we really enjoyed it but walking through the villages we noticed that most families had set up shops outside their homes selling souvenirs and stuff, making the villages lose some authenticity (although, this is to be expected when they constantly have tourists traipsing through their streets).

The tour of Pak Ou cave was a little bit disappointing for us. It had been so hyped up by others and by guide books but after touring some great (and big) caves in Vang Vieng, this cave was very small in comparison and, aside from the hundreds of Buddha statues, unimpressive. There is a great history behind this cave but the cave itself, for me, did hold stand up to its hype.

One thing I would recommend doing for sure is waking up early to watch the monks collect their alms. At the Xieng Thong temple there was information on how to be respectful while enjoying the sea of saffron walking barefoot down the streets. Keep your distance; don’t try to talk to them; contribute to their cause if you can by buying bananas or whatever else the women are selling; dress respectfully. They come out around 6:30 every morning and it’s quite an impressive sight.

Finally, if you have time and can find it, check out Utopia. We had seen signs and ads for it over the two days we were in town and finally just before we were set to leave, we stumbled across it, set back, away from the main tourist area (but still a walk able distance). This place has the perfect name. It is beautifully landscaped and decorated with lounge chairs right along the river as well as a beach volleyball court and many board games. It is an oasis tucked away from the bustle of the city. Their slogan is "Come for a drink, stay for the day" and after a short visit there, I could definitely see staying for the entire day – there’s so much to do! I wish we could have spent more time there.
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By dano_b (dabbler)
Written on 12th March, 2010 after a visit to Luang Prabang in January, 2010

Also reviewed by dano_b: Battambang, Don Dhet, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap,
Sanctuary in the North Country

I was looking to relax and find a base for some cycling and day trips after my overland trip from Kunming, China - through Jinhong (Xishuangbanna) and into the North of Laos. After a lot of time on a bus and the busy streets of China Luang Prabang was a great escape.

I understand a lot of people aren't into all the tourism, but getting lost between alleys and temples was really nice. As well, there was a young guy selling Lao coffee in bamboo cups that I chatted with each morning, we even grabbed some local lunch. Its the friendliness of everyone there, local and wanderers that makes me want to go back.

Also, if you've been looping around the rugged north of Laos it's a great place to add some relax and some massage to your vacation. I only had 3 weeks in the North and spent much of that time looping around and being off the beaten track - for that reason, despite the abundance of touts and tourists, I liked it. It was an easy place to spend a few days and it was beautiful.
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- I'll be back (or not)
By caseyprich (dabbler)
Written on 9th March, 2010 after a visit to Luang Prabang in February, 2008

Also reviewed by caseyprich: Battambang, Can Tho, Champasak, China Beach, Da Nang, Don Dhet, Gili Meno, Hoi An, Hue, Kampot,
Gold City

Luang Prabang is home to some 70 wats, 2,000 monks -- and millions of (partly non-respectful) tourists! Depending on what you're after you can find your quiet getaway or a party atmosphere here. After two days, if you're fed you with temples, take a boat trip to the Pak Ou Caves or visit Kuang Si Waterfalls. Watch the morning market and wait for the perfect sundown shot on top of Mount Phou Si.

Be prepared to walk against the direction of all travellers to see different things than all the other hordes. I was taken aback by just how many tourists were there and I fled Luang Prabang after three days. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful city, with nice people, great sceneries and lots of good food! Prices are increasing though.
- Sights & activities
- History & culture
- Scenery & environment
- Eat & drink
- Traveller's scene
- Romance
- Value for money
- I'll be back (or not)
By chaos23 (dabbler)
Written on 13th June, 2009 after a visit to Luang Prabang in November, 2008

Also reviewed by chaos23: Champasak, Don Dhet, Ko Tao, Pakse, Vientiane,

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