Welcome to Travelfish, original Asia travel intelligence you can trust.
Username: Password: | Join
 

Luang Prabang




























 
 

Luang Prabang

Travel guide

Quicklinks  » Book a room now!
 » Orientation
 » Accommodation
 » Food & Drink
 » Sights & attractions
 » Getting there & away
 » Buy a PDF travel guide!

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.


 
















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 café 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 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 and Muang Ngoi, laidback, stunning riverside spots attracting a steady backpacker trade. 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.

Text and/or map last updated on 5th September, 2010.

More information


Maps
  Luang Prabang: Overview
  Luang Prabang: Central

Further reading
 » Luang Prabang escape
 » Elephant trekking in Laos
 » 2008 Top Luang Prabang guesthouses

Considering a tour to Laos?



Add to scrapbook

 

    Get orientated with our interactive map of Luang Prabang, Laos


    Check and uncheck the boxes below to show and hide the various icons on the map above and use the sliding bar at the left side of the map to zoom in and out. Have fun!
    Accommodation:    Restaurants:    Bars:    Attractions:    Transport:    Orientation:    Post & phone:    Banking:    Medical:    Other:
  

   Vision: Photos of Luang Prabang

Click on any image below to be taken to see a larger version of the photo and to browse our Luang Prabang photo gallery.

The Tree of Life The Ultimate Infinity Pool Barelief, LuangPrabang Mekong River, Luang Prabang Mekong River sunset, Luang Prabang Mekong River sunset, Luang Prabang Mekong River sunset, Luang Prabang Market near Luang Prabang Mekong River sunset, Luang Prabang Wat, Luang Prabang
Mekong River sunset, Luang Prabang Mekong River sunset, Luang Prabang Wat, Luang Prabang Market near Luang Prabang Mekong River sunset, Luang Prabang Mount Phou Si sunset, Luang Prabang Luang Prabang Trek north of Luang Prabang Mount Phou Si sunset, Luang Prabang Wat, Luang Prabang

You can add your own photos to this by joining the Travelfish Group on Flickr. Please click here more information.

 

Book online


Picture of Luang Prabang Backpackers Hostel, 19/2 Ban Meun Na VillageLuang Prabang Backpackers Hostel
19/2 Ban Meun Na Village
From: US$5.00 with HostelWorld


Picture of Spicylaos Backpackers, Ban Thong Cha-LeaunSpicylaos Backpackers
Ban Thong Cha-Leaun
From: US$6.00 with HostelWorld


Picture of Vilay Guesthouse, Ban Ho XiengVilay Guesthouse
Ban Ho Xieng
From: US$7.00 with HostelWorld


Picture of Spicylaos Backpackers, 46 Hnuay 04 Ban Thong Cha Leaun, Luang PrabangSpicylaos Backpackers
46 Hnuay 04 Ban Thong Cha Leaun, Luang Prabang
From: US$8.00 with Hostelbookers


Picture of Thavisouk Guesthouse, Town CentreThavisouk Guesthouse
Town Centre
From: US$10.00 with WHL


Picture of Pak Houay Guesthouse, House NO: 0089 Area: 1, Ban: WAT NONGPak Houay Guesthouse
House NO: 0089 Area: 1, Ban: WAT NONG
From: US$10.00 with HostelWorld


Picture of Vanvisa Guesthouse, Town CentreVanvisa Guesthouse
Town Centre
From: US$12.00 with WHL


Picture of Souk Lan Xang Guest House, NO: 2, Unite: 20, Groups:Xeingthong, Ban: WAT NONG, Luang prabang DistrictSouk Lan Xang Guest House
NO: 2, Unite: 20, Groups:Xeingthong, Ban: WAT NONG, Luang prabang District
From: US$12.50 with HostelWorld


Picture of Thony 1 Guesthouse, Ban Visoun, Chao chopho Road.Thony 1 Guesthouse
Ban Visoun, Chao chopho Road.
From: US$15.00 with HostelWorld


Picture of Merry Guest House No. 1, Visun VillageMerry Guest House No. 1
Visun Village
From: US$15.00 with HostelWorld


Picture of Rama Hotel, Ban Visoun Visounnarath RD, LuangprabangRama Hotel
Ban Visoun Visounnarath RD, Luangprabang
From: US$16.00 with Hostelbookers


Picture of Villa Merry Lao - Swiss Hotel, Phousi Road, Luang PrabangVilla Merry Lao - Swiss Hotel
Phousi Road, Luang Prabang
From: US$17.50 with Hostelbookers


Picture of Villa Merry No 1, Bahn Aphay Phousi Road, Luang PrabangVilla Merry No 1
Bahn Aphay Phousi Road, Luang Prabang
From: US$17.50 with Hostelbookers


Picture of Sopha House, Old QuarterSopha House
Old Quarter
From: US$20.00 with WHL


Picture of Villa Merry Lao-Swiss, Bahn Aphay Phousi RoadVilla Merry Lao-Swiss
Bahn Aphay Phousi Road
From: US$20.00 with HostelWorld


See more properties

  Search for accommodation


Search for guesthouses & hotels
where in Laos?

Sort results by:
Travelfish ranking (best first)
Price (cheapest first)
Name (A-Z)
Show only properties bookable online


 

Fresh off our Asia travel forum

Here are some discussions off the Travelfish forum, perhaps related to Luang Prabang. You can find the full forum here.

Topic Replies  Views 
Luang Prabang Prices 
In Laos: by daawgon, last reply by MyLaoHome
24 1871
Nagi of Mekong to Luang Prabang 
In Laos: by jBird, last reply by adisakstar
49 5908
Flying Siem Reap to Luang Prabang 
In Cambodia: by kriscrox
0 75
Bike hire in Luang Prabang 
In Laos: by Puzzle, last reply by LaoNow
7 282
Transport - Vientiane / Vang Vieng / Luang Prabang 
In Laos: by ruthmoore, last reply by Rufus
5 4984
time is running out! luang prabang --> bangkok help 
In Laos: by walkingtrees
0 234
Living in Luang Prabang for 2-3 months 
In Laos: by placeshifter, last reply by placeshifter
26 970
Chiang Mai ---> Luang Prabang 
In Thailand: by walkingtrees, last reply by walkingtrees
4 610
Chiang Mai ---> Luang Prabang Flight 
In Laos: by walkingtrees, last reply by Captain_Bob
5 596
Ho Chi Minh City to Luang Prabang 
In Vietnam: by pdro, last reply by daawgon
1 296
minsk for sale in luang prabang! 
In Motorbiking in Asia: by travelback2basics
0 208
Bus from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng with 2 kids - need advice 
In Laos: by alainj, last reply by Nokka
1 443
Nightbus Luang Prabang-Vientiane? 
In Laos: by Jolinde, last reply by wanderingcat
2 598
Looking for Trekkingtips from Luang Prabang 
In Laos: by Jolinde
0 291
Villa Senesouk vs. Thatsaphone Villa in Luang Prabang 
In Laos: by callarda
0 363

Luang Prabang reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Markets, Monks & Mounts, Cafes & Caves: LP has it all
By dano_b (dabbler - 5 reviews)
Written on 12th March, 2010 after a visit to Luang Prabang in January, 2010

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.

  Sights & activities
  History & culture
  Scenery & environment
  Eat & drink
  Traveller's scene
  Romance
  Value for money
  I'll be back (or not)
Also reviewed by dano_b: Battambang, Don Dhet, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap,
Sanctuary in the North Country
By caseyprich (dabbler - 9 reviews)
Written on 9th March, 2010 after a visit to Luang Prabang in February, 2008

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.
  Sights & activities
  History & culture
  Scenery & environment
  Eat & drink
  Traveller's scene
  Romance
  Value for money
  I'll be back (or not)
Also reviewed by caseyprich: Can Tho, Ko Chang, Ko Maak, Ko Wai, Muang Ngoi, Phonsavan, Phu Quoc Island, Udomxai,
Gold City
By chaos23 (dabbler - 6 reviews)
Written on 13th June, 2009 after a visit to Luang Prabang in November, 2008

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

Have your say

You need to be logged in to add a review.
Username: Password:
Not a member? you can join here.

Review title

Snappiness encouraged ;-)

When did you visit here?

This gives your review a bit of context - especially if you were last in Luang Prabang in 1932.

Your review

(Remotely sensible, non-ranting comments are much appreciated. If you don't like somewhere, please explain why -- it's all far more helpful for others that way.) Serial ranters, loons and spammers will be banished!
And please, no self-promotional URLs -- that's what your signature field is for.


So how does it rate?
On a scale of one to ten (with 10 being outstanding and 1 being bloody awful) how would you rate Luang Prabang for the following criteria?

Note: Ratings are OUT OF TEN -- not five!

Sights & activities:  
History & culture:  
Scenery & environment:  
Eat & drink:  
        
Traveller scene:  
Romance:  
Value for money:  
I'll be back (or not):  

Please note comments are edited for clarity, typos and style before they appear. Ranting tirades, spam and anything else that really belongs somewhere else won't make the cut. If you want to rant, go to Thorntree.

Please login and refresh this screen before writing your review -- thanks!




 

The bottom line

This site was constructed out of 100% recycled electrons -- if you don't, you should recycle too!
All material copyright Travelfish Pty Ltd ACN 107 758 985 -- please don't steal our content
Thailand FAQ | Cambodia FAQ | Travel related links | Jobs with Travelfish | Press
For ZoneAlarm Users | Contact Travelfish | Privacy statement | About us
Advertise with Travelfish | How do I get my business listed on Travelfish?
Yahoo! FareChase
Last updated pretty recently ;-)
There are 140 visitors online, AlexGl, and your boss!
Travelfish | Blog | Fourelephants | AsiaNewsDesk | BangkokMetro