Visiting Luang Prabang in Laos

This old charm town, once the capital of Laos, is located 425 kilometres north of Vientiane and is only 300 meters wide by one kilometre long. It is currently the favourite place I have visited in years.

Nao’s Place, Sports Bar, Grill, Bakery and Restaurant.

Luang Prabang was built by the European colonials in the 19th and 20th-century era and houses one of the best collections of French provincial-style homes that many have been converted into cafes, restaurants, or even boutique hotels.

Due to its UNESCO status (which was awarded in 1995), the beauty of this place is that there are no modern buildings here, making it a perfect place to enjoy Laos’s natural culture and heritage.

One of the most beautiful boutique hotels.

Walking around the main town, I could not help but notice the pure French Indochinese architectural marvels of that era.

When I entered one of them, a Lao doorman dressed in 40s concierge attire welcomed me in perfect English, a sight rarely seen nowadays.

The main street in the day.

Back to Luang Prabang town. The town is tiny, with one main street called Sisavangvong Road, where everything happens.

When I arrived in Luang Prabang, I noticed that most tourists were Caucasians. Lilian and I were probably the only Southeast Asians there throughout our four-night stay.

Sisavangvong Street at night.

At night, restaurants, cafes and Internet cafes come alive. Travellers catch up with one another, asking for information on Laos’s other places while having dinner and drinks in town.

People are generally friendly, from travellers to locals. Occasionally, you see orange-robed monks checking emails or surfing the web in Internet cafes.

Sayo Guesthouse in Luang Prabang.

Luang Prabang’s town is fascinating when you explore the other little roads and lanes (you can actually walk the entire city in a couple of hours).

Some of the guesthouses, called Sayo Guest Houses, are remarkably maintained, like the one in the picture above. You will also encounter various temples and homegrown businesses.

Luang Prabang Bakery Guesthouse.

Another popular place is the Bakery Guest House right smack in town. This cafe serves excellent food and doubles as a nice little cosy hotel.

Local Lao restaurant in town.

Generally, we tried most of the restaurants on Sisavangvong Road as we visited the main street daily for our tours to Pak Ou Caves, Whisky Village and other places of interest. Lao food is much tastier than Cambodian or Thai food.

Something about the fresh herbs they use here makes it so much nicer. We even tried Indian food for a change. So, there is a variety of things you must know.

Tour packages in town.

Tour companies or travel agents are all found along Sisavangvong (Main) Road. You can book sightseeing tours or tickets to other places in Laos or the neighbouring countries.

The tours are surprisingly cheap, too. The most popular tours are the Kuang Si Waterfall Tours, Elephant Ride Tours, Pak Ou Caves, and Rural Village Visits.

Massage services (proper ones, too).

There are many things to do in Luang Prabang, so please only try to book a 48-hour trip there, as you will miss out on many things. I recommend a minimum of 4 nights to enjoy your stay and experience the traditional Lao Spa.

Hmong Day Market.

You can walk around the day market called Hmong Market on Sisavangvong Road and Setthathilat Road. At this morning market, the Hmong Hill Tribe people of Luang Prabang will be selling their wares.

You can find quilted bags, silver jewellery, T-shirts, fabrics, and cushion covers in Lao designs. The Hmong tribe belongs to the Lau Soung ethnolinguistic group, known for its silver ornaments and textile skills.

Luang Prabang Handicraft Market at night.

There is also the most popular Luang Prabang Night Market, which starts at the corner of Sisavangvong Road and Kitsarat Road, and this market is open daily from 5.00 pm right till about 11.00 pm at night.

Hundreds of traders from all over Luang Prabang will sell their wares here, including catchy T-shirts, Silver Jewelry, Lamps, Silk Scarves, Traditional shoes and headgear, original paintings, antiques, blankets, pillowcases, and many other souvenir items.

And you could also bargain with the locals. Don’t worry; if they speak some English, a calculator will be whipped out of them.

Chinese antiques are being passed off as Lao antiques, so be careful.

In other parts of Luang Prabang, you will also see some shops selling antiques, as in the picture above. But be aware that most of these are brought in via China, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Even if you ask the shopkeeper, they will insist that these are authentic Lao antiques, so keep an eye out for those who can tell the difference, as you would want to avoid being taken for a ride. 

I ended up taking a longboat tour along the beautiful river. I visited a local and traditional place called Whisky Village in Luang Prabang, which was interesting, especially if you were a first-timer.

After the village, the boat will continue its journey to the fantastic Pak Ou Buddha Caves. This is an easy visit as there is a proper jetty here, and walking up the caves is only a short walk. But what totally captivated me was what was inside the caves.

To explore the main town area, visit Phu Si Hill in Luang Prabang for an amazing Lao sunset.