Luang Prabang Part 2: Welcome to Luang Prabang
It was my first solo overseas trip. Me, a 20 year old boy, who impulsively bought a flight ticket to Laos for a short three day trip. It might seem pretty badass and reckless at first glance and I was met with numerous responses of concern and disbelief when I told a select few. I did worry after pondering about the trip closer to the date, but when I got on that plane, excitement took control. I was going to do this.
Luang Prabang impressed even before we touched down. The heavy mist delayed our landing and as the pilot glided our metal bird through the skies to find an opening, we were treated with picturesque views of the undulating hills and lush greenery surrounding the city. The mists gave the city a bit of a mysterious and secluded feel from above and I couldn't wait to get off and explore.
The cool weather was like a slap on the face (in a good way) and the severely under dressed me trudged along in my sandals. (But it was nothing compared to arriving in Seoul in the middle of winter in a shirt and without a jacket. Yikes).
Tourists have to pay 50000kip for their ride to the city and I joined a van as the last passenger, earning the front seat. Despite my extensive research and planning, I was heavily disoriented as my driver pointed out 'Phousi Hill'. I was expecting to be wowed immediately as numerous blogs have described being 'swept away' by the rustic charm of the city at first glance. Well, that love at first sight certainly did not happen to me. And I was also dropped at the wrong guesthouse.
Lost, I just followed my instincts and took a walk to where I felt my guesthouse was gonna be. (Kidding! I was dropped on the same street so I was bound to stumble on my guesthouse if I just kept on walking)The sweather weather made the walk an enjoyable one. Houses lined up next to each other and some locals welcomed me with a 'Sabaidee'. Numerous requests for a boat ride was easily rejected with a simple shake of the head and a smile. Hassle free! People walked around leisurely and I was drawn to the laidback vibe of the city. Yes, I've only been walking for less than 10 mins and I've been charmed.
With my below average grasp of Mandarin, I checked-in with the grinning Chinese owner. He was a very interesting character who helped me around on my first few hours. And his accent was contagious! I found myself speaking loudly with that mainland Chinese accent after a while. I have never spoken so much Chinese in my entire life! Once, I took a Chinese test just for fun and got a whopping 0.5 out of a 100. Impressive.
My smiling guesthouse owner waved at me as I went off to explore. The layout of the main part of Luang Prabang was fairly simple to navigate. Long roads parallel to the rivers are connected by perpendicular narrow roads with guesthouses, shops and houses dotting the roadsides. I quickly found myself at the Post Office with signages directing tourists to the different parts of the city. A tourist information centre lay across the street with impressive French colonial architecture.
Above ground electric lines! Narrow streets like this one connect the longer main streets of the main part of town
Landmark Phousi Hill which I saw in the van earlier on came into view.
After a short rest (composing of me rolling on my King sized bed, charging my devices, updating my concerned friends that I was alive...), I went off again.First stop was the Royal Palace Museum. It was free to wander around the grounds and take pictures, but tickets were needed to enter main Royal Palace Museum. This might be boring to some, but it appealed to the history buff in me. Lao artefacts and objects used by the royalties of the past were in display.
Travelling solo forced me to approach people. Well actually, I was approached first. I met a Lao tourist called Muyanh. Based in Vientiane, he travelled north to Luang Prabang and made many interesting stops along the way. He shared many beautiful photos of the Lao countryside, his experiences and recommended places to visit. It was a jolly encounter and it was nice to finally talk to another person about something else other than 'How much is this?' or 'Sabaidee'. (P.s. we are now connected in LINE and he sent me so many recommendations of places to go to in Laos that I foresee myself returning to Laos many times within my lifetime. Thank you so much!)
I stumbled upon the boat landing behind the Royal Palace Museum. These boats led to the Chomphet district on the opposite bank.'Sunset? I already have people' 'How much?"'50000 kip' Sold. Ok, he got me Lao styled grilled fish for an extra 30000 kip. I don't know why I agreed so easily having rejected so many other offers but he felt the most trustworthy I guess?
With an hour and a half to spare before the cruise, I started my hike up Phousi hill from the main Sisavongang Road. I was so thankful for the cool weather as I would have sweated buckets if that climb was in Singapore. The view on the top was really worth it!
Tourists have already gathered an hour before the sunset and sharing that small platform with hordes of other people was not very pleasant. Think of extremely squeezy and camera lenses blocking your view.Tip: Do not climb at sunset unless you are a massive fan of sweaty skin-to-skin contact!I made my way down through another path. Statues of Buddhas decorated this shady route and I got to see young monks busy with their chores. There was also a cave claiming to contain Buddha's footprint.
Back to the sunset cruise, I shared the boat with three other passengers- an Asian American couple and a Vietnamese American young female solo traveller backpacking around Southeast Asia. That's the dream! The hour long boat ride started and we watched as the sunset dipped into the horizon. It was such a lovely sight and I felt so blessed to be able to witness it!
The boat ride also took us closer to the banks of Chomphet and I observed the locals with their work. Young kids played along the shallow waters, some collecting water with their older siblings, men casting their fishing nets on the waters and ladies washing their faces on the river.
I found myself drawn into a conversation with my fellow boat passengers with stories of their journeys around the region afterwards. Someday I'll do that! A short walk took me to Garavek- a daily evening show showcasing traditional Lao stories in English in a small intimate setting. Before the show started, I had very lively conversations with the other audiences. There was a couple of friends from Australia and we had this interesting exchange mostly about Singapore and my travel plans for the following day. I met a Singaporean couple who gave me really good advice about travelling in Luang Prabang. Really grateful for the company!The show was funny and stories made compelling with the use of traditional Lao music and audience participation. Learned about the many folkfores such as those regarding Mount Phousi or the rock at the meeting of the Mekong and Nam Kanh. Really enjoyed myself!
I approached the night market and it was thankfully getting cooler.
x
x
 |
| My journey first took me to KL, where I had an almost 6 hour layover at KLIA 2 before catching my connecting flight to Luang Prabang! |
Luang Prabang impressed even before we touched down. The heavy mist delayed our landing and as the pilot glided our metal bird through the skies to find an opening, we were treated with picturesque views of the undulating hills and lush greenery surrounding the city. The mists gave the city a bit of a mysterious and secluded feel from above and I couldn't wait to get off and explore.
 |
| Disembarked! Cool gusts of wind and the 17 degrees celcius temp welcomed me, and coming from sunny humid Singapore, it was definitely a welcomed change. |
 |
| Immigration forms were given out after landing! |
The cool weather was like a slap on the face (in a good way) and the severely under dressed me trudged along in my sandals. (But it was nothing compared to arriving in Seoul in the middle of winter in a shirt and without a jacket. Yikes).
Tourists have to pay 50000kip for their ride to the city and I joined a van as the last passenger, earning the front seat. Despite my extensive research and planning, I was heavily disoriented as my driver pointed out 'Phousi Hill'. I was expecting to be wowed immediately as numerous blogs have described being 'swept away' by the rustic charm of the city at first glance. Well, that love at first sight certainly did not happen to me. And I was also dropped at the wrong guesthouse.
 |
| First glimpse of Luang Prabang from the van. |
Lost, I just followed my instincts and took a walk to where I felt my guesthouse was gonna be. (Kidding! I was dropped on the same street so I was bound to stumble on my guesthouse if I just kept on walking)The sweather weather made the walk an enjoyable one. Houses lined up next to each other and some locals welcomed me with a 'Sabaidee'. Numerous requests for a boat ride was easily rejected with a simple shake of the head and a smile. Hassle free! People walked around leisurely and I was drawn to the laidback vibe of the city. Yes, I've only been walking for less than 10 mins and I've been charmed.
 |
| The mighty Mekong, flowing graciously with the misty hills on the background. The amazing views and weather made the walk extremely therapeutic morning I felt at peace and at home. |
 |
| I just kept on going and thought I was going in the wrong direction. And then my guesthouse came into view. Yes to reliable gut feel! |
With my below average grasp of Mandarin, I checked-in with the grinning Chinese owner. He was a very interesting character who helped me around on my first few hours. And his accent was contagious! I found myself speaking loudly with that mainland Chinese accent after a while. I have never spoken so much Chinese in my entire life! Once, I took a Chinese test just for fun and got a whopping 0.5 out of a 100. Impressive.
 |
My room exceeded my expectations and I had this cute shared balcony with views of the Mekong and the road below. Perfect spot to unwind and watch the world go by.
|
My smiling guesthouse owner waved at me as I went off to explore. The layout of the main part of Luang Prabang was fairly simple to navigate. Long roads parallel to the rivers are connected by perpendicular narrow roads with guesthouses, shops and houses dotting the roadsides. I quickly found myself at the Post Office with signages directing tourists to the different parts of the city. A tourist information centre lay across the street with impressive French colonial architecture.
Above ground electric lines! Narrow streets like this one connect the longer main streets of the main part of town |
| The centre contained helpful flyers on different attractions and I took one with maps of the main area of Luang Prabang. Helpful attendants were available for questions. |
 |
| I crossed the road to a day market where a food vendor gave a bright 'Sabaidee'. How nice! I had a banana-nutella baguette and an avocado shake and the baguette was simply delicious. |
 |
| A quick stroll around the stalls proved bad for the wallet. Being new to haggling, I was almost certain that I could have gotten better prices but getting the shirts and bags at almost half the original price sounded good enough for me. |
 |
| First haul. Such a mainstream tourist |
 |
| Also bought this banana! Extremely small and sweet but saved my tummy when I was starving in the middle of the night. (Size does not matter) |
Landmark Phousi Hill which I saw in the van earlier on came into view.
 |
| Mount Phousi from Wat Maysouvanhaphouram. |
After a short rest (composing of me rolling on my King sized bed, charging my devices, updating my concerned friends that I was alive...), I went off again.First stop was the Royal Palace Museum. It was free to wander around the grounds and take pictures, but tickets were needed to enter main Royal Palace Museum. This might be boring to some, but it appealed to the history buff in me. Lao artefacts and objects used by the royalties of the past were in display.
 |
| Royal Palace Museum. Appropriate attire must be worn.. I've witnessed some female tourists with revealing outfits denied entry. Cameras were forbidden and there was a bag deposit at the entrance. |
 |
| A big THANKS to the group of Lao students who helped me take this |
Travelling solo forced me to approach people. Well actually, I was approached first. I met a Lao tourist called Muyanh. Based in Vientiane, he travelled north to Luang Prabang and made many interesting stops along the way. He shared many beautiful photos of the Lao countryside, his experiences and recommended places to visit. It was a jolly encounter and it was nice to finally talk to another person about something else other than 'How much is this?' or 'Sabaidee'. (P.s. we are now connected in LINE and he sent me so many recommendations of places to go to in Laos that I foresee myself returning to Laos many times within my lifetime. Thank you so much!)
 |
| LOVE exploring those pretty little back alleys |
 |
| You can even bump into smaller temples such as this one! |
I stumbled upon the boat landing behind the Royal Palace Museum. These boats led to the Chomphet district on the opposite bank.'Sunset? I already have people' 'How much?"'50000 kip' Sold. Ok, he got me Lao styled grilled fish for an extra 30000 kip. I don't know why I agreed so easily having rejected so many other offers but he felt the most trustworthy I guess?
 |
| Mekong in the mid-afternoon |
 |
| This is the boat landing. Both passengers and vehicles use the shuttle boat to cross the river to Chomphet district. This was also a good spot to just sit down and gaze at the river and people going on with their daily lives. |
With an hour and a half to spare before the cruise, I started my hike up Phousi hill from the main Sisavongang Road. I was so thankful for the cool weather as I would have sweated buckets if that climb was in Singapore. The view on the top was really worth it!
 |
| Halfway there... |
 |
| Almost there I could taste it! |
 |
During my research, I was skeptical about the hill, thinking it was just another overrated attraction. But this proved me wrong!
|
 |
| AMAZING |
Tourists have already gathered an hour before the sunset and sharing that small platform with hordes of other people was not very pleasant. Think of extremely squeezy and camera lenses blocking your view.Tip: Do not climb at sunset unless you are a massive fan of sweaty skin-to-skin contact!I made my way down through another path. Statues of Buddhas decorated this shady route and I got to see young monks busy with their chores. There was also a cave claiming to contain Buddha's footprint.
 |
| The alternative almost empty route |
 |
| Down on the ground, I met the banks of the Nam Khan. It was my first time in this part of town and again, the setting sun made for some gorgeous views. The dry riverbanks floods during rainy season. Also, you can see the bamboo bridge and the iron bridge leading to the airport in the distance.. really good view! |
 |
| Thanks to the lovely people on board for this photo |
 |
| The grilled fish.. Why do I have a feeling it was caught from this river? I'm like eating it above it's home dude! Kinda freaky |
 |
| I'm in love just looking at this again |
The boat ride also took us closer to the banks of Chomphet and I observed the locals with their work. Young kids played along the shallow waters, some collecting water with their older siblings, men casting their fishing nets on the waters and ladies washing their faces on the river.
 |
| Wat Chompet from the river |
 |
| Boy monks zooming past- not an uncommon sight. Young kids even ride motorbikes on their own here! |
 |
| Other boats decorating the river, creating a romantic throb |
 |
| Just WOW |
I found myself drawn into a conversation with my fellow boat passengers with stories of their journeys around the region afterwards. Someday I'll do that! A short walk took me to Garavek- a daily evening show showcasing traditional Lao stories in English in a small intimate setting. Before the show started, I had very lively conversations with the other audiences. There was a couple of friends from Australia and we had this interesting exchange mostly about Singapore and my travel plans for the following day. I met a Singaporean couple who gave me really good advice about travelling in Luang Prabang. Really grateful for the company!The show was funny and stories made compelling with the use of traditional Lao music and audience participation. Learned about the many folkfores such as those regarding Mount Phousi or the rock at the meeting of the Mekong and Nam Kanh. Really enjoyed myself!
 |
| Featuring the very entertaining storyteller and the khene player. The khene was such a delight! |
I approached the night market and it was thankfully getting cooler.
 |
| The vibrant night market. Lao and Hmong sellers abound, ready to haggle but not intrusive. Close your eyes and you will here chatterings in Thai, Korean, Mandarin and English, with the occassional Singlish and Russian. |
 |
| I bought a ready-to-take-out packed meal from a street side vendor (for a quarter of the price restaurants and cafés were offering). A famished me readily gobbled this up on my balcony. |
x
Comments
Post a Comment