Your Slow Travel Guide to Luang Prabang, Laos
Luang Prabang - Slow Travel & Food Guide
Beautiful architecture in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is one of my ultimate favourite cities in South East Asia. Before we arrived I was unsure what to expect, and although I’d heard great things about the beauty and simplicity of the city, I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to fill the seven days we had scheduled here. However once we got settled in and explored the area, we knew we were going to love it in Luang Prabang!
Luang Prabang is a UNESCO world heritage site, located in the North of Laos. Centred around the Mekong River and surrounded by beautiful scenery and nature, there is as much to see within the city as there is outside of it.
Luang Prabang city museum
One thing I love about Luang Prabang is that it still retains the charming French architecture of colonial times, meaning every building is beautiful and often rich with secret history. Just a stroll through the main street reveals charismatic cafes, boutique shops and elegant restaurants.
This is a calm city, with minimal traffic and few crowds. As a result one of the best things to do here is enjoy an amazingly good coffee in one of the many cafes and people watch - perhaps a hangover from the French colonists?
Yet the core of Luang Prabang is religion. Despite being a People’s Democratic, the Laos government knew better than to stifle the local’s faith in Buddhism and Luang Prabang is, and has always been, a very pious city. The main street is littered with candescent temples and at dusk there is no more an enchanting sounds than the monk’s chant, echoing out onto the street.
This mix of religion, nature and relaxed city life is what makes Luang Prabang a favourite of mine. Here are my tips on the best things to see, eat and where to stay in this gorgeous city!
How to get to Luang Prabang
We flew into Luang Prabang from Chiang Mai, Thailand, as Laos was our next destination in our travels. We flew with Laos Airlines.
Bear in mind that Laos has a stringent visa system, and every British citizen visiting Laos needs a visa, which can be obtained on arrival. The visa costs $35 dollars on weekdays, and there may be an extra $1 admin fee on weekends. You will also need a passport style photograph of yourself, and the immigration form, which you should receive on the plane.
The process involves a few queues and can take upto 30mins-1hour in an airport which doesn’t have air conditioning - so be prepared for the wait. However the system is efficient and clearly explained so it’s just a matter of waiting in line.
Top Tip: Pay for your visa in dollars as this is cheaper than paying in local Laos currency. Also keep a few dollars spare in case you need to pay an extra admin fee.
Where to Stay
One of the best places to stay in Luang Prabang is by the Mekong River, and many hotels offer riverviews. This is also close to the main street and the key temples, sites and restaurants.
Mekong Riverview Hotel
Mekong Riverview Hotel is one such hotel that offers beautiful views of the Mekong River from the rooms. Our room had a balcony facing the river, which was beautiful to sit out on whilst the sun was setting. The rooms have a welcoming lodge feel to them, due to the use of wood interiors and the hotel itself has a very cosy feel. There is also a large pool, located across the ingenious bamboo bridge, as well as spa facilities.
Built and owned by Swedish born Urban Paulsson, he is always around to greet guests and provide recommendations.
Belle Rive Boutique Hotel
For more of a boutique, luxury vibe, Belle River Boutique Hotel is a beautiful hotel where the rooms all provide a plush sense of space and comfort. Our room has a four-poster bed, impressively high ceilings, and a space to relax too.
With all rooms offering river views, a lavish all-day breakfast and a complimentary evening boat cruise, Belle Rive is perfect for a chic stay in the old town.
Sofitel Luang Prabang
For more for a retreat feel to your stay, Sofitel Luang Prabang located outside the historical centre provides a luxurious venue for your stay. It is located in a 100 year old colonial mansion, which includes a lush botanical garden, large pool, restaurant and bar.
The suites are plush and some even have an outdoor bathtub or pool. Sofitel also provide transfers to their other restaurant 3 Nagas in the Old Town should you feel the need to leave the serene surroundings.
Where to Eat
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon has been one of Luang Prabang’s finest Lao restaurants for over 10 years. Located through a beautiful courtyard and in a restored traditional building, Blue Lagoon offers upscale dining with quality service, ambiance, and of course, food!
Serving both traditional Lao dishes, as well as European, and specifically Swiss dishes (due to the chef’s prior experience), each dish we tried here was delicioBous!
Blue Lagoon is the ideal restaurant to treat yourself to a high end meal in Luang Prabang.
Tamarind
Tamarind is both a successful cooking school and popular restaurant located by the Mekong River. Offering traditional Lao food, we sampled the set menu which showcases the best of Laos cuisine, from steamed fish starters to mangosteen desserts. The waiters also explain the origins of the dishes and ingredients too, which means you learn something about the local culture too.
Arrive early for an outside table by the river and enjoy the delights of Laos cuisine.
3 Nagas
Owned by Sofitel, 3 Nagas is a beautiful restaurant which specialises in traditional Laotian cuisine served with flair. We tried the set menu which was served in one large plate, which I really enjoyed as it allowed me to mix and match as I went.
They also have delicious cocktails and a fantastic wine list which has been curated by their French Sommelier.
Night Market Food Stands
As well as selling a host of souvenirs, Luang Prabang’s Night Market also has a heap of cheap food stalls too. Most popular is the vast and very popular buffet and the vast and very popular buffet where you can eat as much as you want for less than £2, adding a little extra to the cost for meat.
The market also has many stands selling western cuisine, such as burgers and wraps for low prices. My favourite are the sandwich stands, where you can get ban mi style baguettes to enjoy on the go as shop!
Buffet at the Luang Prabang Night Market
What to See:
Explore the temples
Each time we headed out from our hotel we seemed to come across a new temple we hadn’t seen before. Luang Prabang has 34 active temples and they are a large part of the beauty of this city. Wander through them and let your soul relax to the sounds of the monks chant (every evening at sunset) and admire the beautifully intricate and gilded architecture.
Watch the Alms Giving Ceremony
Probably one of the most iconic images of Luang Prabang is that of the line of hundreds saffron-robbed Monks on their daily alms collection. This is significant ritual in Laos culture and is magical to observe. Starting at sunrise, the alms giving ceremony is worth the early start and one of the must-see sights of Laos.
Top tip: This is an immensely popular sight and the presence of hundreds of tourists and their cameras significantly detracts from it. To avoid the crowds head to the side street rather than the main street, as this is where the locals give alms and it is much quieter here.
Also make sure to keep a respectful distance, to dress appropriately and to keep noise to a minimum regardless of how the other tourists may be behaving as a sign of respect to the Monks.
Morning Market
Locals head here to stock up on ingredients for the day’s meals and it is a great place to see local culture in action. Take in the sights, smells and sounds of the fresh meats, exotic vegetables and live fish waiting to be ordered!
It’s also the perfect place to try authentic local snacks for a cheap price. I loved the mini coconut pancakes that are freshly baked, as they made the ideal morning snack!
Top Tip: Head here after the Alms giving ceremony as it’ll be the perfect time to see it in full action!
Mount Phou Si
Stunning views from the top of Mount Phou SI
After stocking up on snacks at the Morning Market, make your way up Mont Phou Si, the entrance to which is very close to the market.
Located 100 metres above the centre of the old town, Mount Phousi has an ancient temple marking the summit and is also the ideal place to enjoy 360-degree views of Luang Prabang’s skyline.
The steep uphill walk will take about 30mins, approximately 300 steps but the views are worth it. From the top you can marvel at the expanse of the Mekong River, count the golden pagodas of the temples in town, spot beautiful birdlife, and even watch the clouds rolling across the layers of mountains in the distance.
Top Tip: The amount of space at the peak isn’t large and it gets very crowded here at sunset, as well as sunrise. I find the best time to come is around 8am-9am, after a visit of the morning market, as the crowds from the sunrise will have gone but it is still cool enough to make the walk up enjoyable rather than torturous.
Wander the city streets and relax in the coffee shops
Luang Prabang is a calm, quiet city, and one of my favourite things to do is this peaceful place is to enjoy a coffee and watch the world go by. Luang Prabang has a vast range of coffee shops ideal to relax or work in and there is plenty of choice. Cutest and most popular are Saffron coffee, Dexter, and Novelty cafe.
Top Tip: Although these cafes are beautiful and comfortable the prices are not cheap, with a coffee costing the same as and sometimes more than the equivalent in London, so much sure to budget for this.
For cheap, delicious and local coffee go to the little street stalls on the side streets where they serve ice tea and coffee in bags with a straw sticking out rather than fancy mugs!
Have you been to Luang Prabang? What did you enjoy most about the city?
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