Top Luang Prabang Hotels

Luang Prabang isn't a museum piece, it's a thriving town with two major markets and a few smaller ones that draw tribal peoples from the mountains everyday. The town offers little to do after 10 pm so it's well worth clambering out of bed at sunrise to watch monks lining up to receive alms, and to smell the smoky cooking fires and fragrant dishes being prepared for breakfast.

Along the finger of Luang Prabang bordered by the Mekong and Khan rivers are a string of temples, 14 in total, almost cheek-by-jowl as the leafy peninsula is less than 1 km long. Near the finger's end lies Wat Xieng Thong, one of the oldest and largest temples in the town. Over 400 years old and a classic of Luang Prabang temple architecture with its low-slung roof eaves and gold-leaf ornamentation, it has strong royal connections.

Along the way back to Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham, are many other temples that attract few visitors and are worth a visit if for nothing else than to rest weary legs in a tranquil place. Sitting in a temple compound around dusk, visitors are likely to hear the deep, hypnotic, murmuring chants of monks praying. Wat Mai is renowned for its religious artwork, much of it in gold leaf.

Next to Wat Mai is the Royal Palace Museum, which is housed in a mansion that was once the royal palace. Well worth a visit, it's surprising how humble the royal family's private quarters are. Though packed with ceremonial items as well as paintings and day-to-day items like cutlery, the most interesting displays are probably the gifts from other countries. Those from the US are unique to the war era, even including chunks of moon rock.

Wandering around the old quarter packed with temples and colonial properties, it's not hard to stumble on some minor but worthwhile project such as the restoration of street side lanterns along a few alleyways.

Standing over Luang Prabang is the holy hill Phu Si. On its lower elevations are a few small temples. A 15-minute climb to the summit leads to That Comsi, a stupa where some royal remains are interred. The peak affords commanding views of the town, the rivers and the surrounding mountains. It's popular at sunset for visitors, although sunrise visitors are treated to the site of mists and smoke from cooking fires curling upwards into the sky.

Most restaurants and cafes are along Phothisalat Rd, which runs like a spine down the peninsular. The focus is on Lao food and local specialties, although it's possible to get Western food. Some bakeries sell some good cakes, which go well with a cup of Lao tea. There are also a handful of street stalls scattered near the Royal Palace Museum serving noodles and fried spring rolls. Wisunalat Street hosts a few well-established restaurants and cafes.

On Kitsalat Road, near the river by the post office, is a small market selling fresh produce. In the evening, salads, grilled chicken, fish, noodles and desserts take over.

Luang Prabang isn't renowned for its nightlife. There are a few hotels host discos, although their opening times can be irregular.

Like Vientiane, shopping in Luang Prabang is concentrated on hilltribe handicrafts and antiques, and little more. During the day on the corner of Phothisalat and Kitsalat roads is a colourful Hmong market where old women sew geometric wall hangings, bags and clothes, while children haggle for the tourist dollars. Dala Market nearby is also worth sniffing around, especially for silver. In between the cafes and temples on Phothisalat Rd are quite a few handicraft and antique shops offering broad choices. If you get carried away, some conveniently take major credit cards.

If there's time, wandering with a keen eye around the lanes between Phothisalat and Khaem Khong Rd, beside the Mekong, can reveal the occasional silversmith.

There are a few places online, like Planet on Phothisalat Rd. Rates are low.

Outside remote Luang Prabang, travelling by road or boat is a hit and miss affair - schedules don't really exist. Most buses, often decrepit museum pieces from Korea or Japan, only leave when full, which can be very frustrating. Boats can be more reliable, although they usually take longer. Chartering small boats is very feasible. Also known as jumbos, taxi or samlor, tuk-tuks are common. Hail a passing three-wheeler by waving a hand up and down, palm downwards. Haggling is obligatory, but they're cheap and go almost anywhere.

Nothing quite beats travelling by the few rickshaws left in Laos, and most of those doing the cycling are old men with dark, leathery skin. Quiet, and at a steady pace in a comfortable chair, it's the perfect way to cruise around town if there's no rush.

There are no railways out here but some buses have also been pressed into service on interprovincial routes. They are reasonably comfortable, although the long legged may find them a touch cramped. There is no aircon.

Also running on interprovincial routes are truck-buses - a truck chassis with a wooden bus body - and songthaews - pick-up trucks with seats running down the sides. The great advantage of truck-buses, for men anyway, is that it's usually permissible to lounge on the roof, admiring the great scenery, once the bus is out of town.

Running along the Mekong and its tributaries, are 3 types of boats. Cargo boats cruise up to China but the route isn't open to foreigners yet. It's not usually a problem to ride on cargo boats and Luang Prabang's navigation office is a good place to enquire. Long, narrow passenger boats or small speedboats can be chartered. Main routes are along the Mekong, Pak and Tha rivers.

Luang Prabang's airport's only international connection is with Chiang Mai in Thailand. Lao Aviation operates low altitude turboprop planes, which are often buffeted by strong turbulence caused by the rugged topography. Combined with the often heavy cloud cover, this makes landing at smaller provincial airports tricky.

Note: Flying is the quickest and most comfortable way to move around Laos, and a spectacular way to die as Lao Aviation is strapped for cash and crashes are relatively frequent. Many embassies advise against flying with Lao Aviation.

Tuk-tuks are readily available at the airport, for the short trip to town.

Travel agents and hotels can put together tours. Diethelm Travel and government-owned SODETOUR are among the leading operators. In Luang Prabang and other northern hotspots like Luang Nam Tha, enterprising tuk-tuk drivers offer varying tours. Boat trips are also easy to arrange in Luang Prabang, with visits to riverside villages and Pak Ou cave temple on the agenda. Don't be deceived by friendly demeanors, check what's included and even in villages always check the price of food and other items before ordering.

Luang Nam Tha is a good base for trekking and river trips, although the town itself is unremarkable.

Fly out to Phonsavan, a good base for trekking into forested mountains where it's possible, although very unlikely, to see the Vu Quang Ox, which was discovered just across the border in Vietnam in 1994. One of only a handful of mammals discovered in the 20th century, it confusingly isn't an ox.

Despite many major battles and maulings from giant B-52 bombers during the Indochina wars, the intriguing stone jars littering the Plain of Jars, in Xieng Khouang province, survived more or less unscathed. Generously compared to Stonehenge, their purpose is unknown and they appear to have fallen from the bag of a passing giant.

Note: Stick to worn paths when visiting the jars, as the threat from unexploded bombs and mines is high.

Travelling along mountain roads provides many dramatic vistas, more so in the rainy or cool seasons when clouds and mist swirl creating a Lost Kingdom' atmosphere. Tribal people along the roads, particularly children, bombard passing foreigners with hellos and waves. Likewise cruising along traditional byways, the rivers, reveals other facets of Laotian life. It's also easier on the body and soul, than road travel - a little death defying at times.

Most Buddhist festivals are held on a full moon day and dates of other holidays may not be fixed.

Lunar New Year falls around the middle of April. This festival involves visiting temples, making offerings and dousing everybody in water. These days it's quite raucous and great fun, although it used to be a very genteel affair. In May Visakha Puja, a celebration of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, involves many religious activities at temples and picturesque candlelight marches during the evening. May also sees the Rocket Festival - bamboo rockets are spectacularly fired into the sky to encourage the rains to come, while on the ground, parties and theatre dominate the merrymaking.

The most important time of the year for men to temporarily join the monkhood is in July.

Buddhist Lent is the day when monks are supposed to enter one temple and not leave for 3 months to prevent them from wandering and damaging crops.

December 2nd sees Lao National Day, an obligatory celebration of the 1975 revolution, when the communist Pathet Lao peacefully swept into power. Plenty of parades and speeches a la May Day in the Soviet Union.

National Tourism Authority is in the Provincial Offices building on Pha Mehn Rd. It's opposite Wat Pha Mahathat. (Tel: +856 71 212 092) Local travel agents and hotels are often as useful.