Asia - luang prabang, laos

Hello Asian experts..
I'm going to be joining a friend in Singapore..we've been looking for a little jaunt to do together but it will have to be the week of tet when she will be off work. We're still contemplating destinations (poss Chiang Mai)..We originally wanted to go to Viet Nam but realized that basically everything shuts down during that week. So: i read a nice article about Luang Prabang in Laos..I'm presuming that it also will "shut down" during New Year?? Can anyone confirm that:: ?? I have another option: to go solo to Laos either prior or after my visit with my friend. Any feedback on that?? I'm presuming its relatively safe for single female to travel there..and it does look like theres some day trips you can take out of there.. (waterfall..caves etc.) Can anyone contribute any thing about going there for a few days?? Any recommendations for budget accomodations or tour guides etc? I'm all ears. And thank you in advance. I did have a thread working looking for ideas of where to go from Singapore..but this seems to be a little more specific to the Asia forumn.

Just a partial answer. I wouldn't say everything shuts down for a week in Vietnam. Except for some of the resorts where expats escape to, hotel availability is often easier as foreign tourists stay away (visiting Vietnamese tend to stay with their families, though that is changing). Many shops/restaurants stay open, or at least only close for a day or so. It can be great fun to be in Vietnam over Tet - people will often take you in and take care of you. Its a great way to experience Vietnamese culture - crazy flower markets, people flying around on motorbikes with peach blossom etc. BUT.. the nightmare can be the travel itself - especially with flights booked up. So that would be my concern in your case - not so much being somewhere during Tet, but moving around over the period. If you've got your flights sorted, you should be OK.

Thanks for your quick answer...flights are not booked..we kind of decided to search for info for another week or so then talk again. im going to be travelling for a few weeks and i dont carry a cell phone or computer so probably will need to make some decisions in the next week and a half or so!!
I'm not a major 'resort' person i dont do sun on purpose. pat

The major attraction in Luang Prabang is the pagodas and the procession of the monks alming for food each day. The pagodas and the procession go on 365 days a year and the pagodas are more likely to be busy on these days as new year gifts from the temples are highly sought after.

On the other hands the tours might be limited but Luang Prabang have a strange relaxing effects on people. I was there for a week and didn't even got out of town. I just leisurely stroll the town each day doing nothing but relaxing myself.

The major attraction in Luang Prabang is the pagodas and the procession of the monks alming for food each day. The pagodas and the procession go on 365 days a year and the pagodas are more likely to be busy on these days as new year gifts from the temples are highly sought after.

On the other hands the tours might be limited but Luang Prabang have a strange relaxing effects on people. I was there for a week and didn't even got out of town. I just leisurely stroll the town each day doing nothing but relaxing myself.

**thanks for your thoughts on this... and your pictures are wonderful!!

You may want to check out 3Nagas hotel in LP. We stayed there earlier this year. Reasonable and very relaxing. Easy walking to everywhere and two pretty nice restaurants.

I also do not think you will need a guide. You can rent a car and driver at the hotel cheaply if you do want to get out of town...we went to the falls (can't remember the name) that fell down a few years ago.

I spent five days in Luang Prabang in January 2007, and a week in northern Vietnam immediately before Tet in 2006 (flying from Hanoi to Guandong on the first day of Tet). (Train travel in China just ahead of New Year is going to be crazy to say the least, but you didn't ask about that country.)

In summary, either choice is fine. As others have noted, the people in Hanoi were busy shopping for the holiday. Lots of people on motorscooters are about with kumquat trees lashed to their tiny racks. The only caution is to have your arrival and departure flights booked ahead, but that's something you would do anyway.

I arrived in Laos via Thailand flying from BKK to Chang Rai. Bus ride to the Thai town on the Lao border. Cross over the Mekong River to Mai Sai in Laos, where I caught the two-day river boat to Luang Prabang. Going this route allowed me to book a most amazing Laos three-day jungle treehouse and trekking experience. (google "Gibbon Experience") Book well ahead if this sounds like something you want to do.

In Luang Prabang, the best nearby attraction is waterfall that any tuk-tuk driver can take you to. Other possiblities are the Buddha cave and the silk weaver village. These are not the real names, of course, but with a little research online, you can fill in the proper details. A tuk-tuk takes you to either one.

In Luang Prabang, my wife spent a day in "Lao Cooking Class" and liked it very much. The main temple in LP, has a Lao dance and culture show in peak tourist seasons. Weather in LP is best in December and January.

The countryside outside of LP is interesting, too. One day, I got ferried across the river and spent the day walking to villages nearby. Another day, I rented a bicycle and went somewhere else.

I departed LP on a Bangkok Airways flight back to BKK. They are an excellent full-service airline, and their tix can be booked thru their website.

Safety? In LP, your chances of being attacked or bothered are nil. Certainly safer than big U.S. cities. Follow usual cautions about locking up and securing valuables from thieves.

Books such as Lonely Planet do not cover Laos very well. Best info is right on the internet on travel blogs such as "Tales of Asia".

Vietnam requires a VISA in advance, and Laos issued me (US citizen) a VISA-on-arrival. Check current VISA regulations for your particular nationality prior to traveling, of course.

Sorry, I was in the ANA Club at Narita and the keyboards there are not always fun.

I just returned from Luang Prabang and loved it. I second what Bowgie had to say about it. Very safe, plenty of Westerners including solo and female travelers. Very traveler-friendly. Very relaxing town to see the wats in town, go on a boat ride on the Mekong, go see the caves or the falls, go trekking, or just hang out in town -- lots of shopping, cafes, and restaurants. I would highly recommend it, we loved it.

I also used Bangkok Airways to get to LP from BKK.

SEA2BA