Luang Prabang: The Stunning Pearl of Indochina

The main destination of this trip was without doubt Luang Prabang. I heard some great stories before about the city nicknamed as the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ or the ‘Pearl of Indochina’. The city has therefore always wanted been high on my list of places to visit and this time I was finally lucky enough to travel to Laos.Even though the city is small at 55,000 inhabitants, there is plenty to see. Even more important, the city is said to have an excellent vibe and has the reputation as the kind of town where people love to linger for a while longer just soaking up the atmosphere and eating and drinking around. I therefore allocated three days to Luang Prabang on my Laos itinerary.

After an adventurous bus ride from Vang Vieng and having checked into my hotel for the next three nights, it was around lunchtime when I finally was ready to explore town, curious if the city would live up to my high expectations.

Quality destination

One of the most appealing aspects of Luang Prabang is the sheer amount of cafes, bars and restaurants in town, ranging from cheap local eateries to hip design places serving Lao-French fusion food and imported wines.

Despite its small size, Luang Prabang has by far the most cosmopolitan vibe in the entire of Laos. Yet the tourist stream and foreign influences do not drown out the local Lao culture and history.

The town genuinely feels like a well-balanced, laid-back place which has everything tourists might want but which does not suffer from overtourism which plagues other parts of south-east Asia.

Fish

I got my first touch of this sophisticated scene when I stopped by Dyen Sabai for lunch. This Laotian restaurant has cute seating corners with cushions, pillows and low dining tables overlooking the Nam Khan River.

For lunch I ordered some fish steamed in banana leaves and a cold Beer Lao or two, which made for an excellent meal.



Bridge

From Dyen Sabai it was a short walk over the bamboo pedestrian bridge to the other side of the Nam Khan River where the old town of Luang Prabang is located.

The rickety bamboo bridge is seasonal only (the dry season from October to April) as the structure does not withstand the extra water flow during the rainy season.

Each year the local population has to deconstruct the entire bridge when the rains arrive and build it up again at the start of the dry season. Because of this, a small toll of 5,000 kip (0.50 EUR) is charged for a return ticket which is good for two crossings.







Peninsula

The peninsula, which is bordered on one side by the Nam Khan River and on the other side by the mighty Mekong River (the confluence of the both rivers is at the far end of the peninsula) is home to the old town of Luang Prabang.

Due to the strategic location, this is where all the city’s main buildings were constructed and where you can find most of the cultural and historical legacy. Whether it is Buddhist temples built by Khmer or local Lao rulers or mansions built by the French colonial overlords, you can find it all on the peninsula.

Many of the gorgeous mansions in the old town have been converted to boutique hotels, shops, cafes and restaurants, making the peninsula a great place to wander around aimlessly and just soak up the local sights and sounds.













Riverside

One of the nicest parts of the peninsula is the riverside street high along the Mekong River. There are some good coffee shops and restaurants here, some with terraces under the palm trees looking over the river.

Big Tree Cafe and Saffron Coffee Brew Bar and Roastery were two of my favourites in this area. During my stay in Luang Prabang I paid multiple visits to both as they had good quality drinks and food, as well as lovely riverside seating areas with a nice vibe.

















Mekong sunset

There are a couple of good spots in Luang Prabang to catch some great sunset views. As on my first day in town I spent a little too much town at the riverside cafes, it was only natural to stay in place and to walk down to the actual riverfront to admire the views.

Armed with a cold beer from one of the many small shops in town, I sat down on some pontoons normally used by some local boatmen to watch the sunset. The views were magnificent and it easily ranks among my top five or so sunset spots in the world.

Besides the gorgeous views there was also really something to the peaceful riverside view and general quietness. There was absolutely no sound save for the occasional boat passing by.

















Night market

When the sun has finally set the bustling night market of Luang Prabang opens its doors. It was a pleasant walk through the old town to the street on which the night market is located.

The night market, which consists out of one street full of market stalls selling mostly souvenirs and an adjacent alley where all the hawker stalls and other food vendors are located, is arguably one of the highlights of Luang Prabang. It certainly makes for a great place to eat some delicious local food and to stock up on some gifts for home.













For the full Luang Prabang destination trip report, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).

Next up: Exploring the temples and markets of Luang Prabang