UpperDeckJunkie

I'm travelling to Cambodia later this year and am considering doing a side trip to Luang Prabang.

I've read some negative reviews of the place (getting overrun with tourist who rush out and get in the face of the monks every morning while they're on alms round etc etc)

So, would appreciate hearing from anyone who has visited recently. If you think it warrants a visit why? What makes it special? I'll be going to Siem Reap so I'll have seen plenty of temples by then.

Any recommendations for places to stay would also be appreciated ( both in town and out)

hiyo

I enjoyed Luang Prabang. While in town, we stayed at Villa Sokxai, across from Wat Sop, right on Sakkalin Road. It's out of the town center, approaching the tip of the peninsula.

All the tourist crowds must have been somewhere else, as it was pretty quiet, and very serene at morning alms. Villa Sokxai is just a basic guesthouse (and overpriced), but the balcony provides some nice views indeed.

There are some interesting river trips and hill tribe trekking opportunities around LP as well. Our best days in Luang Prabang province were not spent in the town itself.

How long do you have in Siem Reap? I might spend my time exploring the more remote temples around there and of course spend some time in Phnom Penh.

UpperDeckJunkie

thanks hiyo - I'm going to be in PP for a few days then I have a full week in Siem Reap so was planning on visitng some of the surrounding temples as well.

I saw in a previous post that you moved to a place 5km out of town - how was that?

rjh

I had to laugh about this remark. The monks line up and wait for the tour buses to disgorge their pax who then buy the food offerings from the waiting vendors. It's very touristy.

rjh

The Luang Prabang attractions, if you will, including temples, aren't attractions in the same way as at the Angkor complex. Part of the charm of LP is the Lao pace of life, once you're away from the tourist concentrations.

There are some interesting sights in the main part of town that are well covered by the standard guidebooks. Outside of town is a weaving village, though the prices aren't that much better than in town.

Also outside of town are the great Kouangsi falls, which is a great 1/2 day trip.

I'd go back in a second and try to stay in Sayo guesthouse in one of the upper floor, corner rooms or Sala Prabang or Le Calao Inn, though it's located a the tip of the peninsula, if I was looking for something upscale.

busybee

I just returned last month from a trip to Laos and Siem Reap. Luang Prabang is definitely worth visiting, it's a romantic and relaxing place and the whole town is a UNESCO site. The temples are gleaming, my favorite being 'Wat Xieng Thong', as opposed to temples in Siem Reap which have a longer history and are more like ruins and take much longer to explore, Angkor Wat being the most famous in Cambodia. The monks' collecting alms in the early morning is quite a sight. The whole town is easily walkable and bikable with decent restaurants to fit all budgets. Sala Prabang is a decent place to stay, they have 2 or 3 properties so be sure to ask about the location. The night market is a lot of fun to browse and shop. We chartered a boat to go on a side trip, to the Pak O Caves. We also went on a hiking tour that brought us to 2 tribal villages. I would go back there in a heart beat.

hiyo

When we return to LP, it will be to be with Khoun and Khone at their bungalows out past the Villa Santi Resort. It was a highlight of our trip, getting to know these wonderful people and their family and staff and dogs and cats.

There are some videos of our time with them on YouTube, here is one of the bungalow interior and another of the exteriors. It will give you some idea of what it was like, but it doesn't capture their personalities. $15 a night incuding breakfast. They will pick you up in town, and run you back in when you want, in their legendary Vietnam War American jeep.

They help support several Hmong villages with a portion of their profits and were happy to take us to the villages. We carry a Polaroid camera and give out photos, as shown here.

It's not luxurious, but it's worth it to be even slightly off the tourist track, IMO.

UpperDeckJunkie

This sounds like just the place I'm looking for - I'm not looking for luxurious - would much rather get to know the real people in the area. What's the best way to contact them?

hiyo

From their business card: Phones - 020 770 7665 and 020 296 3291. Email - [email protected] . There is a website (built by another friend/customer) - Khoun and Khone Guesthouse.

I will caution, it's very easy to just stick around and not go see anything, but they will arrange any side trips you want, and either take you to a pick-up point, or have you picked up there. They arranged a trip to Tad Sae waterfalls for us, and we were the only ones there, pictured here.


I've PM'ed you.

JohnWM

I did go once to Luang Prabang, last spring actually, and found it not worth the time nor the expense.

I initially thought it would be an interesting destination for 3 nights because of the World Heritage Site designation by UNESCO. However, I found it dull, boring, and simply not containing enough of interest to warrant 3 nights.

I obtained a guide man from the hotel for US $20 daily, and a driver too with an air conditioned car, also for US $20 daily. Although I did keep busy seeing temples and historic monuments from 9am until 4:30pm, I did not sense any great achievement in that town nor in the outskirts.

The memorable day trip was when I asked the guide to bring me down to the Pak Ou caves, with lunch afterwards at a local restaurant. Now that was an interesting day! For the rest, though, I found public sanitation lacking as well as most tourist amenities; the hotel services were mostly appalling. As for chilling out, one could certainly do that better at any Caribbean resort.

Sorry not to give LP a resounding recommendation, but I do feel that it is simply over-rated. Perhaps it might be worth a daytrip out of Bangkok, or an overnighter from BKK.

Meeting the local people is always laudable, but for heaven's sake: what on earth would you have in common with them? or they with you?

rjh

The nice thing about FT is that there's room for lots of opinions.

LosAngeleno

I really enjoyed spending a few days in and around Luang Prabang last year, so I'd say it's definitely worth visiting. It's a nice change of pace from Bangkok and Hanoi, and while the temples aren't on nearly as grand a scale as the ruins in Angkor or some of the magnificent wats in Bangkok, they are no less beautiful in their own way. Before my trip, I'd read many times that Luang Prabang is like what SE Asia used to be 30 years ago. Since it was my first trip to the region, I can't confirm that assertion, but it definitely moves at a slower, more relaxed pace.

I'll second rjh's recommendation of Le Calao Inn (although I'm not sure I'd call it upscale). The location is great. It's nice to be able to climb out of bed in the morning and go out onto your balcony and watch the long boats glide by on the Mekong. [/B][/B]

rjh

Well, upscale relative to some of the places on the river, at one of which I paid US$2/night.

I actually think Sayo has a better location, with the right room, but the walk to Le Calao along the first road away from the river is pretty fun, even if you're doing it a lot.

UpperDeckJunkie

This comment speaks to the disconnect I have been finding. So many books rave about LP - how every building in the town is part of the World Heritage Site but nothing I've seen of the town looks remotely beautiful. Just because it has a feel that SE Asia had 30 years is not, in itself, a reason to go out of one's way to visit.

So, I'm still on the fence about this...

rjh

It might be worth recalibrating. Where else have you been, in Asia or anywhere else for that matter, that you've felt has been worth a visit?

When you travel, do you stay at the Four Seasons, at guesthouses, something in between? I had thought it was the guesthouse end, but perhaps not.

For me one of the pleasures is walking around LP; having a cheap dinner by the river with the local specialties of LP salad, the river moss, Lao sausage, sticky rice, BeerLao of course. Perhaps taking a tuktuk for an excursion to a close by place, such as the falls or weaving village I mentioned earlier. Walking up PhuXi Hill and talking to the monks who are practicing their English, shopping at the Hmong market, that sort of thing.

For what it's worth, the Luang Prabang style of temple is named after the temples that are in LP, as one might expect. Very distinctive and quite attractive, to me at least. On the other hand, the President's Palace isn't Versailles or Beijing's Palace Museum or Kyoto's Imperial Palace.

The opinions, positive and negative, in this thread present a pretty stark contrast and, for me, would be a clear indicator of whether one should go. Only you know what you like, of course.