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Luang Prabang is a small town located right off of the Mekong Delta. The town is quite small but very cute and quaint, not very many tourists you will see here compared to some other cities. We stayed here for a total of 4 nights exploring the town, trekking to waterfalls, and cruising along the Mekong Delta. Just walking the downtown area give you a very tranquil feeling and I can’t help but smile when I think about roaming the streets here.

Getting Here

We flew from Chiang Mai into Luang Prabang with Lao Airlines for about $165. A bit pricey for a one way flight but we didn’t want to take the 2 day slow boat from Chiang Rai. Do note that upon arrival have $35USD on you for your visa entry, or if you have the equivalent in Lao Kip. My friends did not have enough money so it was a bit of a hassle to go out of the airport to find an ATM.

From the airport they have either shuttles or cabs that can take you into town which is only about 15-20 minutes from the airport.

Location: Wat That District

Luang Prabang is a very small town so pretty much anywhere you stay will be a decent location, therefore we stayed pretty central to the town just a few blocks from the river and night markets. Our street was dimly lit so at night time it was a bit difficult to see but otherwise that it was a great location.

Accommodation: Central Backpackers

If I were to come to Luang Prabang I would not stay here again. The location was good but next time I would pay the extra money to stay in a homestay or hotel. The beds were as hard as a rock and there was a serious lack of security to our room. There was no key to our room or the front door of the hostel. The staff was overall pretty relaxed, didn’t take our passports or required payment when we checked in so I feel like anyone could have taken our room or vice versa. The bonus here was the daily free breakfast that was actually pretty good.

• Cost per night: $6

Activities

Kuang Si Waterfall

This was definitely by far the highlight of our trip in Luang Prabang. Located about an hour from the city center we took a bus to the entrance of the hike to the falls. It’s a short hike to the base of the falls and the cascading waterfalls are absolutely stunning with an almost teal, clear blue color. You can jump into the lagoons from trees and there is even a rope swing. You can continue all the way to a bridge that has a spectacular view of the waterfall. Great for that perfect photo opportunity! Here you can really see the beauty in the limestone formations.

For the avid hikers and adventurers you can make your way up to the very top of the falls which gives you views of the mountain ranges in the distance. From there you can hike about another 30 minutes to a cave, which costs about $1. I don’t think its worth it compared to the other caves we have seen but it’s a nice hike if you have the time. We also had a local cut down some of the local fruit from a tree and cut up some pieces for us to try which I thought was very sweet.

And for the true thrill seekers, I have a secret for you that not very many people know about. A friend of ours who did the hike with us heard through the grapevine of an infinity pool from the Kuang Si Falls that you had to jump the fence to get to. We had no idea where this would be but we found a sign saying “DANGER DO NOT ENTER.” So naturally we assumed this had to be it. We jumped the fence over the trees to see a path covered with leaves going up into what looked like a pool from the waterfall. We knew this was it. We made our way to the top and there it was, except even more beautiful than I imagined. Nobody was there and we had the whole area to ourselves, which was quite the experience. (Note: obviously there is a reason why people cannot trespass. The path is slippery and wet, and I think some idiots look over the edge of the infinity pool down to the bottom of the falls, so if you decide to embark on the adventure please do be careful!)

• Cost roundtrip: 180,000kip (Note: the driver will wait for you at the gate)

Cruise along the Mekong Delta

We had an extra day where we weren’t sure of what else to do since the town is quite small so we decided to do a cruise along the famous Mekong Delta to see what lies along the river. It was a really nice and pleasant cruise. Very relaxing however it was pretty cold and the seats were uncomfortable since you are just sitting on wood so it wasn’t as pleasant towards the end. Despite that it was beautiful scenery floating through the mountain side and seeing how the locals live.

We visited a whiskey village to see how they make their local whiskey. They provide free samples if you want to try, which I was happy to do since it instantly warmed me up. That stuff is strong! Something that you will also find very common in these parts of Asia is their whiskey and liquors have animals inside fermenting in the bottle. Snakes are quite the popular animal as apparently it helps with your health. Here we also explored the small village looking at how they make clothes and textiles.

We also visited the Pakou Cave which had two different caves filled with hundreds of Buddhas. The cave at the top of the mountain was quite a climb, I’m not sure if it was worth the climb but hey traveling provides some of the best exercise! The caves are very dark so its hard to actually see and grasp what you are looking at but it is something very unique and different.

• Cost: 100,000kip

Night Markets

The night markets run every evening located right in the heart of the town and definitely is a highlight to do. Here they mainly have clothing items and little trinkets, perfect place to buy souvenirs. They also have lots of street food available or at the end of the market there are some restaurant options as well. So grab a beer and walk the markets taking in the local scene and culture. We visited every night.

View Point: Mount Phousi

I seriously wish we arrived earlier when the sun was still out because the views were pretty spectacular from the top of the view point. Mt. Phousi is located in the center of the city with a temple at the very point which provides a beautiful 360 degree view of the entire city of Luang Prabang.

National Museum

There are many temples you can visit that are located throughout the city and downtown area. Some you can visibly see from the roads or you can pay $1 to enter and look inside. The only place we decided to actually go inside was the National Museum. We thought it would have many national artifacts from the country but it was basically the house of where the king and queen lived. Not worth the money in my opinion since were were able to see some pretty cool temples and random buildings which I thought provided more beauty and history but when in Rome…or Laos.

Nightlife

There isn’t much of a nightlife here because the town is so small and they actually have a curfew at 11pm, however don’t let that fool you. There are of course the night markets and some great options for dining but somehow the late nighters find a way to break curfew.

Utopia is an awesome outdoor bar that sits along the river. This place is massive and has a great overall vibe and atmosphere. There is also a sand volleyball court if you want to get in on the action. The place closes at 11pm but then after that everyone ventures out to a bowling alley which is probably the most random thing you’d ever imagine in a place like Luang Prabang. Not only do they provide legitimate bowling lanes, balls, and the whole nine but there is a bar inside where you can actually buy bottles of liquor. Yeah, I know…basically bottle service in a bowling alley. As you can imagine this place got crazy and stays open until 3am.