The Secret Shrine of Luang Prabang - A Jungle Walk

Luang Prabang is the cultural capital of Laos and is stuffed full of some of the world's most beautiful temples and shrines. From the peak of Phousi Hill, the city spreads out studded with gorgeous Buddhist temples. However, there is another, lesser known, lesser travelled temple near Luang Prabang. Come with us as we explore off the well trodden paths and alleyways of the colonial Old Quarter and find a side to Luang Prabang we did not know existed.

On the other side of the Mekong River, away from the popular museums, bars and shops of Luang Prabang, is a small village and a trail that winds past beautiful temples. The end of the trail holds a secret hilltop shrine, overtaken by the trees and plants of the Laotian jungle. 

This little day trip only takes a few hours and was one of our favourite things we did on this stay in Luang Prabang. If you are looking for something different to do when in Luang Prabang, then this is a great trip to take.

The idea came to us in a bar. For those who know us this should come as no surprise as most of our best (and worst) ideas tend to happen this way. The whole idea for our multi-year travel adventure had started in a bar in Vang Vieng so we have learned to trust our instincts when it comes to bar birthed plans. Sitting with a Beer Lao, watching a sunset over the river, Ellie spotted a white temple standing out against the green of a hill on the opposite bank. “We should go there!” 

So we did.

“We should go there!” - So many of our adventures start the same way.

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Crossing the Mekong - Getting Out of Luang Prabang

Our trail started in a small village on the far shore of the Mekong. To get to the village on the opposite bank we, obviously, needed to cross the river, this meant catching the local ferry. The ferry sets off from here next to where most of the tour boats and day cruises depart. This detail is important as, if you look like a tourist (as we definitely do), you will have to run the gauntlet of people offering boat trips and tours. Passing up many offers of trips and water taxis to the other side (with some frankly quite amazing price tags) we settled into a short queue of motorbikes and people waiting for the local ferry. 

Anything and anyone can be transported across the Mekong River on Luang Prabang’s public ferry!

The ferry is not a sophisticated affair, it has a job and it does that job efficiently and easily with no mod cons or extra comforts. The ferry is a large flat, blue barge with chain operated loading ramps on either side. On board there is lots of space for vehicles and standing pedestrians as well as a couple of wooden benches.

The ferry floated up to the concrete landing pier and the ramps crashed down. Cars, minivans, tuk-tuks, chickens and people all flowed off and we hopped on. We paid 5000 kip each (much less than the several hundred thousand being asked by the private water taxis) to the attendant, found a wooden bench right in front of the driver and took a pew.

Ferry Crossing Ticket Price

The tickets cost 5000 kip per person for pedestrians.

If you’re driving a motorbike or scooter onto the ferry, then it’s 10,000 kip.

Have the correct money on hand! Most of the negative Google Reviews of the ferry state that the attendant will just take whatever note you give them and not give any change!

The ferry only leaves when it is full so we had to wait a little while. Soon enough though, the flat barge was stuffed with people and vehicles, the chains were raised and we floated across the wide river. The whole journey only took about 5 minutes, the Mekong is quite wide at Luang Prabang but, even in the wet season, it is only a short boat ride from one bank to the other.

The ferry operates from early morning to well past sundown. At quieter times you will have to wait longer for it to fill up.

Getting to Wat Chomphet - Crossing the Mekong River from Luang Prabang

Dodging the disembarking cars and bikes we left the ferry and walked up the steep slope of the river bank. The difference between the river sides is instantly obvious. Next to the “pier” on the Luang Prabang side is a high end cafe and several restaurants; on this side, nothing of the sort. Around us flowed locals returning from shopping in the city, their bikes laden with green vegetables and the occasional squawking sack. Ahead the dusty road led up to bamboo lean-to buildings, it was a world away from the UNESCO preserved colonial beauty on the other side of the river.

We wandered up from the pier to a small set of market stalls and grabbed some water. Our destination temple was on top of a hill so we knew we would have at least a little climb ahead of us. Whilst fishing around in pockets and bags for the correct change (Laos bank machines only ever give us 100,000 notes!), Ellie found an intriguing marker on Google Maps - “Jungle Shrine”.

We had learnt that the temple Ellie had spotted from the bar was named Wat Chomphet. To get to the newly found “Jungle Shrine”; there was a path past that wove past several temples, including Wat Chomphet - it looked like we had a plan!

We are not going to pretend we are some kind of intrepid explorers, we did not “discover” this area or anything, it is clear from the English language signs and directions that this is all part of the Luang Prabang Heritage area. That all being said, for the whole of this walk we only saw two other tourists! It is definitely a good way to escape the crowds in Luang Prabang.

Between the market and the pier the road forks and there is a signpost signalling the way to the various temples on this bank of the river. We took the fork that ran parallel to the river, this one path should lead us all the way through and past the temples and up to the “Jungle Shrine”.

For those uninterested in the local legends - skip past the story here!

Th legends of the Phou Thao and Phou Nang Mountains

The mountains on this bank of the Mekong have a rather . . .  interesting myth associated with them. The legend goes that a poor father could no longer afford to feed his 12 daughters. In a display of frank practicality, he decided to leave his 12 lovely daughters in a clearing for the local Giant to eat (‘Father of the Year’ right there).

The Giant didn't want any skinny morsels for dinner so decided to fatten up the abandoned girls before making them into supper. The girls were fed, regained their health and blossomed into beauties.

The luckless 12 managed to escape from the Giant and found their way to the local King - King Palusen. The King promptly fell in love with their beauty and married all 12 of the lasses … because of course he did!

The Giant found out that the King was in bed with their 12-course dinner and became beside itself with jealousy and rage.

So the Giant (deep breath here): shape-changed into a gorgeous woman, seduced the King, became his favourite lover, faked a deathly illness then pretended to be a doctor and advised the King that the only cure for his (now favourite) fake-ill-giant-wife was to … wait for it … Pluck out the eyes of all of the other 12 wives and send them away to live in a cave…

Did we mention the ladies didn't have much luck?

Displaying the insight and wisdom only a King can, he obeyed the orge-wife. He blinded and sent the 12 wives away to live in a cave. However, one of the 12 ladies was pregnant and gave birth to a boy.

Now the story gets wild..

The son grew up in the cave whilst, in the palace, the Giant and the King had a daughter (we guess the Giant forgot about the 12 course girl meal?). The daughter of the Giant and son of the blinded wife met, fell in love and married. Do not think of the shared genetics (half-siblings?)

All was well until, one day, the son found a secret room in the King's palace. In the room were the 24 eyes of the luckless ladies and the heart of the Giant. The son stole the eyes and the heart and legged it.

His giantess daughter-wife pursued him with an army. She confronted her husband but he would not return with her. When her husband had left she promptly died of heartbreak and cursed him to do the same.

The son returned to his mother and 11 other ladies in the cave and gave them back their eyes - restoring their sight (optometrists hate this one trick!).

The son returned to the palace and the King's giant-wife was so enraged her disguise failed, showing everyone her true giant form. We can only speculate what the king thought of this... The Giant tried to kill the son but he stabs her in the heart (the one he stole along with the eyes), killing her.

The ladies returned to the clueless King (who had been happy to blind them…) and lived happily ever after. The son however, cursed by his wife, could not find happiness again. So he set off to look for his abandoned love. Finding her dead where he had left her, the son dies of heartbreak himself - fulfilling his dead wife’s curse.

The Gods looked down on at the son, dead at the feet of his wife, and transformed both of them into the local mountains…known as Phou Thao and Phou Nang.

Now you know!

Our walk started with us going through the local village. The houses were a mix of wood, concrete and stone and were a very long way from the ordered colonial architecture of Luang Prabang. Chickens pecked at the ground and geese honked their protest at our presence. Outside many of the houses, sheets were covered with corn, river weed or chillies all drying in the intense Laotian sun.

The residents of the village were friendly and welcoming. Children alternately waved and laughed at us or ran away and hid.

We passed a lively, noisy school and came to the middle of the village and the first of our temples.

Wat Xieng Mene

(location)

Our first temple was Wat Xieng Mene; a gorgeous traditional white, red and gold structure in the middle of the village. The temple buildings were separated from the village by a low white wall, guarded by sharp toothed, stone dogs. Inside, the temple grounds were serene and peaceful. Golden statues, of the “7 days of the week” Buddha’s, stood, sat or reclined outside of the main temple building. 

Wat Xieng Mene is an old temple, with history dating back to the 1500’s if not further. The temple gained special prominence when it was used to house the golden “Prabang” Buddha statue on its pilgrimage back to Luang Prabang (the city is named after this golden Buddha). In 1867 the Prabang statue rested at the temple for 7 days on its procession back to Luang Prabang after being held in Thailand for 40 years.

Despite its history the temple comes across as calm and humble. It feels much like a country village church does in England: it is part of the local village, not some grand thing dominating over it. 

We continued up the village road until the houses started to thin out, the trees began to crowd in and the road forked off in two. The main road headed north east whilst a smaller walking path wound into the forest. Following the helpful signs we headed into the forest.

After only a minute or so we could see the staircase leading to Wat Chompet, the temple that had inspired this whole expedition. The route we were walking was linear - all the way to the “Jungle Shrine” and back again on the same path. We decided that we would walk past the steps for now and visit the hill top temple on the way back.

Temple entrance fees

As a foreigner, you need to pay an entrance fee to keep walking along this path. The fee covers you to walk the path and enter any of the temples on the way. Tickets cost only 20,000 kip per person.

Wat Long Koon

(location)

Just outside of the town was the much larger Wat Long Koon. We approached the temple down a moss covered stairway straight out of a Ghibli film. The architecture was, again, beautiful with white walls, red lintels, gold filigree and intricate carvings. Wat Long Koon is spread over several buildings with prayer halls, monastic rooms and accommodation for the monks. 

Well tended lawns had cockerels pecking and colourful butterflies flitting around. The whole place is surrounded by the forest, which made the orange of the monk's robes really stand out against the deep greens of the foliage.

Some of the temple buildings have faded paintings framing their doors. Armour clad, moustachioed warriors stood guard over the gold and lacquer entrances. These figures, with their long handled spear swords, seemed more like the ones you would expect to see in a Chinese temple. It was just another thing that made this place unique to us.

Towards the river we found a large Buddha statue sitting cross legged under the many heads of a protective Naga. In the dry season this statue looks over the sandy shores of the river, which would be full of small farms and allotments growing in the fertile banks. We were visiting right at the end of the wet season and the Buddha was looking over nothing but the fast flowing waters of the Mekong.

This area seems to be where a few boat tours unload their passengers. There was another ticket booth and a small pier at the end of a staircase. When we visited we did not see any boat-borne visitors but it would make a serene and beautiful stop on any boat ride. 

After Wat Long Koon the road wound on, houses became rarer and rarer and the jungle all around the air was filled with a chorus of cicadas.

Wat Tham Sakkalin

(location)

A short walk later and we came across the painted sides of Wat Tham Sakkalin. On one side of the road is a temple building, the outside of which is entirely covered in paintings depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha. When we visited the serene atmosphere was slightly disturbed by a chainsaw wielding monk who was pruning some of the nearby trees. 

We, although we didn't realise it at this point, had made a mistake. Wat Tham Sakkalin has a famous cave that forms the core of the temple. The limestone cave houses some fragments of the Buddha and is kept locked. If you want to visit the 100m cave you need to ask for the keys from the ticket booth near Wat Chompet! We had not done this so contented ourselves to just peer through the latticework cave gate.

We wandered on, passing local families eating and listening to music on massive, old school radios. This felt like a side to Luang Prabang that we hadn't seen. Rawer and less polished, this seemed like what life in rural Laos would actually look like without the flourishes and decorations added for tourists.

Wat Had Siaw

(location)

As our goal of the “Jungle Shrine” grew closer we entered our final official Wat - Wat Had Siaw. This large temple is currently under construction but there is nothing to stop you going through and admiring the buildings. The large new prayer hall looked especially impressive. The workers were building up the ornate entrance columns when we visited but inside we could see the huge and imposing Buddha in pride of place. It had not yet received its golden paint but its huge white eyes stared back at us from the semi-constructed darkness.

The temple is also home to a large pack of very cute dogs. We had been wary approaching the temple as we could hear lots of barking (John bravely picked up a stick but it just fell apart in his hand). The dogs were fine, they were clearly fed and cared for by the temple. We walked through the pack as it sauntered towards an orange robed monk and, except for some interesting snuffling, the dogs barely registered our presence.

Out the back of Wat Had Siaw the paved path stops and the road becomes an reddy-orange mud road. We didn't have to follow this far to find our final fork in the road. On one side was a path to another temple, its gate closed and hung with a Laotion sign we couldn't translate, on the other side, a tiny track leading up a hill….

The Secret Jungle Shrine

(location)

The only indication that we were in the right place was the trail of stone white lotus’ dotted in the forest leading up the hill. The path was nearly non-existent but the little white buds showed us that we were on the right trail. The climb up the hill was short and not steep at all and, before long, we started to see the golden shapes of figures in the trees.

The Jungle Shrine is not massive or fancy. It is a collection of statues, sculptures and holy artefacts scattered across the hilltop. We cannot find any reliable information as to whether this is an abandoned temple, a store for holy objects or an overgrown shrine. What we can say for sure however, is that it is beautiful. It is just the kind of overgrown relic we love to find. We love ruins, abandoned buildings and forgotten structures and this shrine ticked all of the above. Leaf strewn Buddhas meditated next to four headed sculptures that were vanishing into the plants and mosses of the jungle. It was so different from the clean white walls of Wat Had Siaw being built below.

You can access the Jungle Shrine via another path, inside Wat Had Siaw you’ll find two statues flanking a trail into the jungle. If you follow this path, you should find the jungle shrine.

The Jungle Shrine is not a large shrine, you can walk all around it in under five minutes, it did however make a fitting return point for our jungle walk. We had walked only around 3km to get here but it was the perfect place to turn around and head back. We still had a hill to climb and a temple to see..

Wat Chompet

(location)

We followed the road back the way we had come until we were, once again, stood in front of the Wat Chompet ticket shack. Behind the shack rose a steep, white stone lined staircase. We had saved the best until last, it was time to climb.

The climb was short but sharp and, in the late afternoon sun, very very hot! We pulled our sweat soaked selves up the last of the 123 steps and were greeted by an amazing view.

The whole of Luang Prabang was laid out in front of us. Its gold topped temples sparkling and glowing in the sun. We love the many views you can get from the top of the famous Phousi Hill (read all about that here) but this view may well be our favourite in Luang Prabang. The river just frames the city perfectly.

The temple at Wat Chompet itself is semi abandoned, its doors locked shut and its elegant facade crumbling. Ancient stupa’s line one side whilst cracked stones and old statues speckle the front. We learned that these contain the bones from two wives of a former king.  We couldn't find out much about the history of the temple online but it was apparently built in 1888 by Thailand, if you know more please let us know in the comments. We have said it before but we love ruins and this temple, whilst not technically a ruin, had all the romance we adore. 

This temple had been the goal of our little expedition, we had saved the best until last and had found a fantastic view of Luang Prabang. We walked back down the 123 steps, rejoined the path and headed back to the ferry.

Final thoughts - lesser know temples and the secret shrine of Luang Prabang

We had set out just to find this temple but it had turned into a great mini-adventure. We can completely recommend getting out of Luang Prabang and having a walk on the other side of the Mekong: it is a different world!

We started out just having one temple to find but ended up exploring 4 temples and a hidden shrine, all tied together with a gorgeous, fun and easy 6km walk through villages and forests.

We had been right, we should make more decisions in bars!

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

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Sundown in Luang Prabang - The Best Sunset Spots

Whether you are visiting on holiday or are passing through as a backpacker, the Laotian city of Luang Prabang is an amazing place to watch the sun go down. The UNESCO World Heritage City is full of beautiful temples, hilltop shrines and riverside bars, all of which make for fantastic places to catch a sunset. The golden orange glow of the setting sun bathes the city in a warm light that sparkles off of its temples, palace roofs and the Mekong River below.

Sunset is also a natural gathering time for tourists and travellers; the bars, restaurants and viewpoints all fill up with people and it is probably the best time to meet other travellers if you are in the city solo.

We have spent a long time in Luang Prabang over the last few years and have come up with a list of our favourite places to watch the sun go down.

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

The Best Sunset Bars in Luang Prabang

It should come as no surprise to those who know us or follow this blog that one of our favourite ways to enjoy a sunset is in the company of a frosty beverage. Luang Prabang has bars and restaurants dotted all along its river banks that make for a great way to end a day.

The Old Town of Luang Prabang sits on a peninsula of land with the Mekong and Nam Khan River flowing either side of it. The sunset is in the west so, for the best view, you need to find a spot on the western side of the old town along the banks of the Mekong River.

Luang Prabang is ever changing and the bars are frequently taken over and revamped. We used to love a locals only bar right in the south of the city and, on our first visit ,there was the legendary Utopia Backpacker Bar. Both these bars are sadly now gone but there are still plenty of gorgeous sunset spots to choose from. Let us know if any of the bars below change hands or names in the future!

360 Sunset Bar

(location)

We found this little riverside bar on our first trip to Luang Prabang and have been in love with it ever since. It is (loosely) skater themed with a small concrete ramp and some tables made out of recycled skateboards. A small DJ booth plays chilled out tunes and the service is very relaxed.

360 Sunset Bar serves good cheap beer, cocktails, small plates of food and snacks.  Most importantly, the 360 bar serves up fantastic riverside views. The sun sets behind the Laotian mountains practically opposite the 360 bar making it an ideal place for a late afternoon beer or cocktail. 

The 360 bar is also home to a collection of cute kitties who love to sit with you, especially if you’ve got a plate of chicken wings!

The bar is popular with backpackers and the local youth, so if you want the best seats next to the river, come early. 360 bar was fantastic, we have whiled away far too many evenings enjoying a Beer Lao as the night creeps in.

Mekong Savan Restaurant and Bar

(location)

This was a random find on our latest Luang Prabang adventure. Set nearby to the local ferry pier, this small bar is tucked away on the riverside down a small flight of steps. Wooden decking gives way to a parasol shaded balcony. The bar has a great view of the Mekong and the busy traffic of boats and ferries on its water. This is a fantastic place for a sunset drink, the full menu of beers, fruit juices, cocktails, spirits and wines makes sure there is a drink for every palate and inclination.

The bar sometimes serves food, but on the times we visited, the kitchen was never open (although the nice waiter did run and get us peanuts!). For such an upmarket looking bar, the cost of beer was as cheap as anywhere else on this list!

Tham keo for our Laotian followers or cheers for everyone else!

Mekong Savan is set a little way up the river from 360, so the sunset happens further downstream (to the left) from the bar. Despite this we would say this was the best sunset bar in Luang Prabang as the Mekong River was just so full of life and traffic. From Mekong Savan you can watch the local car ferries run back and forth, see the boatbuilders below plane wood and fix their barges and see all sorts of boats and craft float on by. Also, as the sunset is further downstream, the light reflects beautifully off of the river!

Viewpoints for Sunset in Luang Prabang

Phousi Hill

(location)

If you are in Luang Prabang you cannot miss Phousi Hill - Both literally and figuratively! The hill rises up along the main street of Luang Prabang and no visit to the city would be complete without climbing it at least once.

Mount Phousi costs 30,000 kip per person to climb. You buy a ticket from the counter right at the start of your climb from the side facing the main street and National Museum.

To read more about the museums and temples of Luang Prabang check out our complete travel guide here.

The hill is a short hike up 355 steps though some beautiful moss covered foliage and temple grounds. The summit gives panoramic views all over the city and is probably the most popular place to watch the sunset from. It is a fantastic view and, as the highest point in town, gives a sweeping vista over the city, river and surrounding mountains. From the top of the hill the sunset lights the town up in gold, the dying light glinting off the temples, rooftops and rivers.

The sunset from the top of Phousi Hill is beautiful!

But you do need to share it with a lot of people!

This all being said, it is very popular. At sunset you will be in a crowd of people and if you want to get a good view, you better have gone up early. As the day winds down, streams of people will start the climb to the top of Phousi Hill in preparation for the sunset.  If you choose the top of Phousi Hill as your sunset spot go early and be prepared to share it with a lot of people!

However, there is another spot only for those in the know…

The Secret Sunset Spot on Phousi Hill

This spot is nowhere near as high as the peak of Phousi Hill but we loved it, its was a special, more private place to enjoy a Luang Prabang sunset. 

If you are climbing Mount Phou Si from the side facing the National Museum you will quickly come to a plateau with a stunning tree surrounded by a two tiered stone ring. The steps to the top will continue in front and the tree would be on your right hand side. If you leave the path here and head right, past the tree, you will come to the corner of the plateau.  You should find a bench overlooking the market below and the town itself. This is our secret sunset spot!

Honestly we preferred this as a place to watch the sunset to the top of Phousi Hill; it was romantic (no PDA though, you are in temple grounds!), peaceful and got a lovely view of the sunset. We would recommend climbing Phousi before the rush at sunset, admiring the view and then coming back down to this secret spot to actually watch the sun go down!

Sunset on the Mekong - River Cruises

We have talked about views over the river and riverside bars so obviously we must talk about the sunset from the water itself! If you walk anywhere in Luang Prabang you will be offered sunset boat tours, there are dozens of operators running everything from private longboats to massive karaoke boats and banquet barges. You can arrange a boat trip through your accommodation, at any of the tour offices, operator booths or from touts on the pier.

We had a great experience (well two great experiences as we have been with them twice now), with Sa Sa Sunset Cruises. They have a few different boats that sail up and down the Mekong for a perfect sunset cruise.

295,000 kip per person got us comfy reclining seats and a free drink (Lao Lao cocktail, beer of a soft drink) as well as a small snack served half way through. There was a bar on board as well so you could top up on your drinks as you floated on down. The cruise starts at 5pm and will bring you back around 7pm. These times may change as the sun sets later or earlier depending when in the year you visit.

We cannot recommend a sunset river cruise enough. Drifting down the Mekong, lying back in the orange gold light whilst sipping on a beer and listening to quietly playing music (First Aid Kit both times we visited), is a fantastic way to see out a day.

Sa Sa Cruises does, or maybe did, have another little “treat” for those who take the sunset cruise. We are not going to spoil it here and it may not even still happen (it didn’t on our last trip). If you are on the big boat and something bizarre involving fish and “O Fortuna” happens …. let us know in the comments. At this point, we are unsure if it was a fever dream, a hallucination or if it actually happened!

We had great experiences with Sa Sa Cruises, the boats were fun, comfy and well set up for a relaxing sunset cruise. We did see that other cruises were sometimes cheaper but we cannot say which is best as we stuck with Sa Sa.

You can book cruises, as we have said, everywhere in town. Sa Sa have a little booking desk on the bank where the boat docks; you can buy your tickets there. The dock and booking office are located here on a map.

A word of caution when booking a sunset cruise in Luang Prabang: check it is not a karaoke cruise before booking! There are a lot of karaoke barges noisily plying their way up and down the Mekong nowadays and this would be a very different sunset experience! Check before you book - unless you're into that, no judgement here!

Sunset in Luang Prabang - Conclusion

So there you have it, our favourite places to see sunset in Luang Prabang. To be fair, in the city there are innumerable other spots to watch the sun go down from, but we especially loved those on this list. Let us know in the comments if we have missed your favourite!

There is something special about the sunset when travelling. Maybe it is because it marks another day away from home, another day of new experiences and different places, but the setting sun is always something to be celebrated and appreciated when you are out walking the world. 

Also sunset is a great excuse for a beer!

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

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Kuang Si Falls - A Natural Wonder in Northern Laos

The Kuang Si Waterfall is one of the most beautiful natural sights in northern Laos. A spectacular many tiered waterfall cascading through the Laotian jungle, Kuang Si Falls attracts visitors from all over the globe. Explorable all year round, Kuang Si Falls can be ephemeral, beautiful and delicate or a thundering spectacle of overwhelming power. The falls’ waters swell or calm from season to season.

The Kuang Si Falls lie a little way outside of the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang in Northern Laos. We have visited Kuang Si Waterfall three times now, both in the wet and the dry seasons; each time has been unique and amazing. 

This is our guide to the Kuang Si Waterfalls - our thoughts on how to get to, what to look out for and how to make the most out of these incredible Laotian waterfalls.

In this Article:

• Where are the falls? - How to get to Kuang Si Waterfall

  • Getting to the Falls by Tuk Tuk / Songtheaw

  • Private Tours and Taxis to the Falls

  • Driving Yourself - Taking a Scooter or a Bicycle to Kuang Si Falls

• Kuang Si Falls Opening Times

• Ticket Prices - Entrance to Kuang Si Falls

• The Waterfalls and Park - What is There and What is it Like?

  • Free the Bears Rescue Centre

  • Kuang Si Falls

  • The Secret Pools

  • “The View” at Kuang Si

• When to Visit Kuang Si Falls - Wet or Dry Season, Morning or Afternoon?

• Facilities at the Falls

• Conclusion - is Kuang Si Falls worth it?

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

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How to get to Kuang Si Waterfall - Where are the waterfalls?

Kuang Si Falls are 18 miles (29 km) south-west of the city of Luang Prabang in Northern Laos. It is around an hour's drive thanks to the poor condition of the roads.

You can find Kuang Si Falls on a map here.

You have a few main choices of ways to get to Kuang Si Falls:

Getting to Kuang Si Falls by Tuk Tuk / Songthaew

The most popular way to get to Kuang Si Falls is definitely via one the large songthaews found throughout Luang Prabang. For those who don't know; a songthaew is a sort of flatbed truck with bench seating, open sides and a roof, all welded to a large motorbike. They are often very colourfully decorated and you will find them everywhere in South East Asia. You can easily seat 6-10 people in one, depending on how friendly and cosy you want to be with your travelling companions! 

You can find tuk tuk drivers parked up all over Luang Prabang!

These songthaews or tuk tuks can be picked up on nearly every street corner in Luang Prabang. The exact cost of the songthaew will vary but it should cost around 400,000 kip for a taxi to take you to the falls. This price will include the journey to the falls, parking fees and for the driver to wait for you and drive you home. You may have to do a little haggling to get the right price but there are so many tuk tuk drivers you won't get stuck! The price is for the whole songthaew so the more people you can party up with, the cheaper the trip will be. Our first trip to Kuang Si Falls was by a tuk tuk. We just wandered up to one parked on the street, negotiated a price and hopped in.

The road to Kuang Si is not fantastic (more of this later) so do not expect a comfy ride. There will be a lot of bouncing over potholes and splashing through puddles, especially in the rainy season. Also, as the tuk tuks are open sided,you may get a bit soggy if it rains!

A younger Ellie on her first trip to the Kuang Si Falls!

Kuang Si Falls by Private Tour or Taxi

Every tour agency in Luang Prabang, as well as all of the hotels, hostels and guesthouses, will be able to book you onto a tour taking you to Kuang Si Falls. These will usually be done in white minivans. The minivans are much comfier than a tuk tuk and will have air conditioning. The cost of this will vary wildly depending on the level of luxury the tour provides and how many people would be joining you on it. You can see some examples of tours here on Get Your Guide.

On our second visit to Luang Prabang we had an incredibly luxurious experience being shuttled to Kuang Si Falls for a sumptuous breakfast beneath the waterfall, this was much more expensive than the other options here but would make sense if you are on a holiday and looking for a spot of pampering. For a guide on living the high life in Luang Prabang check out our article here.

Driving yourself - Taking a Scooter or Bike to Kuang Si Falls

By far the cheapest option to get to Kuang Si Waterfall is, unsurprisingly, to drive yourself. You can rent a scooter or a bicycle from pretty much anywhere in Luang Prabang. The prices for scooters seems to be set around 150,000 kip per day and bicycles vary in price depending on the kind of bike you want. 

When renting a scooter always check the bike first and record a video of the condition you rent it in.

Make sure to get helmets for all riders and do not rent a bike if you are not confident riding! Your travel insurance will almost certainly not cover any bike accident!

The route to Kuang Si Falls is not on great roads. There are massive, road spanning potholes, large lorries and endless streams of minivans and songthaews all along the route to the falls. If it has been raining the potholes are especially treacherous - you cannot tell how deep they are until you are in them! Oncoming cars and vans will frequently drive on the wrong side of the road in order to avoid the rough patches so you do have to be on your toes. We would not recommend driving yourself unless you are properly confident on scooters. 

However, if you are confident riding, it is a fun and exciting journey through some lovely countryside. On our most recent visit, at the tail end of the wet season, we drove ourselves to Kuang Si Falls. It was not a relaxing experience but it was good fun and there is always something magical about scootering along rice terrace lined roads in South East Asia! 

Petrol is cheap in Laos - we got a full tank from empty for around 70,000 kip on our little 125cc scooter.

For those who do not mind a bit of a challenge you can rent a bicycle in town and cycle yourself to Kuang Si Falls. This will (obviously) take quite a bit longer but would be a lovely way of getting out and about and having a bit of exercise. The initial ride out of Luang Prabang would be a little unpleasant as it is a large road through a built up area, but the roads thin out quickly and become much prettier. Just make sure you pack a lot of water. It gets very hot in Laos and cycling up a hill in 30 degree heat is no joke!

If you are scootering to the falls the journey should take between 50 minutes to an hour. If you are cycling… well you tell us in the comments, you are definitely more dedicated than us!

You can see a map of the route below:

There are several places you can stop off at on the way to Kuang Si falls. The route is dotted with pretty cafe’s and restaurants for a snack or a meal. There is also Luang Prabang’s famous Buffalo Dairy (located here), where you can treat yourselves to a luxurious cheese plate or a buffalo ice cream!

Opening times for Kuang Si Falls Park

Kuang Si Waterfalls are open between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM every day of the week.

There are some tours that may give you early private access to the park.

Ticket Prices to Kuang Si Falls - How to Enter the Waterfall Park

The ticket price for entrance to Kuang Si Falls is 60,000 kip per person. This entrance fee covers: a shuttle bus to the falls, entrance to the Kuang Si Waterfall Park and a visit to the Free the Bears Rescue Centre. The ticket price does not cover entrance to the Butterfly Park or entrance to “The View” - more on this later.

However you travelled to the falls, you will arrive at a large car park and ticket office (here on a map). If you have driven yourself to the falls, there is a 5000 kip parking fee for scooters. If you came by songthaew or with a tour, this parking fee should have been included in the cost. If you have a tour or a tuk tuk make sure you note down their licence number and agree where to meet back up with them after you have finished in the falls - there are a lot of minivans in the car park!

You buy your tickets from the counter and then jump on one of the oversized golf carts / electric buses from the stand to the left. You will then be ferried a short way up the hill to the entrance of the park.

If you need drinks, food or souvenirs, there are lots of stalls both at the lower car park and around the park entrance. The prices are, understandably, a bit higher than buying from a shop in town but not extortionately so. We needed water and paid 10,000 kip for a 500ml bottle. 

There are a few restaurants around the park entrance and on the route between the falls and the car park but, as we didn't try them, we cannot comment if they are any good.

On the road between the ticket office and the entrance to Kuang Si Falls there is the Kuang Si Butterfly Park (located here). This calm garden and cafe offers tours for 100,000 kip per person and, at least according to the reviews, is beautiful and full of interesting butterflies.

We did not make it to the Butterfly Park on our trips to Kuang Si - if you do go let us know how it was in the comments!

After you get off of the electric shuttle buggy, you just walk up to the gateway, present your ticket and enter the park.

Kuang Si Waterfalls and Park - What is There and What is it Like?

As soon as we entered the park the hubbub of the people and electric buses in the landing area died away and we were surrounded by green plants and towering trees. The park is beautiful with many varieties of trees and species of animals calling it home. There are plaques everywhere explaining the delicate ecosystem and giving information on the various flora and fauna.

A winding mud path leads away from the park entrance and brought us quickly to:

Free the Bears - Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre

Free the Bears is a fantastic rescue charity that takes in orphaned and rescued bears and gives them a safe place to live and, where possible, rehabilitates them for release in the wild. The sanctuary at Kuang Si Falls forms the organisation's “Bear Discovery Trail” which educates visitors on the bears as well as showing the terrible situations that they need to be rescued from (do not search bile farms - they are horrific).

The bears at the Kuang Si Bear Sanctuary are all rescued moon bears. The bears live in large enclosures with viewing platforms and windows for visitors. The moon bears are unique and (to our eyes) extremely cute creatures, with soft fur and expressive faces. Every time we have visited the bears have been lolling around, snoozing on hammocks or lounging on wooden platforms.

The centre has a small shop and donations are always welcome. Free the Bears also runs a much larger wildlife sanctuary outside of Luang Prabang. The charity operates in Cambodia, Vietnam and India as well as Laos. Free the Bears is the largest bear rescue charity in the world, you can read more about their amazing work here.

The sanctuary is very tastefully done and blends in wonderfully to the surrounding forest. On our first visit to Kuang Si we were completely unaware of the bear sanctuary so it was a fantastic surprise!

The Kuang Si Waterfall

The main event, the reason we had shaken our bones, bounced through potholes and driven an hour out of town was the Kuang Si Falls. After admiring the bears we continued down the path and soon came to the first “layer” of the waterfalls.

The water bubbles and spills down shallow falls into huge, wide pools. Layers of rock-pools, shelves and deep plunge pools all crowd together and spill into each other. 

In the dry season the water is electric blue, clear and inviting. The lower falls are gentle and the area perfect for swimming. In the wet season however, the water is a churning torrent, a thundering mass of water, stained brown by the sediment and mud gouged out by its raging power. Both seasons are equally impressive but in totally opposite ways!

Kuang Si Falls is a three tierd waterfall. The second tier is a wide many layered shelf stretching out across the jungle. The waters flowing over the smooth worn lips of the many edged fall. Trees stand in and around the falls, some fully underwater, some clinging precariously to the rock’s edge. This area is again perfect for a swim in the dry season. The wet season means no swimming (usually) but it does make the falls extra impressive as tonnes more water pours over and through them.

The main falls defy description, although we will try. Kuang Si Falls main waterfall is a cascade 60 metres high (200 feet). The water drops in ribbons and curtains down the rocky face of the falls, its descent splitting and rejoining, broken by the uneven boulders in its path. The falls are a wedding cake of falling water, layers bulge out or drop in and the water cascades over everything. In the dry season the falls can look delicate with white ribbons of water elegantly cascading down like braids of hair. In the wet season the waterfalls are mighty and thunder down with a raging, boiling power.

In the wet season the water cascades down the Kuang Si Falls ferociously!

Bridges and viewing platforms are dotted about giving multiple angles to see the falls from. Even when Kuang Si Falls get busy there was always somewhere you could find to take a great photo or selfie. The falls have done a great job at preserving their beautiful forest setting. There are no gaudy plastic signs or mascots intruding on the view and even the picnic area blends into the forest setting.

The waterfalls are incredible, they are one of the most beautiful in the world and, whenever you visit Laos, Kuang Si is an essential visit.

The Legend of Kuang Si Falls

The legend of the falls is that a wise old sage dug down in the earth at Kuang Si and found the Nam Si river. Enticed by the new water a golden deer made its home under a special rock in the falls. Kuang translates to Deer and Si to dig - Deer Dig Falls! The sound of water on the deers rocky home was meant to be so beautiful it summoned people from all around. Sadly the rock is no more as it was destroyed in an earthquake in 2001

The Secret Pools of Kuang Si

Right, full disclaimer - You probably cannot get to these pools any more. You certainly cannot get to them by any official means and they may be totally inaccessible in the wet season. That all being said, we wanted an excuse to show off some photos of a magical place, even if it is now gone.

Once upon a time, in the long, long ago of 2023, you could take an overgrown hiking trail on the left hand side of the main waterfall, the trail wound up the side of Kuang Si Falls and led you to a hidden worlds at the top. We did this hike after enjoying a very bougie breakfast next to the falls, but the hike was anything but glamorous. It was a dilapidated route where the stairs were fading into the hillside and the handrails were rotted and crumbling. In places you could see an even older path, its stairways now new channels for the waterfalls, the steps covered by rushing water. It is no wonder it no longer exists. 

At the top of the short but steep trail was a misty wonderland. The pools at the top of the falls were magical, still and calm. The water reflecting the trees and plants all around them. We came up in the early morning and the mist hung low, coating everything in an extra layer of beauty and mystery. 

There were wooden walkways to lookout points, swings over the pools and even what looked like the remains of a wooden cafe, all gently mouldering away in the woods, it was an amazing magical place.

We are not sure if the fairy pools at the top are completely inaccessible now. The old trail is definitely gone, as the new metal stairs up to “The View” have been built on top of the old path. There is another hiking trail you can do in the dry season from the far side of the waterfall's lower layers but we cannot say if that goes to the same place. You can still see the old trail from the stairs to “The View”; on the left and right of the staircase, you can sometimes glimpse the remains of the mud path and steps - we do not recommend going off trail to explore by yourself!

Back then in 2023, we came back down from the pools and noticed a sign near the start of the trail. A new cafe and adventure centre called “The View” was going to be built, the trail would soon be inaccessible.

“The View Cafe” and Zip Line

Enough with what was! 2024 saw the opening of “The View” a cafe and zipline course at the top of Kuang Si Waterfalls. You can find the entrance to the left of the falls, where a metal staircase leads up 570 steps to a treehouse cafe and zipline.

On our latest visit to Kuang Si, as we were unable to get to the secret pools anymore, we thought we would check out the new attraction - “The View”. The climb was definitely steep and hot and by the time we had got to the top (past all the encouraging signs telling us how many calories we had burned) we were sweaty and very much in need of a cold drink.

The treehouse cafe has a 30,000 kip entrance fee but this includes a soft drink so really isn't bad value.  There are quite a few negative reviews of “The View” but honestly we found it well worth the cost.

Most of the negative reviews were from people who had not seen the sign about the cafe entrance cost. The negative reviewers were, understandably, annoyed at climbing 500+ stairs only to find out they couldn't go any further or enjoy any view without paying! We had known about the cafe, and its entrance fee, and by the time we reached the top, were very much looking forward to an ice cold drink!

The view from the cafe is fantastic, we could see right out across the hills and deep forests carpeting the area all around. What you cannot see from “The View” is Kuang Si Falls! This may also have helped create some of the negative comments in their reviews but, again, as long as you know this going in, you won't be disappointed. The view is spectacular even if it doesn't include the famous falls.

“The View” at Kuang Si really does live up to its name!

Kuang Si Zipline

The zipline is a five part course that brings you the whole way back down, around the falls to the park entrance. It cost $25 dollars per person and we kind of wish we had splurged the cash and done it…. Sometimes you do have to sacrifice when on a backpackers budget. If you do the zipline let us know in the comments how it was, we can imagine it is a great treat if you have brought your kids to Laos!

When to Visit Kuang Si Waterfalls - What Season and What Time of Day?

Kuang Si Falls in the Dry Season

The  dry season in Laos runs from November to April.

The most popular time to visit Laos as a whole is the dry season. Visiting in the dry is a solid choice for Kuang Si Waterfalls: You increase your chance of sunshine and make it much more likely you will be able to swim in the pools. The water will be clear and a vibrant blue colour and the main falls will be a delicate, beautiful sight.

Most people visit Luang Prabang in the dry season so it will be much busier during this time.

During the dry season the water at Kuang Si is vibrant blue!

Kuang Si Falls in the Wet Season

The wet season in Laos runs between May and October.

If you find yourself in Luang Prabang in the wet season, the falls still make an incredible day out. The delicate serene falls and pools are transformed into raging, pounding torrents. The main falls just explode with water. Kuang Si in the wet season is a completely different beast from the falls in the dry season. 

There are drawbacks to visiting in the wet season; you probably won't be able to swim as the water is too fast and too powerful to be safe. You are also increasing your chance of being rained on and having a more uncomfortable journey to and from the falls. Further, if it is grey and misty you won't get the panoramic views from the top of “The View”. 

That all being said, we visited at the tail end of the wet season and had a beautiful sunny day admiring the water as it crashed and poured down the falls. The falls in full force are an incredible sight, if you are in Laos in the wet season there is no reason not to visit Kuang Si Falls, just try and plan around the weather!

In the wet season the water turns into a cloudy, raging torrent!

Visiting the Falls - What Time of Day is Best?

The falls are obviously gorgeous all day long but they are also one of the most popular things to do in Luang Prabang so it can get crowded. Depending when you go you may find yourself in a massive throng of people or waiting in a queue of minivans as they navigate the pothole infested roads to the waterfall.

Remember that lots of people visiting Luang Prabang are doing so on guided tours and many of them will be following the same itinerary - Alms giving at dawn, then breakfast, then on to Kuang Si Falls. Or Alms giving, the National Museum, a tour of the main temples, lunch and then off to the falls. This means you can avoid the crowds by either going very early in the morning when the falls first open or hanging back a little to arrive after the 1st wave has left and before the 2nd wave arrives.

We have done both of these, the early morning option was wonderful, with the park nearly entirely to ourselves. We were having a very luxurious stay in Luang Prabang courtesy of John’s parents (read all about it here) and had arrived for breakfast at the falls as soon as it had opened. There was barely anyone else there and we got to explore the falls pretty much by ourselves. The tour package we were on may have had some kind of early access permission, so check with your hotel / hostel / guest house or tour agency if you are looking at doing this.

On our latest trip to Luang Prabang we were firmly in ‘budget backpacking mode’ and drove ourselves to the falls late morning arriving around 11:30. Our route to the falls had quiet roads with nearly no traffic going the same way as us. However, there were quite a few minivans leaving the falls and driving back towards Luang Prabang. The falls were busy but not stuffed and we could easily get good photos and didn't have to queue for anything. On our way back to Luang Prabang there was a near constant chain of white minivans trundling their way towards the falls, it looked like it would be a very busy place in the afternoon!

Facilities at Kuang Si Falls

Toilets

There are toilets scattered throughout the waterfall park. They are Western style but can get a bit muddy and wet as people use them as changing rooms for swimming in the falls. If you are looking for more comfortable toilets, check out the restaurant or “The View” cafe (although you will have to hike up 570 steps for that one).

Food and Drink

There are food stalls selling barbecued meats and fish as well as stir fries and Laotian dishes outside the park entrance as well as down the road the electric bus travels. Inside the park there is a large restaurant serving Western and Lao food. “The View” cafe has a small menu of food, drinks and alcohol. The food and drink in and around the park are more expensive than in town. Other than a can of Sprite at the top of “The View” we haven't tried the cafes and restaurants - please let us know in the comments if you have!

Kuang Si Falls - Is it worth it?

Obviously the answer is yes! Whatever the season, Kuang Si Falls are incredible. They are one of the most beautiful waterfalls on earth and deserve all the hype and praise they get. Photographs really do not show the true scale of the waterfalls at Kuang Si, you have to see them in person. We have visited Luang Prabang 3 times in the last 10 years and every time we do, we go to see the incredible waterfalls at Kuang Si, they are simply that good!

So many times a region's “number one attraction” can be a disappointment. Overcrowded or overhyped, Instagram perfection failing in reality or just commercialised beyond belief, an area’s “main draw” can fail in so many ways. Kuang Si Falls does not fail, it does not disappoint. Reality beats Instagram every time here in Northern Laos. 

No online image can beat seeing the Kuang Si Falls in real life!

Kuang Si Falls are a highlight, not just of Luang Prabang but of Laos as a whole. Despite its popularity and the crowds it draws, Kuang Si Falls is an absolutely essential visit on any trip to Luang Prabang. It was a fantastic trip for us. Three times and counting so far!

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

More of our Luang Prabang Travel Guides

If you’re staying in Luang Prabang, make sure you check out all our other Luang Prabang guides to help you get the most out of your time in this amazing region.

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A Guide To The Best Coffee In Luang Prabang

The Laotian city of Luang Prabang is a place to slow down on your travels. A city that oozes charm and a sense of relaxed elegance. The best way to sit back and soak up the ambiance is with a cup of Laotian coffee. Luckily the city is full to the brim with craft coffee roasters, small coffee shops and talented baristas. 

This is our guide to where to get the best coffees in Luang Prabang.

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

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Saffron Coffee Luang Prabang

(location)

Saffron Coffee, is probably the city’s most famous coffee shop. Saffron Coffee has its own roastery and Saffron coffee beans can be found in high-end cafes, hotels and shops all across Laos. The Luang Prabang Saffron Coffee sits in pride of place on the banks of the Mekong River and is the perfect spot to sit back and watch life flow by. The coffee shop itself sits on the far side of the road, with open air seating on verandas over the river's edge. 

Saffron Coffee specialises in Laotian coffee, with its beans proudly sourced from within the country's borders. The whole idea for the coffee shop and roastery came about as a way of providing out of work opium farmers a new crop to replace their newly outlawed farms. 

The coffee at Saffron is delicious. Serving everything from cappuccinos to lattes, iced or hot, the coffee is rich, nutty and full of flavour, it is definitely a treat! 

Saffron Coffee also serves some fantastic sweet treats including a delicious, spiced carrot cake topped with a thick layer of sweet, silky smooth icing. 

For those looking for air-conditioning or digital nomads looking for a comfy spot for their laptops there is also an upstairs dining room above the main shop.

DaDa Cafe

(location) 

Another Mekong riverside roastery is DaDa Cafe. DaDa offers multiple coffee beans in a range of intensities to suit even the most discerning of caffeinated palates. The coffee shop has comfy seating inside as well as a shaded riverside terrace.

We can especially recommend the iced latte. Frothy, creamy yet still full of flavour, the latte was excellent. Sometimes lattes can feel more like an ice cream or milkshake, but this had that perfect underlying rich bitterness that only really good coffee manages. 

DaDa Cafe serves delicious cheesecakes, brownies and pastries. There is also a full food menu available if you want something bigger or are looking to treat yourself to breakfast.

Lum Lum / Moka Pot Street Coffee

(location)

Despite feeling as though we had stumbled into the local Laotian youth club, Lum Lum / Moka Pot Street Coffee made one of the best iced americanos we drank in Luang Prabang. 

A small black shed serves as the central hub of this tiny shop and roastery. The eponymous ‘Moka Pot' sits on a portable stove on top of the riverside wall. The whole place has a sort of “upmarket campsite” feel with foldable chairs, pallet tables and umbrellas for shade. It is very popular with the local youth, who all sit around playing mobile phone games. The locals are super lovely and polite, as soon as they realised there was no chairs for us they leapt up and offered theirs!

The staff were super friendly and despite their (very) young age really knew how to brew properly good coffee. The iced americano from Lum Lum was pure rocket fuel in the tastiest way possible. To say we were buzzing after would be an understatement! 

Formula B

(location)

We nearly walked straight past this hidden gem on Luang Prabang’s main street. Set in the heart of the Old Quarter in a colonial style building, you have to climb a set of stairs at the back of a craft shop to reach the Formula B Cafe.

Perhaps the best looking coffee shop on this list, Formula B would look right at home in the heart of New York, London or Paris. With painted brick walls, exposed wooden floorboards and an eclectic mix of furniture, Formula B is a treasure trove of caffeinated delights. 

We ordered two iced lattes alongside a decadent Lotus Biscoff cookie. The lattes were perfect, the exact right mix of creamy milk and nutty dark coffee. The cookie was pure indulgence. If it wasn’t enough to be a Lotus Biscoff studded delight, the cookie also came with a gooey melted marshmallow core. Healthy, no… delicious, yes!

The best seats in the house are the bar stools next to the large sash windows overlooking the historic streets below. 

Formula B sells cookies, cakes and cheesecakes alongside all your coffee favourites, cold brews and specialty coffee cocktails. They also have oat and other plant-based milk alternatives.

How good does that Biscoff cookie look!

Wabi Sabi Cafe

(location)

If you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful caffeinated pick me up, Wabi Sabi Cafe will have you covered. This no frills cafe drew us in with its coffee grinder and espresso pot display on the street-side. 

Inside there’s simple seats and decorations supplied by many travellers who have passed through Luang Prabang - currencies from around the world and messages in all languages crowd the walls. 

Wabi Sabi has a simple coffee menu offering americanos, lattes and all standard variations on the theme of coffee. It also serves a small menu of food for a reasonable price. 

Wabi Sabi was always popular with other travellers either sitting in or grabbing a cup to go. The coffee shop sits on the other side of Phousi Hill next to the backpacker favourite “Redbull Bar”.

Coffee Express

(location)

Coffee Express seemed to be the informal common room for backpackers in Luang Prabang. Busy from morning to night, Coffee Express quickly became our favourite coffee shop in the whole of the city.

Coffee Express sits in a wooden building which is open on all sides and is set just on the edge of a beautiful lily pond. 

The cafe has an extremely relaxed atmosphere with chilled out beats playing and plenty of seating both inside and out.

The coffee shop sells all the normal coffee’s as well as smoothies, soft drinks, beer, and cocktails. Coffee Express also serves excellent baguette sandwiches. We treated ourselves to a ham and cheese baguette alongside our standard iced lattes. Both the coffee and the crunchy baguette were brilliant. 

Sometimes you just need a sarnie!

If you’re after a sweet treat, Coffee Express serves a delicious white chocolate cheesecake, which is now quite famous amongst the backpackers of Laos. They also have French pastries and brownies.

As the sun goes down in the evening, the coffee shop becomes a sort of informal bar with backpackers chatting and enjoying a bottle of Beer Laos. Coffee Express sits opposite a Taco Shop and is just up the road from another popular bar, The Fat Cat, making it a popular stopping off point on nights out in Luang Prabang. 

The coffee shops listed above are just some of our favourites we tried in Luang Prabang. If we have missed your favourite coffee shop let us know in the comments below!

Thank you for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

There’s no better way to spend an afternoon in Luang Prabang than with a Mekong view, an iced latte and a slice of cake!

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There is plenty to do other than drinking coffee in and around Luang Prabang. For all our travel guides to Luang Prabang take a look below:

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Food in Luang Prabang - A Guide to the Best Places to Eat

Luang Prabang, the cultural capital of Laos, is stuffed full of amazing food. From street stalls serving traditional Laotian dishes to fine dining, pizzas and everything in between, whatever your mood, this beautiful city has a dish for you. We have now spent nearly a month exploring all that Luang Prabang has to offer to the culinarily curious; we have eaten everything, from the humblest street food to dining in the most luxurious restaurants. This guide to Luang Prabang will show you the very best food the city has to offer.

As we are long term backpackers we generally seek out a more local, budget friendly, street food style of dining. When travelling the best food is very seldom to be found in air-conditioned, hotel restaurants. Come as we go down the backstreets and go off the beaten path for some hidden culinary gems in Luang Prabang… As well as some more luxurious options… we are human after all!

All over Luang Prabang you’ll see baskets of red chillies drying in the sun!

In this Luang Prabang food article you can find:

Where to eat breakfast?

• Luang Prabang Morning Market

• Street Side Porridge

• Pasaniyom Traditional Cafe

• French Bakery at Le Banneton Cafe

• Lunch in Luang Prabang

• Julie’s Village Noodles

• Roadside Noodle Soup

• Lao Omelette at Mr Lair’s

• Tim Papaya Salad

• Banh Mi in the Old Quarter

• Rice and Curry from 89 Check-In

• The Best Places for Dinner in Luang Prabang

• Night Market Feasts

• Stir Fries at Ajam Mora

• Fried Rice and Noodles at Atsalin

• Local Wonton Noodles

• Elegant Curries at Cafe Toui

• Laotian Classics at Tamarind

• Wood-Fired Pizza at Popolo

• Other restaurants - fine dining in Luang Prabang

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

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Where to Eat Breakfast in Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang Morning Market

(location)

As dawn breaks, the streets surrounding the morning market become thick with the smell of burning charcoal, bubbling soups and grilling fish. Luang Prabang’s Morning Market sells everything from cooked dishes to the very freshest of meats - some still so fresh they’re trying to escape! It’s a whirlwind of activity, smell and colours with busy locals shopping for all they’ll need for the day ahead. 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Luang Prabang’s Morning Market is a great place to start the day. There are noodle soup vendors selling delicious bowls of steaming goodness as well as grilled sticky rice on sticks, deep fried bananas and any amount of fresh fruit. We would particularly recommend picking up some of the freshly grilled meats and a ball of sticky rice for a delicious traditional Laotian breakfast that will keep you full for hours.

We would recommend getting to the market early, perhaps right after you’ve seen the Morning Alms Giving Ceremony - you can read more about Luang Prabang’s Morning Alm’s Giving Ceremony here.

After 7 to 8 AM most of the truly local vendors will have sold their wares, packed up their stalls and moved on. There will still be stalls to see and places to eat, but the market will not be at its vibrant best, so get there early!

Street Side Porridge

(location)

One of our favourite breakfasts in the whole of Southeast Asia is rice soup or rice porridge. Vietnamese chao, Thai congee and Cambodian borbor are some of our favourite ways to start the day on this side of the world. We’re happy to report that Laos has its own excellent offering in this genre of breakfast!

Google Maps lists our favourite street side vendor as “No Name Rice Soup”, always a good indicator that this porridge stall will be a truly local affair. A few chairs under a plastic tarpaulin, alongside some charcoal fired cauldrons is all there is to this simple but delicious eatery. Selling soups and rice porridge, there’s a very limited menu but you can’t go wrong. Extremely cheap and completely delicious, we ate our breakfast here several times. 

We always ordered the pork rice porridge and can highly recommend the extra marinated egg or for a creamy treat adding a poached egg. When your bowl comes to the table, pimp it as you like with soy, chilli or pepper.

Pasaniyom Traditional Cafe

(location)

Just down the road from Luang Prabang’s Morning Market you’ll find a crowd of people mobbing the entrance to Pansaniyom Traditional Cafe, an institution of the area. The cafe is famous for its excellent rice soups, as well as its delicious traditional Laos coffees, Thai teas and fried Chinese dough sticks. 

Our go-to breakfast was again, rice porridge but this time paired with dough sticks and rocket fuelled Laotian coffee. It was a great meal, well worth the short queue and it completely set us up for a day exploring.

Everything we tried from the menu was delicious and reasonably priced, just be warned it is busy and the next door shop (which looks extremely similar) will always try to poach you. That being said, the next door shop is very tasty as well so it’s not the end of the world if you do get poached!

Despite looking similar, no bowl of rice porridge is ever the same!

French Bakery at Le Banneton Cafe

(location)

Sometimes you need a little dose of Western comfort. Sometimes you just don’t feel like starting your day with rice. On days like that we would turn to the patisserie and French bakery at Le Banneton Cafe. 

The cafe is open all day serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu covers everything from sweet French pastries to baguettes, sandwiches, salads and burgers. We would particularly recommend treating yourself to one of the breakfast set menus that will come with a tea or coffee, freshly squeezed fruit juices, baguette, eggs, ham or bacon as well as butter and jams. 

All of the baked goods we tried were excellent, one of the few good legacies of the French Colonial era is that the Laotians have hung on to their baking expertise. Le Banneton is more expensive than the Laotian breakfast options we’ve listed so far, but it’s still very reasonably priced, especially the set menus. 

The cafe also has a small shop selling French wine, cheese, deli meats and tinned goods. As an added bonus the dining room is also fully air-conditioned!

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Lunch in Luang Prabang

Julie’s Village Noodles

(location)

A local legend, this small noodle shop sits in the front garden of a house next door to the Wat Xieng Thong temple. We have been here multiple times on all of our 3 stays in Luang Prabang, it’s just that good!

Julie’s Village Noodles has a limited menu of a few different noodle soups each available in combination with a small selection of meats. Our favourite was always the khao soi. If you’ve just come from Northern Thailand, be aware Laotian khao soi is nothing like the Thai dish of the same name. Khao soi literally just means “Northern Noodle” so it can vary wildly from place to place.

At Julie’s Village Noodles the khao soi is a rich, sweet, peppery, tomato based broth topped with ground pork and layers of silky smooth rice noodles. Alongside these near perfect bowls, comes a punnet of fresh herbs and crunchy green vegetables with a peanut sauce perfect for dipping green beans and leaves of lettuce into!

There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of Laotian khao soi!

The whole meal is perfectly balanced, filling and a fantastic introduction to the nuance and subtlety of Laotian food. It is also very cheap! The restaurant gets extremely busy and will close as soon as everything has sold out. Don’t count on it being open for a late lunch. Get there early, it’s worth it! 

Julie’s Village Noodles sits surrounded by some of Luang Prabang’s most beautiful temples; it would make a great stop during a temple tour of the city. Check out our guide to Luang Prabang’s temples here.

You can pimp your bowl with everything from herbs, lettuce, lime, chilli oil and deep fried garlic!

Roadside Noodle Soup

(location)

If Julie’s Village Noodles has awakened your craving for Laotian noodles, then another humble, yet mighty Laotian noodle joint can be found roadside next to a busy junction, south of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter. This nondescript restaurant serves fantastic crispy pork noodles as well as the standard backpacker favourites of fried rice and fried noodles. 

We always ordered the crispy pork noodle soup and chose to have it with the delicious, chewy, yellow egg noodles. The broth was peppery and potent with garlic, with the crispy pork providing richness and a delicious crunchy texture from its crackling skin. This restaurant, like so many on this list, is super cheap and consistently good! 

The restaurant is just a short walk away from Luang Prabang’s UXO Visitor Centre (read more about visiting UXO Lao here), so if you’re visiting this, or staying at the excellent Casa Nostra Hostel (check it out and book it here) it would be a great lunch spot.

Lao Omelette at Mr Lair’s

(location)

Sometimes you just stumble upon something great without even meaning too. One day we had left lunch a little late and were wandering around Luang Prabang’s Mekong riverside looking for a cheap delicious meal. It was here we stumbled across Mr Lair and his omelette stand. From the road it looks like just a tarpaulin topped stall, but behind the makeshift kitchen Mr Lair has a secret dining room overlooking the Mekong River. 

Lao omelette doesn’t sound like the most exciting of dishes, but honestly it was one of our favourite things we ate in the whole of Luang Prabang. 

Mr Lair’s omelette was fried until crispy on all sides, folded over and then stuffed like a sandwich, and we mean really stuffed! Beansprouts, sliced pork, spring onions and cabbage were all jammed inside and fried into the omelette. This crispy, cacophony of textures was completed by a small bowl of fiery chillies, crushed peanuts and sweet fish sauce which was served alongside. We would smash up a piece of the omelette, dip into the sauce and devour!

Seriously, these omelettes were sooo good, don’t miss them on your trip to Luang Prabang.

Tim Papaya Salad

(location)

Grilled meat and papaya salad is a delicious staple of Laotian cuisine. A particularly great example of this can be found at Tim’s Papaya Salad Restaurant on a picturesque side street in the heart of the historic Old Quarter.

The restaurant has a small menu of meats, sausages and salads. We can highly recommend their spicy papaya salad served alongside grilled chicken and sticky rice. The salad is unique and very spicy, with hunks of bamboo, thick ribbons of papaya and a rich, spicy, fermented dressing. It was the perfect accompaniment to the juicy grilled chicken, cutting through and providing a citrussy kick! Don’t worry if you can’t handle your spice, you can ask for it without chilli.

There is seating inside the restaurant but for the best table, head across the road and sit under a parasol on the concrete tables outside Wat Nong Sikhounmuang temple.

Banh Mi Stalls in the Old Quarter

Dotted all along the main market road of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter are small street-side stalls and stands serving the backpacker favourite of Banh Mi. A leftover from the French colonial era, the Laotian’s have taken the humble baguette and have made it all their own. What’s not to love about the “best sandwich in the world”? 

You can get endless varieties of this cheap and simple baguette, but we are always drawn to the crispy pork banh mi. You can get meat, egg, vegetarian or even vegan combinations. 

You can get these anywhere along the high street for very little cash and they make an excellent meal on the go for those exploring Luang Prabang.

Rice and Curry from 89 Check-In

(location)

If you’re on a backpacking budget and looking for a super cheap, filling and delicious lunch look no further than rice and curry. Available all throughout Asia, rice and curry is a perennial favourite for backpackers in the know. Available in endless varieties and combinations these buffet style curry restaurants truly are one of our favourite ways to eat whilst travelling. You get to try loads of different dishes and get a true taste of the local food without the filter chefs will apply when cooking for foreigners. 

Luang Prabang has an excellent rice and curry joint - 89 Check-In. A heaping plate of rice completed with any number of delicious curries on top was a meal we discovered far too late in our latest Luang Prabang adventure. Everything was fantastic but our favourites were the red pork curry completed with bamboo shoots and a creamy, sweet pumpkin curry. 

There’s always so much choice at a rice and curry buffet!

This rice and curry stall was extremely cheap and well worth a visit even for those not on a strict backpacking budget. 

For a quick digestif after your rice and curry feast, head a few doors down the road to the excellent Coffee Express.

For more information on where to find the best coffee in Luang Prabang, check out our coffee guide here.

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The Best Places for Dinner in Luang Prabang

Market Street Food Feasts - Luang Prabang’s Daily Night Market

(location)

Come the evening, Luang Prabang’s Night Market absolutely dominates the historic heart of the city. Down the whole of the Old Quarter’s central road, hundreds of stalls unfurl and set up shop. 

The stalls along the central street sell souvenirs, clothes and traditional Laotian handicrafts. If you’re after a street food feast, you will need to go to the southern end of the night market where a large food court sprawls out into the square and down the surrounding alleyways. 

After the sun sets, this street food court is where you’ll find the majority of travellers in Luang Prabang. The stalls around the night market square sell everything from Laotian stir-fries to wontons, crepes and Korean fried chicken. It is a meeting of all the best street food that Laos and SE Asia can offer! If you’re backpacking, grab a group from the hostel and assemble yourself a sharing street food feast! 

The food court in the square is ringed with vendors and bars with a large seating area in the centre. A stage provides live music and entertainment on weekends. There is a toilet off to the left hand side of the square (2000 kip charge).

Our top recommendation for night market munchings isn’t actually in the main square. Down a nearby alleyway, (find it on a map here), lies a treasure trove of local Laotian street food. Near the top of the alley you’ll find our favourite dessert in Laos, crispy, chewy, ufo shaped coconut pancakes. Super cheap and served in a banana leaf cup, these make for a perfect dessert after you’ve had your fill at the market. 

The best tasty treasures lie deeper down the alleyway. The stall we loved the most didn’t have a name but was opposite the hotpot restaurant. A long trestle table is covered in banana leaves and on top of this, is a bouquet of skewers of grilled meats, fish and sausages. It’s a protein paradise! You just select the skewers you want and they toss them back onto the hot coals of a barbeque to caramelise, crisp and warm back up. Nextdoor you can order a spicy fresh papaya salad and sticky rice to go with your meaty (or fishy) feast. 

There’s so many meats on offer in the Night Market!

This was one of our favourite meals in the whole of Southeast Asia. We would greedily order a set of grilled chicken wings, a skewer full of juicy pork belly alongside steaming sticky rice and zingy, spicy som tam salad. It was and is the perfect blend of flavours and textures. Grilled, juicy meat, crunchy papaya and nutty sticky rice all came together in our mouths as a symphony of texture and flavour, it was damn near the perfect bite!

If you order this meal, it’s purely a hands on dish, no cutlery, just your fingers and sticky rice to scoop the salad and tear apart the meat. Our pro tip: Bring wet wipes!

Further down the same alley you can find some great curry stalls as well as fruit shakes and salad stands. Every stall will sell water, soft drinks and Beer Laos. 

Stir Fries at Ajam Mora

(location)

If you’re looking for a slightly more formal meal but still want to be in the heart of Luang Prabang’s Night Market, head down our favourite alley (see above) and go to Ajam Mora Restaurant. 

Ajam Mora serves every kind of stir-fry, spring rolls, noodle soups as well as whole baked fish, curries and vegetables. We can especially recommend their fried rice with pork topped with an extra crispy fried egg. Slightly smokey from the wok with a gooey egg coating every grain of rice, it was exactly as satisfying as a proper fried rice should be. 

Ajam Mora is alway busy with a lively crowd of backpackers, locals and other travellers, but the service is quick and efficient so you shouldn’t have to wait long for a seat. 

As backpackers you really can’t go wrong with a plate of fried rice!

Fried Rice and Noodles at Atsalin

(location)

Speaking of stir-fries… you can find what may have been our favourite stir-fry restaurant a short walk from Luang Prabang’s Night Market. You will know you’re in the right place when you can see two enormous jet engine sized fans pumping out delicious wok smoke onto the street. 

Atsalin Restaurant is a no frills, frenetic hub of stir-fried greatness. All the usual favourites are on the menu and you can’t go wrong no matter what you order. Our standard sharing set was fried rice (deliciously wok smoked) alongside spicy yellow fried noodles and a steaming plate of garlicky, oyster sauce laden morning glory. Cheap, tasty and extremely addictive we have frequently found ourselves back at Atsalin restaurant.

Local Wonton Noodles

(location) - No proper listing but it is around here!

Opposite the wok smoke of Atsalin, we found an amazing wonton and char-siu pork noodle soup joint. Sometimes you just need that comforting bowl of wonton-y goodness. Red pork noodle soups have supported us and comforted us throughout the whole of SE Asia. From the busy streets of Kuala Lumpur to small villages of rural Thailand, Chinese style wonton noodle soup is available everywhere and is a heart-warming, favourite for us long-term backpackers. 

Luang Prabang’s offering in the wonton arena has no name on Google Maps, but don’t let that put you off. This fantastic, humble restaurant was always full of locals slurping down on bowls of noodles. Their wonton and char-siu bowl were incredibly generous. Piled high with juicy dumplings and delicious slices of marinated sweet red pork, it felt like a never-ending bowl of goodness. The firm noodles, rich broth and delicious toppings made for an excellent dinner or lunch, just make sure you go hungry!

Elegant Curries at Cafe Toui

(location)

If you’re looking for an authentic, delicious, sit down Laotian meal we cannot recommend Cafe Toui enough. The restaurant has a small, paired back menu of Laotian favourites. A little bit more expensive than some of the other options on this list, Cafe Toui has the advantage of being set in a beautiful building with a small intimate dining room. 

The restaurant is perfect for a quieter, cosy (or even romantic) dinner. It is set just off and round the corner from the northern tail end of the busy Night Market.

The food was fantastic. We ordered the creamy pumpkin curry and a ginger spiced stir-fried fish. It was cooked freshly for us and tasted divine. The lightly spiced coconut and pumpkin curry was a brilliant counterpoint to the fresh, ginger-laden fish. The restaurant also offers beers, spirits and a selection of French wines. 

The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner. We had an excellent final lunch here on one of our earlier trips.

Classy Laotian Cuisine at Tamarind

(location)

Tamarind Restaurant is an absolute must for those who really want to try a variety of Laotian dishes. Tamarind offers a large selection of set menus that let you sample lots of different traditional dishes, all from the comfort of a pretty and elegant dining room overlooking the Nam Khan River. 

We really enjoyed our meal there, especially  the spicy buffalo sausage and deep fried aubergines. The food was fantastic and presented in a way which would appeal to even the most sceptical of culinary explorers. Tamarind is more expensive than street food from the market but that is to be expected given the menu, dining room and service. It is still very reasonably priced considering the quality and variety of the menu.

Tamarind also offers what might be Luang Prabang’s most popular cooking class. So if you want to really deep dive into Laotian food and learn how to bring some of it home, a meal and a class in Tamarind would be a great way to start.

Wood-Fired Pizza at Popolo

(location)

Okay, this one may be the upper bounds of a budget friendly backpacking meal, but if you’re looking for one meal to treat yourself to whilst in Luang Prabang, it has to be Popolo. 

You can’t miss Popolo’s colourful exterior!

Set in a gorgeous colourful building on a quiet side street, Popolo serves what may be the best pizza we have eaten outside of Italy! The restaurant had come highly recommended to us, its praises being sung from Vang Vieng to Nong Khiaw by fellow travellers. They were not wrong! 

Popolo pizzas are simply amazing! Thin, crispy, bases are topped with the most luxurious ingredients both imported and local. Our stand out pizza was the ‘French Kiss’. This may be our favourite pizza ever, we’re not exaggerating! Creamy Camembert is spiked with pickled apples and sweet caramelised onions all coming together into something so delicious it should probably be illegal! 

The ‘French Kiss’ and the ‘Popolare’ pizza are both delicious!

Another standout dish is the burrata starter. A generous ball of local buffalo milk burrata is topped with sliced spring onions, cherry tomatoes and an aniseed laced holy-basil pesto. As you cut into the burrata it literally liquefied into a luxurious cream. 

Popolo has a full menu of pizza’s, pastas and gorgeous looking salads. We always admired other peoples plates of pasta and bowls of salad but couldn’t resist ordering pizza’s for ourselves! If you indulge in their pasta let us know in the comments how it is!

As we have said, Popolo is definitely a ‘treat yourself’ meal for those on a long term travel or backpacking budget. However, it really isn’t an overly expensive meal and whilst you can always eat cheaply in Laos, it really is worth treating yourself sometimes. Pizzas range from 145,000 to 250,000 kip so far cheaper than you would find back home! Don’t deny yourself the pleasure just to save yourself a pound.

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Other Restaurants - Fine Dining in Luang Prabang

If you are aware of the food scene in Luang Prabang you’ll notice that this list is missing some very famous options. Manda De Laos, Gaspard and L’Elephant are all amazing places to eat, but this list is more about the places you might not have heard of.

For those not on a backpacking budget or if you want to really push the boat out with a special meal, make sure you read our guide to “Luxurious Living in Luang Prabang”:

Whatever cuisine you’re looking for, Luang Prabang can provide. There are so many more places to eat than we could ever mention. This list doesn’t include the fantastic Indian or Sri Lankan restaurants or even the iconic French fare available in the city. Our only advice for eating in Luang Prabang is to go hungry and eat as much as you can in as many places as possible! 

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

Rice cakes are a popular Laotian snack!

You’ll never know what you’ll find on the streets of Luang Prabang!

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The Complete Luang Prabang Travel Guide

Sitting amongst the green mountains of northern Laos, the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang is full of history, colour and culture. Surrounded by the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, the colourful streets of the Old Quarter are a charming blend of traditional Laotian architecture mixed with colonial French. The historic streets are studded with ornate temples, traditional wooden shophouses, restaurants and cafes. Sitting in the centre, the tree covered Phousi Hill rises up, crowned with golden spires reflecting the Laotian sun. 

Luang Prabang is beautiful. We wish we could think of a better, less cliche way to describe the city, but there really is no other word. Just saying the name of the city brings a smile to your face, the ‘ang’s’ of ‘Lu’ and ‘Prab’ just roll off your tongue! It’s a small city that oozes calmness and tranquillity. 

Most travellers spend only a night or two in the town as part of a larger Laos / Northern Thailand trip, but we feel it deserves so much more than that! We’ve spent nearly a month exploring Luang Prabang, and this is our complete travel guide on what to do, where to stay and what to expect on any trip here.

The best view of Luang Prabang is from the top of Mount Phousi!

In this Luang Prabang Travel Guide

Click to skip to the following:

• Luang Prabang city - a mini history

• Where is Luang Prabang

• When to visit?

• How to get to Luang Prabang

• Air

• By train - Laos / China high speed railway 

• Travelling by slow boat - Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

• Arriving by bus

• Where to stay in Luang Prabang?

• Budget friendly stays

• Mid-range hotel

• Luxury, high-end hotel

• What to do in Luang Prabang?

• Explore the Old Quarter

• Visit the Temples of Luang Prabang 

• The Early Morning Alms Giving Ceremony

• Mount Phousi 

• National Museum, Ballet and Haw Phra Bang Temple

• Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre

• UXO Lao Visitor Centre

• Heuan Chan Heritage House

• Markets of Luang Prabang

• The Morning Market

• The Night Market

• Phosy Market

• Kuang Si Waterfalls

• Pak Ou Caves

• Tat Sae Waterfalls

• Boat Cruises on the Mekong River 

• Exploring Chomphet - ‘Off the Beaten Path’ Luang Prabang

• Guided Tours of Luang Prabang

• Other things to do in Luang Prabang

• Where to eat in Luang Prabang?

• Nightlife in Luang Prabang - The Best Places to Have a Drink

• Riverside bars

• Bars in the Old Quarter

• Luang Prabang’s famous bowling alley 

• Getting around Luang Prabang

• Where to go after Luang Prabang?

• Conclusion

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

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A Mini History of Luang Prabang 

Modern day Luang Prabang is a cocktail of traditional Lao buildings and colonial French influences. The history of the city has shaped it into what it is today.

The city of Luang Prabang can trace its history back over 1500 years to the 6th century when it was called Muang Swa and was the capital of the Mon city state of the same name. The history of human habitation on the site goes back much further still with archaeological evidence showing settlements much, much earlier.

The city changed its name to Luang Prabang in the 1530’s. Cambodia gifted the golden Phra Bang Buddha image (statue) to the King of Laos. The statue was a legendary Buddhist artefact, allegedly originally coming from Sri Lanka and helping spread Buddhism to the Khmer royals of Cambodia. In honour of the statue and recognition of the city state's flourishing wealth, the King renamed the city to Luang (Royal or Great) Prabang (image of the Buddha). The city was filled with royal temples, architecture and beautiful buildings.

Luang Prabang’s Royal Palace can still be visited today. Read on to find out all about it!

Luang Prabang has had a convoluted and tumultuous history. It has been sacked by bandits, invaded by the French, the Thai and the Japanese. The city used to be the capital of Laos and was the seat of the country’s kings. The Royal Palace is still standing today (more on this later). For a large portion of its history Laos was a vassal state of Siam (now Thailand), the Prabang Buddha was stolen and returned twice from the city during this time. The Buddha became seen as a symbol of the right to rule Luang Prabang, its two returns to Laos were celebrated and memorialised, with temples hosting the statue on its way home.

The capital was eventually moved to Vientiane in the centre of the country. The King's role was slowly diminished and power syphoned away to the colonial French. The French also added their flair to new buildings, adding another layer to the city’s architectural style.

The Old French Bridge - spot the monks crossing the bridge!

World War Two saw the city invaded by the Thai, the Japanese and then finally reoccupied by the French. The French were eventually driven out following the fall of French Indochina in 1953 and over the next few decades, fighting through the “Secret War”, the modern rulers, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP for short), came to power.

Luang Prabang is a layer cake of all these histories and peoples. Despite its history of invasion, looting and subjugation the city’s architecture is spectacularly well preserved, earning it UNESCO World Heritage Status.

Where is Luang Prabang?

The UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang is located in Northern Laos in the province of the same name. The town lies northeast of Laos’ capital Vientiane around a 6 hour drive (approx 310 km / 192 miles) away.

Luang Prabang can also be spelt Louang Phrabang.

The centre of Luang Prabang sits on a rounded peninsula, surrounded on both sides by the Nam Khan River to the east and the mighty Mekong River on its western edge. The northern point of the peninsula is where the confluence of the two rivers meet, with the Nam Khan River flowing into the larger Mekong. In the centre of the island peninsula, the hill of Mount Phou Si rises up.

The peaceful Nam Khan River

And the busy Mekong!

The town sits in a valley, ringed on all sides by tall limestone mountains. Opposite the town, on the other side of the Mekong River, is the district of Chomphet and two of Luang Prabang’s most mythical mountains, the small peaks of Phou Thao and Phou Nang. There is a fascinating legend behind the origins of these two peaks which involves a Giant, a King and a feast of 12 luckless ladies. If you’d like to read this crazy story, check out our guide to Chomphet and our quest to find a hidden jungle shrine. 

Despite being the ancient capital, Luang Prabang still retains a small town feel, with traditional shop fronts, quiet streets and bustling markets.

 

The majority of accommodation in Luang Prabang can be found in the Old Quarter surrounding the base of Mount Phou Si and running alongside the Mekong and Nam Khan riverfronts. Read on to find out where we’d recommend staying! 

When is the Best Time to go to Luang Prabang?

Luang Prabang has a tropical climate and sees temperatures in the high 20s / early 30s (celcius) throughout the whole year. The hottest months are April and May and the coolest months are December and January.

The ‘dry season’ runs from November to April where you can expect hot sunny days and minimal rainfall. These months are the peak times for tourism in the town, so expect to pay a little more for accommodation and book early as it can get very busy!

During the ‘dry season’ bamboo bridges are built across the Nam Khan River!

The ‘wet season’ runs from May to early October. During these months, expect very hot and humid weather along with the occasional torrential downpour. The wet season is considered to be Luang Prabang’s ‘low season’ with fewer tourists and cheaper accommodation. 

We have visited Luang Prabang three times now. Twice during the dry season and once at the very end of the wet season. During all our visits we’ve been extremely lucky with the weather with hot, sunny days and the only occasional downpour. 

If you do visit during the wet season, the rivers will be a lot higher and the current stronger. During this time you will be able to take boat trips along the Mekong, but some water based activities such as kayaking / floating riverside accommodation will not operate. The waterfalls of Kuang Si and Tat Sae will be in full impressive force during this time!

What to Pack for a Trip to Luang Prabang

Whenever you plan to visit, make sure you pack:

• Good shoes for walking

• Appropriate temple wear - something to cover your shoulders and knees

• Suncream

• Mosquito repellent

• A wet coat

Festivals in Luang Prabang

April - Laos New Year - Songkhran

Celebrated in mid-April, Laotian New Year (Pi Mai Lao) also known as Songkhran, sees Luang Prabang turn into one large water fight as locals and tourists splash each other with water to wash away the past. 

September - Boat Racing Festival - Boun Suang Heua

The date for Luang Prabang’s annual boat racing festival varies depending on the year, but the festival is usually held sometime in September. During the festival, locals race against each other in enormous wooden longtail boats up and down the Nam Khan river. 

If you’re visiting outside of the boat festival and get lucky, you may still get to see the locals practice their racing. We were having a sunset beer and were treated to a racing display from a small boat of locals chanting and rowing in unison! 

October - Festival of Light 

Held at the end of Buddhist Lent, the Festival of Light is a spectacular celebration of fire and light, with the temples and monasteries all adorned in star shaped lanterns and candles. 

During the festival, huge dragon boats are lit by candles and are sent floating down the Mekong to pay homage to the Naga and water spirits. 

If you’re in Luang Prabang before the start of the festival, just pass by any temple and you’ll usually see locals and monks making up paper and bamboo lanterns as well as huge dragon shaped boats.

If you’re planning to visit during a festival, make sure you book your accommodation well in advance as it’s likely to sell out very quickly!

How to Get to Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is extremely well connected. There are train, bus and flight links to other Laotian towns and cities as well internationally to Thailand, Vietnam and China.

Getting to Luang Prabang by Air

Luang Prabang’s International Airport lies 5km north of the city. 

Flights depart and arrive in Luang Prabang from Vientiane in Laos, Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Hanoi in Vietnam as well as several cities in China. 

The airport is very small with a few duty-free shops and food stalls. When you arrive you can obtain a visa on arrival (you can pay in USD or Thai baht). 

Once through border control there are ATMs to withdraw cash and many different SIM card stalls - see our introduction to Laos page for visa, ATM and SIM information.

Outside the terminal there will be plenty of tuk tuks and minivans waiting to take you to the city. Tuk tuk drivers will charge 40,000 kip per person and minivans will charge 80,000 kip per person.

Getting to Luang Prabang by High-Speed Train - Laos / China Railway

Criss-crossing from the Laotian capital to northern Laos and the border of China, the newly opened Laos / China rail is a super modern, super speedy and much smoother transport alternative to Laos’ bumpy roads.

High speed trains depart Vientiane daily, passing through Vang Vieng and arriving in Luang Prabang in only 2 hours! If you were to drive between the two cities, it would be a 6.5 hour bumpy ride. 

You can only purchase tickets up to 3 days in advance, therefore we’d recommend booking tickets via 12Go. You can book further in advance this way and 12Go will book your tickets as soon as they are released - book tickets here. 

When you arrive at Luang Prabang train station, head out the station and down the steps to find minivans waiting to take you into the city. A ticket to the city (including luggage) will cost you 80,000 kip. Just buy a ticket and let the driver know where you’re staying.

If you’re on a backpacking budget and want to keep costs low, then you can actually travel all the way from Bangkok to Luang Prabang by train!

We did exactly this via the 133 express train that left Bangkok’s Bang Sue Railway Station in the evening, travelled overnight across the border and arrived in Vientiane the next morning. From Vientiane we took a taxi to the high speed train railway station north of the city, boarded an early afternoon train and arrived in Luang Prabang in time for a sunset beer on the Mekong! It was super easy and much cheaper than flying. Plus the views from the high speed train were spectacular! 

To read more about travelling between Thailand and Laos by train, check out our guide here which gives you all the information about the overnight train, what to expect at the border and how to book tickets for both the Thai and Laotian trains.

Travelling by Slow Boat on the Mekong River - Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

The slow boats of Laos are a bucket list item for many travellers. Plying their way up and down the Mekong River, slow boats connect Luang Prabang with Huay Xai on the Thailand / Laos border. 

The journey is incredible, you just sit back and watch the world go by as you pass by buffaloes, fishermen and small children playing in the river. It’s one of those journeys where it really does feel like you’ve travelled back in time and are getting a glimpse of the ‘real’ Laos.

The colourful slowboats of Laos!

There are two ways to travel. The more luxurious, sitting on a private boat with a small group of travellers with an on board bar / food provided, or the cheaper, more fun way with the locals. The local boat is very much a local experience, with travellers, backpackers, locals and market produce all crammed onto the boat. 

Whichever type of slow boat you decide on, the trip from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang will take you 2 days to complete, with an overnight stopover at the small riverside town of Pakbeng. Boats run in both directions everyday. If you’re coming from Thailand, the nearest city to Huay Xai is Chiang Rai. You can book your slow boat tickets here.

To help decide which boat to take (we are lucky enough to have experienced both) read our guide to the slowboats of Laos as well as what there is to do in the small town of Pakbeng below. 

Arriving in Luang Prabang by Bus

As the main traveller hub in the north of Laos, Luang Prabang is extremely well connected by bus. 

For the north of the country, there are buses that can connect you to Nong Khiaw, Luang Namtha and Phonsavan. To the south, there are bus routes connecting Luang Prabang with Vang Vieng and Vientiane.

If you are travelling from Vietnam on a very strict budget you can even get a bus all the way from Hanoi!

Tickets can sell out extremely quickly, so make sure you book in advance. 

The roads in Laos are littered with deep potholes. If you’re travelling by bus, expect a very bumpy ride! We would also issue another warning; even if you have booked a ticket, it doesn’t always guarantee a comfy seat. Laotian bus drivers will stuff the bus with as many passengers as they can fit on, regardless of how comfy that will be for said passengers. It is not uncommon for extra seats to be added in the aisles and for a 2 seater bench to be for 3 or more people. The extra ‘seats’ they bring out are definitely not the comfy sort and will almost certainly be a bright yellow beer Laos crate covered with a cushion! 

We’ve had many bus journeys being jolted and bumped around, where we've tessellated ourselves into a very cramped minivan, with more people sitting in each row than seats. 

Also, all luggage (apart from very small rucksacks / handbags) are stored on top of the minivan and covered with a tarpaulin. If you’re travelling in wet weather, there’s a very strong chance your main bag will get wet - so make sure you put the rain cover on!

If you’re a passenger princess who wants a smooth ride, a comfy seat and shudders at travelling like the locals do, then don’t travel by bus. Instead hop on the more expensive high speed rail or fly!

You have been warned.

There are too many bus routes to mention them all one by one, check out 12Go for all of your options:

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Where to Stay in Luang Prabang?

Luang Prabang is a relatively small city and wherever you end up staying it won’t be more than a 30 minute walk to get to the Old Quarter. Whatever your budget or style of accommodation there’s plenty to choose from. Over our different visits to the city, we’ve stayed in everything from budget friendly to mid-range and super luxury. Here’s our recommendation on where to stay.

Budget Accommodation - Guesthouses and Hostels

If you’re looking for cheap, budget friendly, comfy accommodation we cannot recommend a stay at Casa Nostra or Casa de Jardin enough.

Casa de Jardin in all its glory!

Both hostels are run by the same family and both are fantastic! In Casa Nostra we splashed out and stayed in their very comfy ‘private king room’ that came with an en-suite bathroom, air-conditioning and even a sofa. In Casa de Jardin, we stayed in a very comfy private room with a shared bathroom. The family who run both the hostels are some of the friendliest we’ve encountered on our travels. They also offer guests free breakfast in the morning and family dinners 3 times a week. 

There are also dorms for those on a strict backpacking budget. 

In both hostels we were able to hire scooters, do our laundry, arrange excursions and book onward bus tickets. 

Book your stay in Casa Nostra here or Casa De Jardin here.

Where to Stay - Mid-range Hotel

For a mid-range stay, we loved our stay in Villa Oasis. The hotel offers comfy rooms with en-suite bathrooms, a swimming pool and a restaurant overlooking a lily pond. It was a beautiful stay, right in the heart of the city.

Book your stay in Villa Oasis here.

Super Luxury, High End Accommodation in Luang Prabang

If you’re after a luxurious stay in Luang Prabang, then Satri House Hotel would be a perfect match! We obviously didn’t use our backpacking budget to stay here, but were lucky enough to be treated to a wonderful break here by John’s parents. The hotel offers 2 pools, a great breakfast and beautiful rooms that feel as though you’ve stepped into a Laotian version of Downton Abbey.

Book your stay in Satri House Hotel here.

The hotel is also opposite the famous Manda De Laos restaurant for those looking to indulge further. To read more about our stay in Satri House, check out our guide to luxury living in Luang Prabang here.

All Luang Prabang Accommodation

To book your stay in Luang Prabang, use the map below to search around for all the accommodation on offer. Just insert your travel dates and see all your choices.

What to do in Luang Prabang

Explore the Old Quarter

The star of the show when it comes to Luang Prabang is its historic Old Quarter. Awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status the streets are a wonderful cocktail of traditional Laotian, French, Burmese and Chinese architecture. 

Traditional slope roofed shophouses rub shoulders with colonnaded colonial architectural gems. It’s an incredible blend of very different styles but somehow they all work together as a harmonious whole.

One of the great treats of Luang Prabang is simply to walk and explore the stunning streets and amazing alleyways of the city. 

The Old Quarter is full of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and craft boutiques. You can easily spend hours just wandering around the pretty lanes.

The historic district is also home to the majority of Luang Prabang’s most popular attractions.

Where is the Old Quarter?

The Old Quarter of Luang Prabang stretches out between the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. On a map you can roughly say it starts from around Wat Mahathat all the way to where the Nam Khan curves around the headland and joins the Mekong.

The streets of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter are a beautiful mix of traditional Laotian and French colonial architecture!

Temples of Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is the cultural and religious centre for Laos. Its very name is derived from the holy ‘Phra Bang’ Buddha statue. The city is steeped in holy history and religious buildings. Despite its tumultuous record Luang Prabang has preserved a plethora of incredible temples from across its storied past.

If you’re only in Luang Prabang for a short amount of time, we’d recommend making sure you visit the following temples:

Wat Xiengthong 

(location)

Perhaps the most famous and certainly one of the most stunning of Luang Prabang’s temples, Wat Xiengthong is more than just a building of worship. The temple houses the Royal Carriage House, beautiful grounds and utterly incredible monastic buildings. 

The Royal Carriage House is especially impressive, its vast gold and red front gleams under the Laotian sun. Inside the carriage is simply enormous. A huge wooden behemoth used in state funerals. 

The temple buildings are richly decorated both on the inside and the out, make sure you don’t miss walking around the back of the main temples to see the shining embossed trees and story mosaics that have been set into the walls of the buildings. 

Wat Xiengthong is open everyday from 8 AM until 6  PM. Tickets cost 30,000 kip to enter.

Wat May Souvannapoumaram

(location)

Just next door to the National Museum, Wat May Souvannapoumaram is the largest single temple in Luang Prabang. It’s vast 4 tiered red roof stretches up to the sky. Inside its enormous prayer hall a gigantic golden Buddha sits amongst a crowd of smaller Buddha statues.

Outside the golden wall of the temple really is something special. The shining surface is completely filled with stories and histories carved into the golden surface. 

Wat May Souvannapoumaram is open everyday from 8 AM until 5 PM. Tickets cost 10,000 kip to enter.

Wat Wisunarat

(location)

Wat Wisunarat (also known as Wat Visoun) is the oldest of Luang Prabang’s many, many temples. The plain exterior of the main temple building belies the exquisite interior. Carvings, golden statues and a collection of religious artefacts crowd together in a kaleidoscope of Buddhist beauty. Above all of this, the red, black and gold painted roof covers everything with every beam and tile inscribed and decorated.

Outside in the peaceful temple grounds is the austere white and stone stupa of That Makmo otherwise known as the ‘Watermelon Stupa’. When you visit you’ll see why! 

Wat Wisunarat is open everyday from 8 AM until 5 PM. Tickets cost 20,000 kip to enter.

The ‘Watermelon’ stupa of Wat Wisunarat

Other Luang Prabang Temples to Visit

The temples listed above are just the ones we feel you cannot miss on a short trip to Luang Prabang. However, there are plenty more to see in the city. In fact, wherever you are, we’d say you’ll never be more than 5 minutes walk to another beautiful temple.

You could easily spend a full day just exploring the temples and still not see half of them. If you have the time, we’d recommend donning your best temple wear and following our map below to look at some of Luang Prabang’s highlights as well as some lesser known temples.

Temple Wear

If you’re planning to visit these temples, please be respectful and follow their strict dress codes. You can only enter if your shoulders and knees are covered. Crop tops and leggings are strictly forbidden. 

You will need to remove your shoes before entering the temples.

The temples of Luang Prabang are all unique and are all stunning. Here’s a gallery showcasing some of our favourite shots.

Wat Xiengthong 

Wat Xiengthong 

Wat Xiengthong 

Wat Xiengthong 

Wat Xiengthong 

Wat Wisunarat

Wat Wisunarat

Wat Wisunarat

Wat Wisunarat

Wat Aphay

Wat Nong Sikhounmuang

Wat Sensoukharam

Wat Sensoukharam

Wat Souvannakhiri

Wat Sensoukharam

Wat Syrimoungkounxaiyaram

Wat Souvannakhiri

Wat Sensoukharam

Wat Syrimoungkounxaiyaram

Temple Grounds

Temple Interior

Temple Roof

Temple Exterior

Temple Exterior

Haw Phra Bang Temple

Mount Phousi

The Morning Alms Giving Ceremony of Luang Prabang

Every morning as dawn breaks, hundreds of saffron robed monks emerge from the temples and monasteries of Luang Prabang to partake in the daily alms giving ceremony (named Sai Bat in Laos). This ancient ritual is a core part of Luang Prabang daily life. 

The monks and novices come out from their temples and wind round the city. Locals, businesses (and now tourists) donate rice, food and other necessities into the monks' alms bowls.

The monasteries of Luang Prabang depend on this daily donation to feed, house and educate the many monks in their care. In Laos one of the most accessible forms of education is to send your child to be a monk in a monastery.

Nowadays it is very popular for tours to include alms giving as part of their itineraries. We have taken part in the ceremony as part of a guided tour and we’re going to be totally honest: As non-religious foreigners we felt slightly strange sitting on traditional Laotian stools, scarves wrapped around our shoulders handing out rice to the monks. We felt a little awkward and like we were in some way contributing to the cheapening of an ancient religious custom. This is probably us being awkward Brits and overthinking everything, but it just was not for us. We’re not judging anyone doing this, we just felt very out of place.

If you wish to participate it is very popular to do so. There are signs on most of the streets that the monks will walk down. The signs detail the price you should pay for the offerings and etiquette towards the monks. Please dress respectfully and whatever you do, don’t just treat it as a model-walk photo shoot! 

The alms giving ceremony is beautiful. The sight of the orange robed monks walking past white walled temples, with locals donating sticky rice to the alms bowls is iconic. It is one of the defining images of Luang Prabang and Laos as a whole. We are in no way saying that you shouldn’t go and watch it or take part, but if you’re anything like us we felt a little bit awkward, like we were playing at somebody else's faith. 

You do not have to “take part” in the ceremony, you can, of-course, just watch. If you do watch, please do not crowd the monks or impede their progress around the city. Be respectful, keep your distance and remember when taking photographs that these are, a lot of the time, just somebody's children off to get an education. We’re sure wherever you’re from you wouldn’t feel right if, every time the school bus emptied out, there was a horde of shutterbugs snapping away at the kids. 

Saffron robed monks are an everyday sight on the streets of Luang Prabang - just remember to be respectful.

Mount Phou Si

Wherever you are in Luang Prabang, you can’t miss Phousi Hill. Sitting in the centre of the peninsula, this tree covered hill rises up above the rooftops and market stalls of the Old Quarter. At the top of the rocky, limestone outcrop sits the white and gold stupa of Wat That Chomsi. From the top of the hill you get an incredible, 360, panoramic view over the whole of Luang Prabang, the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers and all the way out to the blue and green jaggedly tall limestone mountains surrounding the city.

The golden spires of Wat That Chomsi.

Mount Phousi is often referred to as ‘sacred hill’. There are a number of different myths and legends around the creation of Phousi Hill, with the most popular folk story being that the hill was transported from Sri Lanka by King Hanuman. Today Mount Phou Si is an extremely important religious site for Laotians and Buddhist devotees. 

There are two temples that sit on Mount Phousi, Wat That Chomsi and Wat Tham Phousi. Wat That Comsi at the top of the hill was first built in 1804 by King Anourat. Inside the small stupa, there is a shrine and lots of golden Buddha statues. The temple is extremely sacred, with devotees laying flowers and offerings inside the stupa. The other temple, Wat Tham Phousi can be found halfway up the eastern side of the hill. This small cave temple is home to seated and standing Buddha statues and a shrine. Close to Wat Tham Phousi, there is also a “Buddha’s Footprint”. 

To reach the top of Mount Phousi, you’ll first need to climb just over 300 steps. The hike up is very easy and shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to reach the summit.

The stone path leading to the top of Mount Phousi!

You can access the top from both sides of the hill, but the easier and more popular route is from the night market entrance on Sisavangvong Road. The quieter and slightly more challenging route is from an entrance on the Nam Khan river side of the mountain. This path takes you past the ‘Buddha’s footprint’, past Wat Tham Phousi as well as other several shrines and outlooks. If you have the time, we’d recommend heading up the Nam Khan river side first and coming back down via the Mekong side. 

The best time to climb Mount Phou Si is just before sunset so you can watch the sun go down over the Mekong and the whole of Luang Prabang. The walk up at this time is beautiful, especially on a sunny day when the golden rays cast a warm glow over the moss covered steps and deep green fauna. 

To find out where there are some other great sunset spots in Luang Prabang including a secret sunset spot on Phousi Hill, check out our article below.

Opening times

Phousi Hill is open everyday from 6 AM until 7 PM.

Entry fee

Tickets to climb Phousi Hill cost 30,000 kip per person.

Phousi Hill is a sacred Buddhist site, so if you’re planning to climb the hill, please dress appropriately! As tempting as a sunset beer may be, do not bring alcohol up Phousi Hill!

From the top you can get a 360 degree view over the whole of Luang Prabang!

The National Museum

The National Museum is a fascinating collection of Royal artefacts and historical pieces all housed in the former Royal Palace of Luang Pabang. Built in 1904 to house King Sisavang Vong and his family, the Royal Palace was converted into a museum following the end of the monarchy in 1975. 

Inside the museum are paintings, faithful reconstructions of the Royal rooms and the ornate, incredible throne room. The throne rooms walls are a sparkling tapestry of figures and scenes all picked out in inlaid glass. 

Our favourite room of the palace was the ‘presents’ room, which was full of glass cabinets showing all the different presents that countries and diplomats had given to the Royal Family. There was the ‘Key to Tokyo’ from Japan and even a model of the Apollo Lunar Module gifted by the USA. 

To the rear of the palace is a garage full of classic cars including some American Lincoln Continentals and a classic French Citroen. Outside your can still see the mouldering remains of the royal petrol pumps!

There is a strict no photography policy inside the museum building. You cannot even bring your camera in. There are lockers available nearby to store any valuables whilst you visit.

The Royal Ballet Theatre

In the evenings, the Royal Ballet performs nightly shows in a building in the museum grounds. For details of show times and ticket prices check out their website here. Contrary to its name, it is not a ballet in the Western sense but traditional Laotian dancing. 

Haw Phra Bang Temple

Haw Phra Bang Temple is not only gorgeous but also very significant to the city of Luang Prabang. The temple is home to the ‘Phra Bang’ statue that gives the city its name. Make sure you’ve read our mini history to Luang Prabang for more information about this.

The temple itself is simply sublime. A magnificent, ornately carved, golden and white building with gracefully tiered curving roofs rising in three Naga topped layers. The tip of the roof is crowned in ornamental golden spires. You cannot enter the temple, but can go up to the open doors and see the Phra Bang statue and the dizzyingly intricate artwork inside.

Opening Times

The National Museum is open everyday from 8 AM to 11.30 AM and from 1.30 PM until 4 PM.

Entry Fee

Entrance tickets for the National Museum cost 60,000 kip per person.

There is a strict dress code to enter the National Museum, shoulders and knees need to be covered. No shorts, crop tops, leggings etc. Just be respectful and use common sense.

Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre

(location)

The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) is a small museum set on a hill just behind Luang Prabang’s Night Market food court. We’ve been lucky to visit the museum twice now and have thoroughly enjoyed it on both occasions. 

The museum focuses on the different ethnic groups that make up the country of Laos and showcases their different traditions and cultures. There are colourful displays showcasing the traditional clothing, musical instruments and household tools. It’s a fascinating look into the different cultures that make up this beautiful country. There are also rotating exhibits so you never know what you might find - We stumbled into a fascinating exhibit on high end fashion brands stealing traditional designs!

The museum is compact and you’ll probably spend less than an hour there, but it’s well worth a visit. 

The museum also offers craft workshops and there’s a great gift shop at the back of the museum stuffed full of local handicrafts. 

Opening Times

The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is open everyday from 8 AM until 5 PM.

The museum is closed on Mondays.

From November 2024 the museum will be open 7 days a week.

Entry Fee

Tickets to TAEC cost 35,000 kip per person.

UXO Lao Visitor Centre 

(location)

The one bit of advice you’ll see in all the guidebooks for travellers heading to Laos is: ‘don’t stray from the path’. This seems a bit extreme, but when you learn that despite never formally being at war, the country of Laos is the most heavily bombed country on earth and that 10% of the dropped bombs did not detonate - you’ll suddenly realise why you want to keep to the well marked footpaths.

During the Vietnam War between 1964 and 1973, the US dropped over 2.5 million tonnes of ordnance over Laos, which equals to a plane load of bombs being dropped every 8 minutes over a period of 9 years.

Unfortunately a lot of the bombs dropped didn’t explode on impact and remain embedded in the earth. Today, the unexploded ordnance continues to cause injuries and death to the people of Laos. 

UXO Lao is a small organisation that has been tasked with clearing the land of the unexploded ordnance, a humongous task given the sheer number of UXO’s still in Laos. 

The UXO Lao Visitor Centre allows travellers a chance to learn about the dangers of UXO in Laos, as well as the education efforts on the ongoing dangers and how UXO Lao are clearing this dangerous legacy.

The visitor centre is very small and it won’t take you long to see all the exhibits (in fact, depending on where you’re staying, it’ll probably take you longer to get there), but it gives you a small glimpse into the absolute mammoth task UXO Lao are undertaking. 

The UXO Visitor Centre toes the line perfectly of being super informative, educational and shocking without being overly graphic.

Just some of the bombs UXO Lao have cleared.

Opening Times

The UXO Lao Visitor Centre is open everyday from 8 AM to 12 PM and from 1 PM to 4 PM.

Entry Fee

The UXO visitor centre is free to enter but they do ask for a small donation.

Heuan Chan Heritage House

(location)

Located just off the main strip and hidden down a small alleyway is the Heuan Chan Heritage House. This small museum is set in a 19th century, wooden stilt house and showcases what traditional Laotian life would have looked like. 

Heuan in Laotian means ‘house’ and Chan was the name of the family who owned the stilt house. 

Underneath the wooden stilts is a small exhibit showing how bamboo is weaved to make fishing nets, baskets and sticky rice holders. Inside, the rooms are stuffed full of traditional wooden furniture, Laotian dresses from 100 years ago, a kitchen full of clay pots and even a small shrine. There is a cafe on site if you get peckish, clothes for hire to dress up in and lots of different craft workshops to try your hand at. 

The heritage house was another one of Luang Prabang’s little surprises and if you have the time, we’d definitely recommend a visit.

Opening times

The Heuan Chan Heritage House is open everyday from 9 AM to 5 PM.

Entry fees

Tickets for the heritage house cost 30,000 kip.

Markets of Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang’s Morning Market

(location)

Luang Prabang’s Morning Market is a crowded and bustling affair. Raised tables are joined with produce spilling out on floor mats. Live animals are tethered next to greenery and bubbling vats of soup waft their scent down the crowded alleyways. 

Whatever you’re desired protein, you’ll definitely be able to find it for sale at the Morning Market!

It’s a true South East Asian market with all the good and all the shocking-ness that entails. When we visited we certainly didn’t expect to see 12 live frogs all tied together in a ribbeting bouquet! 

The market opens in the early hours of the morning and runs until just after breakfast time. The majority of the local stalls will pack up earlier than those serving the tourists. Our advice is to get there at the crack of dawn to have the full experience.

Luang Prabang’s Night Market

(location) 

As the sun starts to set, all along the main strip of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter, red and blue gazebos spring up as market vendors set up for Luang Prabang’s daily Night Market.

Luang Prabang’s Night Market stretches all along the main street!

Stretching the length of Sisavangvong Road, this bustling market is a great way to spend an evening shopping. With over 250 stallholders setting up shop, there’s plenty on offer. With stalls selling everything from silk scarfs to paper umbrellas, elephant pants to bracelets. 

At the southern end of the Night Market there is a huge food court selling everything from noodle soups to curry, roti to sushi. On weekends they have live music on the food court’s stage. Our favourite spot to grab food though was down the narrow street opposite the food court. This little alleyway is packed with market stalls selling grilled meats, curries and salads.

You can read more about the best places to eat in Luang Prabang here.

The Night Market is open from 5 PM and closes at 11 PM.

The Night Market is a great place to shop for souvernirs!

Phosy Market

(location)

If you want to get away from the Old Quarter and shop with the locals, then we’d recommend heading to Phosy Market. This sprawling market is where Luang Prabang locals stock up on everything from meat to fish, sports wear to handbags. It’s a fascinating warren of market stalls, packed to the rafters with dried meat, buffalo skin, fresh fruit and even live animals. 

For those who’ve followed our travels here and on our Instagram then you’ll know that we’re a sucker for a market. One of our favourite things to do is to dive straight in and get lost in the cramped alleyways. 

Markets are a great place to pick up some local munch and Phosy Market was no different.  We picked up an excellent picnic of deep-fried sliced bananas, some grilled Laotian sausages and the Lao take on a Cornish Pasty (savoury pastries like empanadas for all our non-UK readers) which were stuffed with vegetables in a sweet spiced mix.

Phosy Market was a world away from the clean walls and sanitised streets of the Old Quarter. It was a proper working market where local people would go to stock up on essentials. 

Kuang Si Waterfalls

(location)

Perhaps Luang Prabang’s most famous tourist attraction, the towering, turquoise Kuang Si Waterfalls are a ‘must’ on any trip to Luang Prabang. We’ve been lucky enough to have visited the falls 3 times and they are still as breathtaking now as when we first saw them.

A multi layer set of waterfalls and small pools stretch up into the dense jungle before the trees part and, in front of you, sits a huge curtain of raging water - the Kuang Si Falls.

In the dry season the water is bright turquoise, whilst in the wet season the water cascades down in a roaring torrent of white and brown.

You can read more about visiting these beautiful waterfalls in our complete guide to Kuang Si Waterfalls.

At the entrance to the falls, there’s a small bear sanctuary home to a collection of rescued Moon Bears. These very cute black bears seem to spend most of their time lazing around in the sun. 

Entry to the ‘Save the Bear’ sanctuary’ is free, but donations are welcome. There is also a small shop selling t-shirts and other souvenirs to help support the charity. 

To learn more about the bear sanctuary, check out our Kuang Si Falls blog we have linked above.

The Pak Ou Caves

(location)

North of Luang Prabang, around 25 km upstream via the Mekong River, sit the Pak Ou Caves. Known as the ‘Thousand Buddha Cave’ the Pak Ou Caves are two cave temples carved into the vertical limestone cliffs which are full to the brim with thousands of statues of the Buddha. It is rumoured that there are over 4000 statues hidden within the caves. 

It is believed the caves were first founded in the 8th century and served as a shrine for locals to pay homage to the River Gods. When Laos converted to Buddhism, under the rule of King Souringna Vongsa at the beginning of the 16th century, the Pak Ou Caves became an important pilgrimage site. Devotees, including the royal family, would head to the cave on Laos New Years Day in order to leave their own statues in the caves. 

As you reach the first cave you’ll be greeted by thousands of Buddha statues, staring down in row upon row. The statues are in a variety of different poses; sitting, standing or meditating. To the right of the entrance there is a shrine, full with more statues draped in saffron and golden robes. 

The upper cave is reached by a steep staircase carved into the jungle. As you climb up, you’ll get incredible views through the dense foliage out onto the Mekong River, the town of Pak Ou and the steep, near vertical, limestone mountains. 

The upper cave is a lot bigger and a lot darker. Inside, you’ll need to turn on a torch to view the thousands of hidden statues. The statues are made from a variety of materials and are all in a state of decay; their once glinting gold, now fading to the darkness of the cave.

There’s something mysterious and magical about the Pak Ou Caves. A deep dark cavern that's full of spirituality. As you look deeper into the cave (especially in the second cave), you’ll start to see glints of red and gold shining back at you from every crevice. Wherever you look, there’s a pair of enlightened eyes looking back at you.

Pak Ou Caves - How to Get There?

You can reach the Pak Ou Caves via boat, tuk tuk, scooter or by guided tour from Luang Prabang. 

The prettiest and most relaxing way to reach the caves is to take a boat upstream. There is a boat that departs the main boat pier in Luang Prabang everyday at 8.30 AM. To buy tickets just head to the ticket office located just opposite Saffron Coffee here. Once on board, the boat will float slowly up stream past riverside farmers, fishermen and wallowing buffalo. The boat will make a quick stop at Ban Xang Hai, a small village specialising in the distilling of Lao-Lao rice whiskey before heading north to the caves themselves. The boat trip to and from Luang Prabang (including the stops at the caves and whiskey village) will take around 4 hours. Tickets cost 150,000 kip per person for the boat to and from the caves. You will need to pay 20,000 kip on top of this for entry to the caves.

If you’re after a morning pick-me-up before setting off on the boat, Saffron Coffee serves up some excellent caffeinated beverages. You can read more about some of our other favourite coffee shops in our guide to the best coffee of Luang Prabang.

For those who’d prefer a private boat tour, just head down the river and chat to the local boat drivers to negotiate a price.  

If you’re planning to drive yourself by scooter, drive north up to the small town of Pak Ou. Once you arrive you’ll need to pay 50,000 kip to get a boat across the river. This price will include both the journey to the cave and back again. Be warned though, the road to Pak Ou is very rough, full of potholes and busy with lorries, so only plan to drive there if you’re confident on a bike.

Opening Times

The Pak Ou Caves are open everyday from 8am until 5pm.

During the Laos New Year in April, Laotian families come to the caves to pay their respects and wash their own Buddha statues.

Entry Fees

Tickets to enter the Pak Ou Caves cost 20,000 kip per person.

As the Pak Ou Caves are a Buddhist shrine and temple, please be respectful and wear temple appropriate clothes.

If you’re short on time and would like to combine a trip to Kuang Si Falls with Pak Ou Caves, why not check out a guided tour with Get Your Guide. Take a look at the tours on offer here.

Tat Sae Waterfalls

(location)

A lesser known set of falls, the Tat Sae Waterfalls are located about a 30 minute drive away from the centre of Luang Prabang. The Tat Sae Waterfalls are a set of multi-layered falls that tumble over limestone to create waterfalls and pools that flow directly into the Nam Khan River. 

To reach the waterfalls, you’ll need to catch a boat from a small village on the opposite bank of the river to the Tat Sae Waterfalls (location) and travel upstream for about 10 minutes. 

The Tat Sae Waterfalls are shallower in height than the Kuang Si Falls, but despite this, they still had an unyielding power, as the torrent of super fast water flowed down. The falls may not be as high as Kuang Si but they are much, much wider. When we visited in the wet season they stretched out as far as the eye could see in pools, shelves, mini falls and rivulets.

It looked as though in the past (possibly when the water levels were lower) that you could climb over the falls and reach different pools to swim in. When we visited the whole site was in a state of disrepair.

In the past you could climb a lot higher at the Tat Sae Waterfalls!

There were only two bridges we could cross, and the pathway that seemed to follow the waterfalls up to the top was closed due to the steps being broken.

The whole area seemed to be in a state of decay, with what looked like old restaurants sitting completely destroyed, picnic benches half broken and stairs leading to no-where. It looks as though they were possibly in the middle of renovating the falls, and possibly due to the pandemic, things ground to a halt. We hope that this will change in the future.

Despite the lack of infrastructure and only a few pools to look at, the power of the water was incredible. It was still a fantastic sight and we’re glad we visited. 

Before you head off to the Tat Sae Waterfalls make sure you check Google Reviews. During the dry season, the waterfalls tend to completely dry out and, as a result, there isn’t much to see! If you visit when there’s no water, the locals are known to still charge you the privilege of a mini boat trip to see the non-existent waterfalls. Our advice would be to read the reviews or check with your accommodation before heading there. 

We visited during October at the very end of the wet season and the falls were very much in full flow!

Tat Sae Waterfalls - How to Get There?

The easiest and cheapest way to reach the Tat Sae Waterfalls is by hiring a scooter. If you’re driving a motorbike, the road to theTat Sae Waterfall is in slightly better condition than the road to the Kuang Si Waterfalls. The only bit where it becomes a bit bumpy is the last 1.5km from where you turn off the main road and head down into the village. Parking for the falls is in the local temple grounds (location) costing 5000 kip. 

On your way back we’d recommend stopping at Phaphone Coffee (location) for a quick caffeine fix. The iced americanos we had from here were delicious and the perfect pick me up for the bumpy trip back to the city! 

If you’re not a confident scooter rider, then you can easily arrange a tuk tuk to take you to the falls. Just ask your accommodation if they know someone who could take you or find a driver in town.

Opening Times

The Tat Sae Waterfalls are open everyday from 8am to 5.30pm.

As we’ve mentioned above, check the latest Google Reviews if you’re planning to visit during the dry season. 

Ticket Prices

When we visited there was no ticket entry to see the waterfalls themselves, all we needed to do was to pay the boat driver to take us there and back. This may change in the future when they have renovated the site. Let us know in the comments if they do. 

The price for the boat to take us to the waterfalls, wait for us and then take us back again was 25,000 kip per person.

Boat Cruises on the Mekong River

From sunrise to sunset, tourist boats flow up and down the Mekong River, offering everything from sunset to dinner or even theatre cruises. From the Luang Prabang, you can take a boat trip north to reach the Pak Ou Caves or Ban Xang Hai the whiskey village, or you can head south and float all the way down to Kuang Si Falls. 

Our favourite time of day to float on the Mekong was at sunset. Sitting in the middle of the river, bobbing gently downstream whilst watching a fiery display is the perfect way to round off a day of exploring in Luang Prabang. 

We have enjoyed a sunset boat cruise with Sa Sa cruises twice now and can highly recommend them.

To read more about our sunset Mekong experience, check out our guide here.

To arrange a boat cruise on the Mekong, just head to the Luang Prabang boat pier or head to one of the boat tour offices lining the river. No matter what you want, whether it's a dinner, sunset or even sunrise tour, there will be a boat for you. Just make sure you compare prices and negotiate appropriately.

Exploring Chomphet - ‘Off the Beaten Path’ Luang Prabang

Just over the Mekong, on the opposite riverbank, is the district of Chomphet. Full of beautiful temples, small villages and even a hidden jungle shrine, this small district feels a world away from the colonial streets of Luang Prabang. 

To read all about our afternoon exploring Chomphet and how to find the hidden jungle shrine, read our guide here:

Guided Tours of Luang Prabang

We understand not everyone has enough time on their hands to explore the city leisurely by themselves. If you only have a small amount of time in Laos, it’s understandable that you’ll want to cram in as much as possible.

If you’d like to combine a couple of the attractions and sites we’ve mentioned here, why not book a guided tour with Get Your Guide. We’ve taken tours with them in the past and it’s been a great way to maximise what you can do in a small amount of time. Check out all their Luang Prabang tours here.

Other Things to do in Luang Prabang

There’s so much to do in Luang Prabang it would be impossible to list everything in this guide.

If you’re interested in local handicrafts why not combine a visit to the Phosy Market with a stop at the Ock Pop Tok Living Craft Centre (location) where you can watch or participate in weaving and embroidery workshops. They also have a shop selling local crafts as well as a beautiful riverside cafe serving Laotian / Western fusion dishes. There is also an outlet of Ock Pop Tok in Luang Prabang city centre.

If the Ock Pop Tok Centre has ignited your crafting passion, head to the other side of the Nam Khan River to find some other workshops for you to try your hand at. Just head over the Old French Bridge or take the Bamboo Bridge in the dry season.

The Old French Bridge is a popular crossing point over the Nam Khan River for scooter drivers and pedestrians!

If you want to make your own jewellery head to the Garden of Eden (location) to take part in a jewellery making class. Or if wood carving is more your thing, why not take a wood carving class at Lon Wood Workshop (location) located next door. 

Just up the road, further along the Mekong River, you’ll reach the handicraft village of Ban Xang Khong. Here you can see handmade paper being stretched and dried in the sun and wooden looms rattling as colourful threads are embroidered into traditional Laotian fabrics. This handicraft village may have started as a traditional hub but nowadays is very obviously laid on for the tourists. The outlets here do provide income to locals and preserve traditional handicrafts, but understand you are visiting a tourist “handicraft village” - gift shops and all!

Just some of the traditional Laotian handicrafts you can see at Ban Xang Khong Village located just outside of Luang Prabang.

For those looking to stretch there legs, just outside the city is the Nahm Dong Park (location). This huge park is full of hiking trails, zip lines and waterfalls. When we visited our accommodation recommended not heading there by scooter as the road is very treacherous especially during or just after the wet season.

Where to Eat in Luang Prabang?

Luang Prabang has no shortage of street side stalls, fine-dining restaurants, boutique bakeries and craft coffee shops. Whether you’re craving Laotian or French, Indian or Italian, there’s plenty of places to dine.

To read about some of our favourite Luang Prabang eats, check out our article below:

Nightlife in Luang Prabang - The Best Places to Drink

Riverside Bars and Restaurants

Our favourite place for a cheeky sunset beverage was sitting in any of the bars or restaurants that line the Mekong River. Looking out over the busy Mekong River and the setting sun, they provided the perfect front row seats to watch the evening boat traffic flow beneath the golden rays of the setting sun. 

Check out our guide here for our bar recommendations for where to see the best sunset on the river! 

Ice cold beer and an incredible view - name a better place for a sunset beer!

Just over the road from the river is another great bar, the RnB Bar (location). Despite its name it didn’t actually play any RnB when we visited, in fact it seemed to be mostly an Oasis based soundtrack. This bar is super comfy, with good beer and friendly staff. We didn’t eat a full meal here but really enjoyed their deep fried sliced aubergines. The crispy battered slices were a perfect accompaniment to an ice-cold Beer Laos. The RnB Bar has seating indoors, so if it’s a rainy evening on the river, we would definitely recommend heading here.

Bars in the Old Quarter 

At the northern end of the Night Market, on the main strip, is a small street packed full of restaurants and bars. They all serve similar food and drink menus and all have some form of happy hour deal. Some of our favourite bars to sit in were Tangor (location) and the Maolin Tavern (location). Both the bars are a little more expensive than others in town but, given the location, (right on the main strip and just off the Night Market) and compared to what we are used to back in the UK, you really can’t go wrong! If it’s raining, both bars listed have indoor seating.

The other side of Phousi Hill is another favourite bar of ours, the Redbull Sports Bar (location). A popular hangout for backpackers and locals, this bar was popular until closing. With good music, food and drink deals and a pool table, it seemed to be the new hangout for travellers now that the backpacker haunt of the Utopia Bar is sadly closed.

Luang Prabang’s Famous Bowling Alley

Once the bars close in Luang Prabang, there’s only one place to head to and that is Luang Prabang’s famous bowling alley. A firm favourite amongst backpackers and hostel crowds, grab a group together and head there for cheap beer, bowling and archery (a daring choice of entertainment for intoxicated backpackers but hey, who are we to judge!)

Getting Around Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is an easily walkable city. The streets are very quiet and there’s very little traffic to contend with. A lot of the streets of the Old Quarter are ‘one-way’ so unlike other parts of SE Asia (we’re looking at you Hanoi) it’s very easy to cross the road.

If you do need motorised transport there are plenty of tuk tuk taxis to take you to wherever you need to go. If you’re planning to take a tuk tuk somewhere, just flag one down, let them know where you want to go and negotiate a price! We paid anywhere between 30,000 to 50,000 kip per journey, but we’re sure we could have negotiated lower if we tried.

The colourful tuk tuks of Luang Prabang can be hailed all over the city!

If you’re planning to rent a motorbike, scooter or even an electric moped, the rental prices seem to be standard across the city at 150,000 kip per day. 

For those who are keen cyclists, the majority of guesthouses and hotels will have bicycles either for free or for you to rent for the day.

Where to go After Luang Prabang?

Depending on how long you have and what you want to get up to, you can go in lots of different directions from Luang Prabang. 

Luang Prabang serves as the northern hub for travel and tourism in Laos and from the city you can get pretty much anywhere else in this landlocked country.

If you’re into hiking and want to find an area of Laos that’s still relatively untouched by mass tourism then we can’t recommend a trip to Nong Khiaw (read our guide here) enough. Multiple buses run everyday from Luang Prabang and the journey takes between 3 and 4 hours.

Luang Prabang - Nong Khiaw Buses

If you’re looking for jungle hikes and the stunning Nam Ha National BioDiversity Conservation Area head north to Luang Namtha.

Luang Prabang - Luang Namtha Buses

For those into their history or who just love a bit of an ancient mystery (we really didn’t mean to rhyme there) you can move east to the Phonsavan and the enigmatic ‘Plain of Jars’.

Luang Prabang - Phonsavan Buses

For the next major stop on the “banana pancake trail” head south to the backpacker hub of Vang Vieng. Full of viewpoints, bars and lots of fellow travellers, this small city is the adventure capital of Laos. 

Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng

As we’ve mentioned earlier Luang Prabang is on the Laos-China high speed railway line so you can zoom to Vang Vieng or all the way to the capital, Vientiane in just a matter of hours.

Luang Prabang - Vientaine

If you don’t mind a very long journey you can even catch buses further south to the city of Pakse.

Luang Prabang - Pakse

For those with the money and who are in a hurry, you can catch internal flights south. 

Internationally you can catch the slow boat to Chiang Rai in Thailand or use the rail network to get to all the way down to Bangkok (read about our experience here). There are also buses to Hanoi in Vietnam.

Luang Prabang - Hanoi

If you are travelling to Vietnam, make sure you check out our guides!

Final Thoughts

Luang Prabang is just one of those cities that instantly becomes a full blown love affair. Its quiet picturesque streets, laid-back vibes, bustling night market and intricate temples will just pull you in deeper and deeper and the longer you spend in the city, the more you’ll want to stay. 

It’s a city that’s perfect for travellers. One where there's everything you could want from fantastic restaurants, cute coffee shops and lively bars, but also one where you can just wander around with no real purpose and still have a great time exploring. 

As you explore the small alleyways and streets around the Old Quarter, you’ll stumble upon a Luang Prabang that almost feels unchanged by time. You’ll pass by monks sweeping temple courtyards, locals harvesting fruit and gaggles of chickens pecking at the dusty ground. Luang Prabang has all the mod-cons of a modern city, but has somehow blended tradition and modernity in its beautiful architecture, temples and markets.

Luang Prabang really is an incredible mix of tradition and modernity!

Luang Prabang is not like any other South East Asia city. Its closest cousin would probably be the temple city of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand but even this is a poor comparison. There are no shopping malls in Luang Prabang, no 7-11’s, Luang Prabang is stripped back, raw but somehow cosy and comforting. Luang Prabang is a tiny city compared to it’s Thai neighbours and this makes it feel welcoming, walkable, friendly and safe.

Luang Prabang will always feature on any trip to Laos, but most travellers will head there for only a few days. Our recommendation is to double the time you have planned in the city, if not triple. It’s a city that deserves to be slow-travelled, a city to sit back, relax and soak in the easy-going laid back vibes.

Thanks for reading, 

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

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Laotian Luxury in Luang Prabang

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Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you want to splurge, sometimes you just want a little luxury in your life! We are not usually ones for the finer things, we specialise in long term backpacking travel, cheaper accommodation and street food, so a stay at an incredible luxurious hotel is not very “on brand” for us! On brand or not, after a year of hostels and guesthouses a bit of much needed indulgence was very welcome.

Luang Prabang is an unbelievably beautiful UNESCO World Heritage City in the heart of northern Laos. This wonderfully preserved city is full of cafe’s restaurants, historic buildings, temples and museums . It was for these reasons we decided it was a good place to meet up with my parents after a year away and, thanks to them, we found ourselves in the lap of luxury. Luang Prabang is a great place for a getaway.

Staying In Luxury - Satri House Luang Prabang

The stunning Satri House is about as far away from budget hostels as you could hope to get. Converted from a French colonial villa it is secluded, elegant and serene. It is also, paradoxically, near to all the attractions in the historic town as well. 

Luang Prabang is one of Laos larger cities and sprawls out from the historic heart; a tiny, Manhattan-like peninsula that juts out between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Satri house lies at the southern end of the old town, within walking distance from all the Old Quarter sights.

The hotel itself is incredibly luxurious without being ostentatious with elegant pools, a spa, manicured Laotian style gardens and an excellent restaurant serving high end local and international food.

The rooms are massive, with four poster beds and are full of bespoke furniture, antiques and charming accents. The bathrooms are unsurprisingly opulent with full baths and walk-in showers.

The hotel could organise anything you needed; from a driver to an exclusive private breakfast at the stunning Kuang Si waterfalls the friendly concierge was happy to help.

The staff overall were borderline psychic, always there when you needed but never hovering or intruding. Our rooms would be made up or turned down without us ever noticing the staff come or go, the only sign would be a clean room, the blinds being drawn and a selection of Laotian sweets being left on the dresser! The staff are also very helpful and accommodating; When we mentioned one evening that we were a little peckish, they brought out trays of delicious Laotion small plates to the hotel bar for us!

Satri house was a world away from what we were used to on our great adventure but was an incredible get away. It was perfect for the parents, who definitely require a little more comfort when traveling around the world. Satri house is not a backpacking budget option in any shape or form, but , if you have the money, it is the definition of luxury and one of the relatively few truly high end hotels in Luang Prabang. 

To book a stay please click here.

Other Luxurious Luang Prabang Hotels:

There are of-course other luxury accommodation options than Satri House in Luang Prabang. Another similar level of luxury can be found at the Maison Dalabua, the Angsana Maison or the Villa Maly Hotel. At the very top of the price range there is the Avani + Luang Prabang . For those looking for a more out of town “resort” style hotel check out the Pullman.

We haven't stayed at any of these but they are all beautiful, centrally located high end hotels with pools. For a full list of higher end hotels check out the map below:

Just select your dates and filter by star rating and/or budget.

Luxury Dining in Luang Prabang

Manda De Laos

(Location)

Set over a UNESCO preserved Laotian lily pond (that is a fun sentence to say out loud), Manda De Loas serves fine dining takes on authentic Laotian cuisine. Offering tasting menus as well as a la carte , Manda De Laos is the poshest, and most famous restaurant in Luang Prabang. It is the partner restaurant to the Maison Dalabua Hotel and we would definitely recommend booking in advance.

Gaspard

(Location)

Owned by the same family group as Manda De Laos, Gaspard is a gorgeous french restaurant set in a preserved wooden house and garden in the old heart of Luang Prabang. We had our first meal out with the parents here and can highly recommend the food! There is also a fully stocked bar serving fine wines and spirits.

L’Elephant

(Location)

Another delicious French restaurant, L’Elephant is right in the heart of the old town. Despite its traditional French menu and elegant setting the food remains very reasonably priced.

Popolo

(Location)

It was strange to find what may be the best pizza we have ever eaten in Laos but that is the wonder of travel! Popolo was a fantastic Italian restaurant that utilized the local buffalo mozzarella to amazing effect. We had our first wine in months here, served in a carafe and it was a wonderful evening. We would especially recommend the “French Kiss” pizza and the Burrata starter.

Leaving Luang Prabang

Most travellers come to or leave Luang Prabang by one of four methods:

By Train:

Laos new high speed train network arrows through the country. From Luang Namptha in the north the line flows south through Luang Prabang and the popular Vang Vieng before eventually terminating at the Laotian capital of Vientiane. It is comfortable and quick and you can book tickets here. The station is set a little out of Luang Prabang so you will need a ticket that includes a transfer to the station (the ones in the link usually have this included).

By Bus / Minivan:

Very affordable and convenient, the bus networks connect to pretty much everywhere in Laos. They are not the most comfortable mode of transport as the roads are quite often bad but they are the most common and cheap way to get around the country. To book bus tickets click here. When booking buses check if they pick up from the town itself or from one of the bus stops outside of Luang Prabang. If the bus/minivan starts from outside the main city you will have to arrange transport to the bus station.

By Plane:

Luang Prabang Airport connects the city with the outside world with regular flights to Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia as well as other international hubs. Check out the flights here.

By Boat:

The most famous way into or out of Luang Prabang is by boat. The slow boats run up and down the Mekong all the way from the Thai border at Huay Xai two days away. We have done the ferry journey in both luxury and budget styles and can highly recommend it. The boats (luxury or not) stop for a night at the half way point of Pakbeng. Check out our article on staying in this tiny town here.

There is something truly magical about floating down the Mekong watching the people and life play out on the water's edge. If you are in Luang Prabang or Northern Thailand you really shouldn’t miss this experience.

Experiences in Luang Prabang

There is so much to see and do in Luang Prabang. The Old Quarter has a wealth of ancient temples, craft centres and museums all of which are easily explorable by foot. It is a fantastic city just to let go and let your feet take you. The old streets and buildings are wonderful just to walk around and soak up the atmosphere.

In regards to specific destinations, you should definitely not miss an expedition to the nearby, world famous, Kuang Si Falls or the short uphill climb to the temple on Phousi Hill.

Luang Prabang is famous for the daily ritual of the alms giving ceremony where at dawn the streets are lined with saffron and maroon clad monks receiving donations of sticky rice and other food. It’s an experience not to be missed whilst in the city.

A trip to the Kuang Si falls is an absolute must!

The UXO museum is also a necessary, if uncomfortable, lesson in Laos sad recent past. No trip to Luang Prabang would be complete without at least a small trip along the Mekong river, for those not interested in the two day upriver exit, there are lots of sunset cruises or day trips available as well. There are too many other museums, temples and open houses to list here, just get out and explore!

If you are looking for some curated tours, more in depth history or just want to combine a few sites into a day out, check out Get Your Guide who offer many tours and activities in the area:

Comfort and Luxury in Luang Prabang - Conclusion

Luang Prabang is a great place to spoil yourself. There are plenty of comforts to indulge in as well as beautiful places to stay and fantastic food to eat. The Old Quarter is absolutely beautiful and full of crafts, museums and temples to explore on foot. It was a great choice for a holiday for my parents and allowed them to experience a little of the adventure of Laos whilst still having all the comfort and luxury of a properly indulgent holiday. Laotian luxury is also relatively good value; the food, accommodation and service we received at Satri House would have cost double what it did if it was in any neighbouring country. We are not usually overly bougie travellers (although we will indulge from time to time), but we adored our luxurious interlude in Luang Prabang.

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Thanks for reading, 

John and Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

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