Luang Prabang-Welcome to Laos

Warm welcome!

As Thomas noted: how long has it been since we walked across the tarmac upon exiting an airplane – in this case, a propeller plane? Luang Prabang International Airport.

At the immigration counter, we want to show our online registration, mandatory since September 2025 for entries with a 'Visa on Arrival' – but no one is interested. More important is the form we should fill out on the flight, with the same questions as in the online registration. Welcome to Laos 😊

To Hanoi? Little to no traffic, everything slower, more relaxed, with heartfelt friendliness. Luang Prabang, our first stop in Laos. On the flight, we discussed that if we don't warm up to it, we can just quickly move on. Nothing stopping us. And then this relief! It does take a while for us to get a feel for the city – UNESCO World Heritage, the former capital visited by Buddha, who predicted its future. A city with a fantastic night market, a unique, charming flair, a subtle friendliness, and beautiful small streets and corners. At first, we weren't very happy with our accommodation, expecting something different. It's also cold; we have on everything we considered sending back home: jeans, sweater, down jacket, socks, sturdy shoes. Nevertheless, after some time, we manage well and feel comfortable. The accommodation and warmth actually play a crucial role in feeling 'good'!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luang_Prabang
A city between two rivers, the Mekong and Nam Khan, with a ferry and many boats offering hour-long rides on the Mekong. We didn’t do that; often, loud karaoke was included in the offer, with boats filled with Chinese group tourists enjoying their vacation and time together. We liked watching that – sometimes I thought that we Germans have conquered southern Europe in tourism just like that 😊.

Our first excursion was to a well-known and popular waterfall, Kuang Si. At first, a bear enclosure with bears from captivity. Then a water basin – okay. The second water basin – okay. Almost more interesting are the groups of tourists, again many happy Chinese who were very self-involved, always smiling back kindly and very interested in exchanging with one another. At the third basin came the surprise: a tall, impressive waterfall, we are amazed. To the right, the path continues upward, to the fourth basin. Steep, slippery. At the top, we are surprised by a view, newly built, with catering, and: a super cool new staircase all the way down. Sometimes left is better than right 😊

Tomorrow, on 07.12, we continue north to Nong Khiaw. We met a couple, Marianne and Morten, from Denmark. They are there and found it beautiful. Pictures online show a spectacular landscape – Laos, a country that surprises us and delights us every day.