Luang Prabang - a city as beautiful as its name. Completely UNESCO World Heritage Site. With these two sentences, the enchanting charm of this town can be roughly described.
A little tired, we arrived at 6:00 a.m. by night bus. But the early bird catches the worm. The already waiting tuk-tuk drivers at the bus station seemed to think so too.
We were not able to check into the hotel until 12:00 noon, so we decided to store our luggage and have breakfast after admiring the very safe work on the power grid in front of our accommodation.
Adherence to work regulations, definitely!
After breakfast, we strolled through the streets of Luang Prabang, which is also strongly influenced by French culture. Many monks are trained here. And they also make the town what it is: pretty and picturesque with its own flair.
Beautiful streets in the picturesque Luang Prabang
Fruit as far as the eye can see
We relaxed by the pool in the afternoon before heading to the night market in the evening. Here, various things are sold. However, primarily clothes and souvenirs. The chance for Max to buy lighter pants. And it wasn't the first attempt... But in Luang Prabang he actually found one that met his expectations and size. The day was saved!
In the alleys of the night market
For the second day, we planned a trip to the Kuang Si waterfalls. But before that, we looked for sunscreen and a haircut for Max. The price of 3€ for a new haircut made us somewhat skeptical at first. Is there really a professional at work? However, the result completely convinced us!
Later in the morning, we were picked up from the hotel and driven to the waterfalls. The pictures we saw on the internet beforehand did not promise too much! Nature once again showed itself from its most beautiful side. The water rushes down the waterfalls between the lush green of the diverse vegetation, before gathering in the pools and shining turquoise.
Need we say more?
Fantastically step by step
It was like paradise. After we were able to come out of astonishment, we relaxed in two of the pools in the cool water.
A Lao person joined Max and engaged him in a conversation about Laos and the Kuang Si waterfalls. But what was also interesting: The Lao person swam away on their own initiative. This once again confirmed our feeling of the hospitality of this country. The actual intention of this conversation in Cambodia would probably have been some kind of excursion offer.
In the pools of the waterfalls, there are so-called Garra Rufa fish, also called doctor fish. Some of you may have seen them in an aquarium on your last South Sea vacation. You put your feet in and the fish nibble away your dead skin in a certain sense.
Cleanse, please!
After these wellness sessions, we returned fully relaxed to the hotel. There, we ended the day with a sports session by the pool.
Nadine mainly used the third day to take care of her organizational matters, while Max used the morning for a sightseeing tour. The destination should be a temple, the Wat Xieng Thong, and the city itself again. However, the highlight came unexpectedly: a approximately 50 meter long, very unstable looking wooden bridge over a river.
Looks stable, doesn't it?
The Wat Xieng Thong
After an afternoon by the pool, we wanted to walk up Mount Phou Si in the evening to enjoy the sunset over the mountains from there. The mountain is located in the center of the city. In a way, the city winds around it, which certainly contributes to the great atmosphere of Luang Prabang. Unfortunately, a few clouds moved in front of the sun that evening. But we were compensated with a beautiful evening sky.
Do you remember the beach towels with the sunset motif? It looks like that, doesn't it?
The next morning, our two-day journey by boat over the Mekong to Chiang Mai was on the plan. We probably never looked forward to a transfer more. Finally, no bus, a relaxed journey, and lots of untouched nature. We set off at around 8:30 a.m. Two great days lay ahead of us. The boat stopped every two hours on average to pick up or drop off locals in the middle of nowhere. This often felt like a very special event for the village, which often didn't even have a road leading to it. The person or people were often accompanied by several people to the boat. We have put together the highlights of the two days for you in a picture overview.
We set off with this boat
It was also spacious
Cruising through beautiful hilly landscapes
We also met some nice water buffaloes
Boarding and disembarking, please!
We spent one night in Pakbeng before setting off again in the morning, or rather on the river.
Not far from the destination, it got a bit stormy. The passengers helped to secure the boat from rain and protect the luggage while lightning and thunder rumbled.
During the second day of the journey, it became apparent during the day that it would be difficult to catch the last bus to Chiang Mai at around 5:30 p.m. One option was to rent a private car with a driver together with a nice American woman who also wanted to go to Chiang Mai. On the internet, it said something about $65. We were willing to pay that. So if we missed the bus, there was still another option.
We arrived at the pier in Huayxai, near the border, around 6:00 p.m. And everything was about to turn out completely different than we had imagined.
To be continued...
Our conclusion about Laos
It is said that time ticks differently in Laos. Vientiane, for example, is often referred to as the most relaxed capital in the world. We couldn't confirm either of these. The country surprised us in a completely different way.
Most people probably associate Southeast Asia with tropical paradises with white sandy beaches and palm trees. Laos only offers the latter, as there is no coastline. But the country "compensates" with breathtaking natural landscapes. The Mekong River is an important lifeline for the country, which consists of 75% mountain ranges and 40% impenetrable rainforest.
Our expectations regarding Laos were even lower than those for Cambodia, as the country has only been developed for tourism in recent years. Far from it, because the developmentally disappointing Cambodia is far behind Laos. The infrastructure is not much inferior to that in Vietnam, and in some cases it is even better. Apart from crossing the border, we always felt like welcome guests in this country. People greet you with a smile and want to tell you something about their country. And that without trying to sell you a tour for the next day at the same time. We simply felt comfortable in Laos. In addition to the things mentioned above, many other factors contributed to this: breathtaking waterfalls in the south and north of the country, beautiful landscapes especially on the Bolaven Plateau and along the Mekong, delicious food and good coffee, etc. Except for a few exceptions, almost everything was perfect, and we can recommend this travel destination to everyone. Laos is still an insider tip on a trip through Southeast Asia.
