Luang Prabang

I Continue From Here – Huay Xai and the Slow boat

Backpacking Laos:  Day 020 (26-Feb-2020), Day 021 (27-Feb-2020), Day 022 (28-Feb-2020), Day 023 (29-Feb-2020)

Sabaidi 

At Luang Prabang I booked a dorm at Downtown Backpacker Hostel 2. It is located in a beautiful residential area, not far from the city centre. 

Later that evening, I took a walk to the promenade/night market. There are a few shops here. After around 6pm, a night market is set in the adjacent roads. You have to bargain a lot at these places. 

Inside the local market, I found a place that was serving vegetarian buffet dinner. I wasn’t hungry but I thought I should give it a try. I somehow felt that this would spoil my stomach, but I still went with it. You have to fill all that is possible in your plate. You will not get a second chance. This place seemed popular among backpackers. And yes, I did have a bad stomach next morning. But it wasn't bad, as I had eaten very less. 

During my walk, I came across a store selling post cards. I picked a few good ones for my friends. Laotians have been extremely kind to me. They are never short of a smile or a greeting when they see you. Therefore, I picked postcards with pictures of Laotian men and women in their traditional attire. 

Next morning (27^th March), I got ready by 8am. I had booked a tour from the hostel to Kuang Si falls. There were about 8 of us driving in a mini-van. After about a drive for 40-50 minutes, we reached the falls. The van dropped us at the gate and asked us to be back by 1PM. 

We have to walk about a kilometre in the jungle to reach the waterfall. The trail passes through a small zoo.  

Kuang Si waterfall is magical. The turquoise water and the vegetation around blends together to form a spectacular view. I shall let these pictures speak to you. 

I waked to the top of the waterfall and also enjoyed a dip in the water. 

By around 1PM we assembled at the parking lot and headed back to the city. I found a post office where I bought some stamps and got my postcards posted. 

I took a walk along the beautiful streets of Luang Prabag and headed to the Phousi hill to watch the sunset. The walk up the Phousi hill is interesting. You pass through several small monasteries and stupas. At the top, the tourists had picked a place to sit and watch the sunset. I picked a rock to sit on. I felt relaxed and thought about all the incredible things I had done in Laos. This seemed like a good end to this trip. 

Next morning (28^th March), I took a walk in the town and visited several Buddhist temples – Wat Wisunarat, Wat Aham, Wat Xiengthong, Wat May Souvannapoumaram etc. 

I also walked past the bamboo bridge. Buying a ticket to cross the bridge, did not seem exciting enough, so I continued my walk along the streets of Luang Prabang. 

I spent some time exploring the Royal Palace and the museum. 

I had my lunch at a Mexican restaurant. After lunch, I took a stroll around the town and picked a good place along the Mekong river to view the sunset. 

At night, I watched a performance at Garavek Traditional Story telling centre. A young man narrated a few Laotian folk tales while his father played some traditional music. It was a short but interesting show. 

After dining at a vegan restaurant, I returned back to the hostel. 

Next morning (29^th March), I left the hostel at around 8:30AM. I took a tuk tuk to the airport. My stay in Laos had been incredible. More than the places, I was impressed by the simplicity of the people in this country. It is their smile that I take back with me as a memory and I hope to imbibe this quality of simplicity in my lifestyle too.