Luang Phrabang the colorful city

The first thing you notice when you will arrive in Luang Phrabang is the color of the city. There is so much to see. This is for me the most beautiful city I seen so far in Laos.

Luang Phrabang, the capitale of the Luang Prabang Province in northern Laos, lies in a valley at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers.

Luang Phrabang take is name from Phra Bang "delicate Buhda" : a statue of 83cm high arrived in Luang Prabang in 1359, and so the town was renamed.

This old royal city is a perfect place of serenity. Luang Prabang was the royaI city and the ancient capitale before the communist push in 1975.

When you walk around the city you will enjoy the numerous buddhist temples and monasteries.

Every morning, since hundred year the alms giving ceremony stand in the main street of Luang Prabang.

This amazing occasion to assist to the most sacred lao tradition is a chance. If you want to participate to the ceremony you have to buy in advance sticky rice or alms but make sure that good quality because it is really disresectfull to give low quality to the monks.

Don't touch the monk during the gift or trying to making an eye contact. Womens need always to keep their heads lower than the monks during the procession. You need to remove your shoes and your socks and sit down waiting for the monks. It is really impolite to leave or arrive during the walk.

Everything who will interrupt the ceremony is considered as rude for the laotian culture.

This is not a touristic attraction and you see many notices who provide instructions and informations about how to act and what to wear to respect the laotian culture.

During the day, if you climb the mount Phou Si you will deserve a manificent view on the city and landscape around. The That Phu Si is a beautiful temple and the many Budha statues on the way will stay in your souvenirs. The Mount Phu Si gets his name from a Lao Story : The stupa (Buddhist religious monuments) was built in 1804 by the king Anourat but the mountain come from a legend. The mountain was moved from Sri Lanka by the monkey King Hanuman.

I enjoyed crossing the river Nam Khan with the temporary bamboo bridge who no stand during the rainy season because the current become too strong. The bamboo brige help to make the contact with the village in the other rive. You can also use a bigger and permanent brige : "the old bridge".

In the other rive you will find a new temple to visit : the wat Phan Luang. The best option is to stay for lunch or dinner at Dyen Sabai Restaurant and spa. close to the Bamboo brige you will enjoy a beautiful view on the river.

Around the city you can spend a day to visit the water fall. When the weather is great you can visit the protected forest, see the bears which is a nice activity to do with childrens and swiming in the blue laggon.

The night market in Luang Prabang is a pleasure you will not miss. Along the main street you will walk along shop and sellers on the street. You may buy local handmade products. I bougth myself a bracelet in aluminium from the village of Ban Na Pia. They used the bombs from the war to produce bracelets, spoons, rings, chopsticks ... I seeing in this a way to help to reconvert a difficult part of their history.