The vast expanse of the Mekong surges past, brown and impressively wide – the workhorse river- lush vegetation surrounds our guesthouse, vivid greens that seem to be unique to tropical climes. The heat is tangible, pressing on your skin as you step outdoors and yet this isn’t even the hot season. Cars, bikes, mopeds and the omnipresent tuktuks swarm the dusty streets with no obvious organization, going as slow or as fast as pleases the driver and turning with no warning and at the last moment. On the pavements locals and tourists mix among travel agents, restaurants and a multitude of eateries, next to market stalls selling vibrantly coloured textiles, millions of styles of hammer pants (I could make a killing in the UK on the way home if that trend sticks around), local foods, woven baskets and random snakes and scorpions in jars of rice whiskey. This is Luang Prabang and we’ve fallen in love with the place.
We came here at the suggestion of our good friends Rob and Hannah because Rob’s sister has been living here for the last eleven years and has set up a business built around the local weaving traditions, employing local weavers and making beautiful textiles by hand. From nothing, she and her business partner have grown an enterprise that boasts three shops, a living craft centre, a guest house and cafe and still they’re looking into new areas all the time. Their setup is just beautiful, just 2km from the centre of LP and we had the pleasure of staying there for a few days and getting to know both Jo, Rob’s elder sister and Heather, his younger sister while we were there. They were such gracious hosts and gave us their time and insight into the town. I’d recommend anyone thinking of coming to LP to look up ock pop tok either to stay or learn more about weaving traditions. Beware of the shops though, they’re dangerous places for your budget as you’ll just want to buy everything!
We were very much taken by the Lao pace of life and slowed everything down to fit right in. We spent a lot of time in Luang Prabang enjoying the multitude of cafes and restaurants, people watching from various perches around the city – my Grandmas would have been proud of how long I can ensconce myself in a cafe to observe the tide of humanity flowing past.
We did manage to see some of the sights in amongst our cafe breaks and there’s plenty to be seen. The Kwang Si waterfalls are about 30km outside Luang Prabang and are beautiful stepped waterfalls and pool that are formed from Limestone deposits. The water is a beautiful milky blue and we though it would just be rude to not have a swim. There was also a rope swing into one of the pools which Clive of course had to have a go at. I made it about half way up the branch before being put off by the very slippy and wobbly struts that you had to walk on. Clive wanted to take a picture of me part way up so that we could pretend I’d done it – not a chance, we do not take pictures of FAILURE!
In town we made the hike up Pho Si hill to the temple at the top which is a favourite for sunset, although of course we chose the one night when the sun went down behind a cloud to make the slog up but still the view is fabulous and serves to remind you of the amazing surroundings in which Luang Prabang lies nestled.
Wat Xieng Thong was another stop on our itinerary, which can be found at the tip of the peninsula that Luang Prabang occupies. The word “Wat” means temple in Lao and Wat Xieng Thong is one of the most important temples in the country and translates as the Temple of the Golden City. Wat Xieng Thong was built around 1560 by King Setthathirat, a patron of Buddhism, who ruled Laos from 1548 to 1571. Mental. It’s a place of incredible peace even despite the throngs of tourists, with amazing mosaics and intricate carving. Makes me wish I was better with a camera. Actually, everything about this trip makes me wish I was better with a camera.
Massage is obviously a big thing in Laos so we gave a traditional Lao massage a try. Clive opted for the full body massage whereas I went for a head and foot massage. I have to confess my head massage felt like a large ape was pawing me and then the for the foot massage she actually started pummeling me with her fists and pinching me so at one point I finally had to let out a strangled “soft, soft, soft!” Apparently we had “enjoyed” a traditional Khmu massage which is known for the somewhat aggressive approach to relaxation. Noted.
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