The UNESCO recognized town of Luang Prabang in Laos is an eclectic mix of tourism and tradition. While some traditions and elements of the culture of the Laotian people are untainted by the influence of visitors, certain aspects of the town cater to western visitors. These are my favorite Luang Prabang photos from my eight day adventure in the riverside town and surrounding areas.
LUANG PRABANG PHOTOS
What better way to begin the photo gallery than with an image from Mt. Phousi viewpoint. A 15 minute walk up a steep set of stairs gives you the perfect spot for a sunset and vantage point of Luang Prabang Town, Phan Phao temple, Mekong River and Nam Son River seen here.
The most iconic attraction in Luang Prabang is definitely the Kuang Si Falls, an amazing 50 meters of cascading azure water.
Visiting a whisky village called Ban Xang Hai, this veteran called me over to take his photo. He lit up a cigarette, his prop for the photo I guess and smiled his way through 10 or 20 shots.
Whisky and rice wine are produced en masse in Luang Prabang. You wont find this stuff at your local grocer. Cockroaches, snakes, lizards and scorpions are jammed into bottles of alcohol.
The banks of the Nam Son River are a great place to explore at sunset. This monk named Ling-Ling was taking i-Phone photos of his friends in a canoe.
Just the cutest little kid you will ever see. Her brother placed her in the basket while she was giggling probably wandering what on earth was going on.
Weaving is an art form, fingers are moving so fast I couldn’t even understand the process. Ban Xang Hai was home to the weavers who sold their products at the front of their homes and also at the night markets in Luang Prabang Town.
Crowds and crowds of tourists flock to Mt. Phousi nightly to catch the sunset. Can you blame them?
A proud local artisan displays her work in Ban Xang Hai village.
Schools out and the kids are heading home. It’s beautiful to watch brothers and sisters, or two best friends holding hands, which is actually quite common in Southeast Asia. Even when riding bicycles kids will link arms as they cruise down the streets.
If the little girl wasn’t cute enough can I stop now?
A young monk on sweeping duty was seemingly being teased by his friends who laughed at him as I took his portait.
Luang Prabang was the coldest place I visited in Southeast Asia. Fog covers the mountains in the morning and locals wear beanies and jackets as they run around town on mopeds.
Below are some local scenes from Ban Xang Hai
Time for some waterfalls.
Elephants are a big part of tourism in Southeast Asia but be sure to research how a facility treats and trains the elephants before participating in any feeding, washing or other activities. This elephant was used to give rides to tourists at Tad Sae Falls.
MORE LAOS TRAVEL BLOGS
LUANG PRABANG GUIDE: 9 BEST THINGS TO DO IN LUANG PRABANG
HIKING IN VANG VIENG: HIKING TO BEAUTIFUL VIEWPOINT IN VANG VIENG
BLUE LAGOON IN VANG VIENG: BLUE LAGOON VANG VIENG DAY TRIP
KUANG SI FALLS: KUANG SI WATERFALL
THE WHISKY VILLAGE: THE WHISKY VILLAGE – LUANG PRABANG
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