Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang – my home for the next 6 months – has yet to disappoint.  The capital of Laos is Vientiane; but most people I’ve talked to consider Luang Prabang to be the country’s best city. The city is enclosed by two rivers, the Mekong and the Nam Khan. Both rivers are equally beautiful, but the Mekong is a bit larger and knows how to pose during sunset. There are a few little restaurants along the river and we’ve gone down a few times for a beer just before sunset. The house I’m staying at isn’t far from the city center, about a ten minute bike ride, so I have a feeling I’ll be spending many a sunset taking in the view.

The Mekong River

The Nam Khan

One of Luang Prabang’s defining characteristics is its ‘Night Market.’  Travelers from all over the world come to check it out and get some handcrafted souvenirs. The market stretches probably a quarter mile on the main street through town. It starts every night at 5 and lasts till about 11:30.  They sell all sorts of crafty items at the night market - authentic Lao clothing (slippers, shirts, baggy Aladdin-style pants), paintings, posters, wood carvings, lights, scarves, bags… you name it, they’ve got it. 

Hand-painted cards

Cool Lights

You can kind of see some tobacco pipes towards the bottom.. awful tempting.

This city is also known for its buddhist temples. I haven't gone and seen all of them yet (I think there are 20 or 30) but I plan to at some point. This is a picture of a more prominent one near the night market.

One of the first days I was here we went to this place called Utopia to hang out. It's a swanky 'Western Style' bar overlooking the Nam Khan. It's one of the chillest places I've ever hung out at. We spent like 3 hours there when we were planning on only staying for like a half hour. It turns out it's owned by this Canadian guy named Rob and I think I might have a bartending gig lined up there in exchange for free meals. (Not a bad arrangement being that it has some of the best western food in town). They say it's the place to be for travelers so I'm sure I'll get to meet some cool people there.

Utopia

Utopia's View

Overall, I'm super excited to be spending 6 months here in Luang Prabang. It's got a great mix of Lao and western culture. If you want to branch off the beaten path and find a hole in the wall Lao fried noodle restaurant, you can. If you're craving steak and mashed potatoes or need a legit cappuccino, you can get that too. 

I'm looking forward to getting to know this city like the back of my hand.  Most travelers only get to spend a couple weeks here so I feel so so lucky to have 6 months. I'm sure I'll be updating the blog with the many different things I discover about the city along the way. Until next time!