Our tour in northern Laos

Luang Prabang and the north of Laos


After all my previous visits to Laos in the last 16 years this excursion to the north and north-east of Laos was one of my most exciting tours in this fascinating country. The destination Phongsali is so much beside the main routes that its better to be reach from Yunnan/China than from the south part of Laos; we did it coming from Oudom Xai 232 km to Phongsali with the speed of 15 - 20 km per hou…  (read more)

Our tour in northern Laos

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The map shows the tour we went in Dec. 2009.

Our tour in northern Laos

21 Jan 2010 1 603
The map shows the tour we went in Dec. 2009.

Walking street in Luang Prabang

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First destination of every traveller. The walking street called Sisavangvong is changed in minutes to a night market every evening during high seasons.

Shop by shop along the cities mainroad

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No much hectic rush disturbs the mood along the shopping road in Luang Prabang.

Look out the window too long?

Wat Choumkhongsourintharame

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Better known as Wat Choum Khong, due nobody can get this long name in his mind. The wat is a small Laotian monastery on Sotika Kuman Road, one of the roads the run parallel to the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers in Luang Prabang. The temple was started in 1843, during the reign of King Sukaseum. It adheres to the classic style. The name Choum Khong refers to a statue of the Buddha which was cast from a bronze gong. When I visited Wat Choum Khong, I saw the monks and novices busy doing restoration work around the compound. Apparently Wat Choum Khong had undergone three earlier restorations, in 1933, 1951 and 1963.

Beside the river bank of Mekong

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Many restaurants located along the river bank of Mekong giving a nice view to the other side.

Mekong the heart of Laos

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View from a restaurants balcony to the other side of the Mekong river.

Restaurant with amazing view

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Sitting at the balcony makes to enjoy the food and view to the Mekongs riverine traffic.

Wat Paphaimisaiyaram

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Shortly called Wat Pa Phai is located on Sakkarine Road, on the corner with Savang Vatthana road, in Luang Prabang. The name Wat Pa Phai means Monastery of the Bamboo Forest. In fact, if you see names of temples with the word "Pa" or "Pak" in it, there is likelihood that these are retreats that were built deep in the forest. However, often enough, the towns eventually surround these forest retreats, as in the case of Wat Pa Phai.

Inside Wat Pa Phai

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The exact date when this Luang Prabang III (Xieng Khouang) style temple was constructed is unknown; Louis Finot and Henri Parmentier placed its construction in 1645 during the reign of King Suriyavongsa (1638-1690), but Chao Khaminanh Vongkot Rattana, historiographer of Luang Prabang, dated it to 1815, during the reign of King Anourathurath (1792-1819).

The entrance door into the Wat Pa Phai

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The sim was extensively rebuilt in 1932 when three dormitories were constructed nearby. It was restored between 1966 and 1969, at which time ancient murals below the porch were replaced with new oil paintings, regrettably pale imitations of the originals. All the doors and windows are of carved wood.

Monks in the yard of Wat Pa Phai

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At Wat Pa Phai we struck up a conversation with a couple of friendly novice monks who were eager to practise their English.

Stupas in front of Wat Pa Phai

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The wat was originally built in simple style featuring a single nave, porch and a single roof, with a single stupa erected in front; the facade and the wall below the porch were covered with murals.

Restaurants and coffee bars along Sakkarine Road

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Sakkarine Road in Luang Prabang is the center of tourists meetings. You'll find and meet new contacts very soon at the street restaurants and coffee shops.

Simple nice restaurant to relax

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Easy to discover good rest places to enjoy good Laotian food.

National Museum Luang Prabang

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Built by the French colonial government for King Sisavangvong between 1904 and 1909 on the foundations of a much older palace building, the former Royal Palace was taken over by the revolutionary government in 1975 and reopened to the public as a national museum on 13 March 1976. Located in the centre of town opposite Mount Phousi, the building features a blend of French and Lao architectural styles. The long front wing houses the king's reception hall to the right of the main entrance and the reception area for the chief secretary to the left. Decorated with murals depicting scenes of everyday life in the city executed by a French artist in the 1930s, the king's reception room contains busts and paintings of past Lao monarchs. To the left of the main entrance is the reception area for the chief secretary, which now displays gifts from various heads of state to the Lao monarchy, and beyond this the queen's reception room. Connecting the reception wing with the residential wing is the throne hall. In addition to the throne of the king and queen, on display is the king's howdah or elephant chair. Glass cases contain many crystal Buddha images recovered in 1914 from the collapsed chedi of That Makmo in the grounds of Wat Wisun. The walls of the throne room are decorated with cut mirrored tile mosaics, which may also be seen on the rear walls of the sim at Wat Xieng Thong. The royal apartments have been preserved more or less as they were when occupied by the king and queen. The include bedrooms and the dining room, as well as a music room displaying Lao classical instruments and masks. In the compound of the royal palace is a large ornate pavilion, opened in 2003, which houses the sacred pha bang standing Buddha image.

Food vendors sell out along the street

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Its always a pleasure for me and my family to buy food from the street vendors - mostly much more delicious than in most restaurant and much cheaper. But new coming visitors are better advised to be careful about the hygiene and the kind of food, sometimes they'll get what maybe they don't aspect to buy (dog meatballs ect.).

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