Today, I invite you to visit Luang Prabang.

3 Days 2 Nights Relaxing in Luang Prabang, Offering Sticky Rice to Monks, Exploring the World Heritage City

Please keep me in your heart. You can say hello to me on Jack's photography page.

Little Traveler Page

https://www.facebook.com/journeymemories

Luang Prabang is located in northern Laos. It is an ancient city of the Lan Xang Kingdom. UNESCO has recognized it as a World Heritage Site. The originality of the tradition

The charm of Luang Prabang lies in its people's way of life and the antiquity of its structures.

These are probably the things that make many people fall in love with Luang Prabang.

What you see is a large number of foreign backpackers coming to Luang Prabang.

Where to go in Luang Prabang? Today we will tell you which places are interesting.

Let me preface this by saying that this post will only recommend tourist attractions in Luang Prabang.

I'm sorry, I can't provide information about travel and expenses. I only paid 3,000 baht myself, and my employer covered the rest.

This time, travel, learn, and immerse yourself in the World Heritage City, relax your body and mind, and be ready for work.

We were a group of 13 people who traveled in mid-January 2016. We went with a tour group and used the services of the Bangkok Travel Club.

This is a flight from Bangkok Airways. Our tour leader is Pi Ple. Pi Ple is very lovely and takes good care of us. Since there are 13 of us, we are all around the same age.

And Piak seems to be only a few years older than us, so there was always laughter and fun throughout the trip.

We used a van to travel to various places. Our Lao guide, Tui, gave us very interesting explanations about the history of the different sites. This allowed us to understand the context and stories of each place, making us feel more connected to them. As a result, visiting temples and museums was not at all boring.

I understand why it's important to research the history of a place before visiting. It makes the experience so much more meaningful.

Jack is not a fan of visiting temples or other man-made structures. He finds that the views are often not that impressive. However, his trip to Luang Prabang made him reconsider his stance.

Luang Prabang has motorbikes and bicycles for rent. Although I can't provide much information on travel expenses, Jack has some information that I think will be helpful for preparing before you set off.

***Phone

At Luang Prabang, there is AIS signal at the airport. If you use a prepaid SIM, roaming will be automatically activated.

If it's a monthly plan, I don't receive a signal unless I turn on roaming myself (Jack's phone uses 2 SIM cards, both prepaid and monthly).

But don't use it, the service fee is expensive 5555. But when you leave the airport, there is no signal.

Jack doesn't make calls anymore and uses airplane mode. He uses wifi on the van, in restaurants, and hotels. If anyone needs to make a call or doesn't have wifi, they can buy a Lao SIM card.

I don't remember the price, but it wasn't expensive. It was in the tens. You can find more information about this on Google.

***Language

People in Luang Prabang understand Thai. We can also understand Lao, which is similar to Isan and Phrae, but the accent is different from Vientiane.

We can speak Thai with them.

***Currency

In Luang Prabang, the currency used is the kip. Approximately 220 kip equals 1 Thai baht. Thai baht is accepted, but they may not have change in coins. I once encountered a convenience store near the night market that had change in coins, but it was the only one I found.

It is recommended to exchange 500, 100, and 20 baht bills (a lot) for convenience in spending. As for the price difference compared to our home country, it is slightly more expensive.

***Electricity

Laos uses 220V electricity, just like in our country.

***Time

The time is the same as in Thailand.

***Souvenirs

You can find a variety of items such as sarongs, clothes, bags, and silverware at the walking street or night market. It is located on Si Sawang Wong Road and opens around 5 pm. The stalls start packing up around 10 pm or 11 pm.

Another thing is coffee stars, dried fruit stars.

***Check the weather before you travel so you can pack the right clothes, okay?***

Okay, let's get ready and go!

Our flight at 9.40 am will definitely be with Bangkok Airways.

Around 7 am, we gathered at Suvarnabhumi Airport. After checking in, we prepared to enter the gate. During the bag scan and weapon check, the line was very long. That day, I was wearing boots, so I had to take them off. 5555 Then we went to the lounge for snacks. The teddy bear doll was so cute, I couldn't help but hug it.

That morning, we traveled amidst light rain. At 9:40 a.m., we took to the skies for Luang Prabang.

Hello, I am above you haha The sky is so beautiful

Hello Luang Prabang, I've arrived. There are taxis available at the airport.

The restaurants we visited are as follows: Pak Huai Mi Chai (Luang Prabang Som Tum, this one is very spicy), Mekong Fish Restaurant located on the banks of the Mekong River, Tamnak Lao Restaurant, L'Elephant Restaurant, and finally, Pho Chan Thonam Restaurant.

We stayed at the sanctuary and could walk to the night market.

The temperature during our trip ranged from 13 to 30 degrees Celsius. It was very cold in the mornings, but the temperature rose during the day.

Okay, let's see the places we went to. To be honest, I forgot the name of the first temple we went to, haha. Let's just go with what I remember.

Sabai Dee Chapter 1 Wat Xieng Thong Let's see the real Luang Prabang sim (sim is the ubosot).

Wat Xieng Thong is widely regarded as the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang, and a stunning example of Lan Xang architecture.

Built in 2102-2103 during the reign of King Chaiya Chetha, it is a representative of the beautiful and complete Lan Xang art style. It is the only important temple that was not burned down during the Haw Pa rebellion in Luang Prabang in 1885.

The curved roof of the ordination hall is in three tiers, almost reaching the base. In the center of the roof is a golden finial, which the Laotians call a "chofa". There are 17 chofas, which signifies that it is a sim built by the king.

Wat Xieng Thong is located in the northeast of Luang Prabang, near the confluence of the Khan River and the Mekong River, on Phothisarath Road. It is a must-visit place for anyone visiting Luang Prabang.

Hello, Chapter 2: Let's see the blue water at Tat Kuang Si Waterfall

We need to travel southwest, 30 kilometers from Luang Prabang. Kuang Si Falls is the most beautiful waterfall in Luang Prabang.

The waterfall has water all year round. In the summer, there is less water.

It is a limestone waterfall, approximately 70 meters high, with two levels. The water is a beautiful blue color. I love it very much.

This is a photo taken without a tripod.

Another obstacle is water spray, afraid of the camera breaking 5555

There is a convenient walkway to view the waterfall.

At the entrance fee collection point, there are many souvenir shops and food shops.

This area is a lush forest, with shade all the way to the waterfall. If you come to Luang Prabang, I highly recommend Kuang Si Falls.

Hello, Chapter 3: Watching the Sunset at Phu Si Mountain

It is a small mountain located in the middle of the city, about 150 meters above the ground. It is the most beautiful viewpoint in Luang Prabang.

The top is the location of Phra That Chom Si, a small stupa in the shape of a four-sided lotus flower, covered in gold leaf, standing on a prominent square base. The top is decorated with a 7-tiered gold-plated white umbrella, 21 meters high.

We went up in the late afternoon, walking up the road in front of the palace, which is the evening market road. The walkway is a 328-step staircase.

Along the way, we will smell the fragrant smell of the Lao champaca flower. Walking up to the top is very tiring. You should bring water to drink with you.

If you want to make merit by releasing birds, they are also available for sale.

From here, we can enjoy a panoramic view of Luang Prabang.

Tourists will go up to wait for the sunset. Which that day there were a lot of people.

Finding a good angle to take photos was difficult because this is a very beautiful sunset viewing spot. I managed to capture this angle.

After the light went out, we walked down together.

Coming down to the street, it was time for the evening market.

Good morning, Chapter 4: Souvenir shopping, strolling at the night market

The night market, or dark market, or walking street, is located on Sri Savangvong Road, from the intersection of the post office to the Luang Prabang Museum. I took you to the night market because it's a continuation of the last episode. Hehe. After coming down from Mount Phousi, we will find the night market.

This picture was taken before climbing Phu Si Mountain. Vendors will set up shop in the late afternoon around 5 pm and sell their goods until 4-5 am.

The road will be closed to traffic, so you can walk around comfortably.

In the banana leaf baskets, those are coconut pancakes. The people of Luang Prabang arrange them like this in every shop. It's so cute.

The goods sold are also diverse. At the beginning of the road, on the post office side, there will be food and drinks. The goods sold in the market will be handicrafts.

Embroidery work, various styles of cloth bags, woven fabrics, sarongs, shawls, souvenirs, artwork, handicrafts, stylish items, oh my, everything!

Made-to-order shoe shop.

What is this? Does anyone know? ???

It's a speaker made from a bamboo tube. It doesn't have any mechanisms, doesn't require batteries, and doesn't use electricity. It works on the principle of sound reflection.

Another item is a Luang Prabang T-shirt with various screen prints. T-shirts are probably the top-selling product, both for personal use and as souvenirs. I didn't take a picture of it.

Let's talk about the clothing stores. You'll notice that most of them sell similar, mass-produced items, but they do offer a wide variety of screen-printed designs. The prices are generally affordable. I only came across a few stores that had their own unique designs, unlike anything you'd find elsewhere. These stores charged 200 baht or more per shirt, but the designs were truly one-of-a-kind. You can choose whatever design you like. Our group, however, opted for the mass-produced shirts because we were buying in bulk. Before we went, someone who had been there before advised us that the cheapest shirts were 80 baht each. If you paid more than 80 baht, you were basically getting ripped off. 😂

No way, buying expensive stuff would be embarrassing. I walked around and asked for prices. Some shops had signs, and many shops were the same. Some were 100 baht, some were 120 baht. I walked until I found a shop that sold it for 80 baht. Yay! I feel like I've succeeded.

Another thing we bought as a souvenir was a small handbag. There were many shops selling them, but the prices varied. Another thing Jack bought was a sarong for my mother. There were also many shops selling fabrics, and as usual, we asked around until we found a shop with a reasonable price.

In summary, most shops in the night market sell similar items, but the prices vary. It's recommended to visit multiple shops and bargain (as some prices can be quite high). My guide taught me a useful phrase: "อมได้บ่" (which means "Can you give me a discount?").

At first, I didn't dare to say it because it was embarrassing. I thought about "อม" in Thai, and it has a different meaning. Or maybe we're just overthinking it. 5555

At first, they would ask if they could get a discount. Later, they started using the word "suck," giggling as they spoke. It was just a funny little thing among us.

Don't forget to try "Om Dai Bor" if you go shopping at the night market. Hehe.

Wait a minute, it's not over yet. At the night market, there are still friendly priced food sources, popular with tourists.

We didn't stop by to try it, P'Ple just took us for a walk to see it. So we found out that, oh, there's something like this. It's a very small alley, located at the beginning of the walking street.

As you walk in, you'll be greeted by a variety of buffet restaurants. The prices are very friendly.

About 35 or 40 baht. You can only take one scoop. It's considered okay. It's very popular with tourists. If you're backpacking in Luang Prabang, you should definitely come here.

Sabai Dee Chapter 5 This morning in the cold with the sacred tradition of the people of Luang Prabang

Alms of sticky rice, in front of Wat Saen Sukharam

---

This tradition has become a highlight that attracts tourists. We will offer sticky rice to the monks, while the villagers will offer other food to the temple.

Jack said it was a beautiful sight. It is a sacred tradition that has been passed down for a long time. The monks will walk in a long procession to collect alms.

There should be more than a hundred photos. It starts around 5:30 AM. The tour will provide sticky rice.

We left quite late, after 6 am, but it was still not very bright. The popular spot for tourists is in front of Wat Saensukharam along the temple wall.

When we arrived, there were sticky rice baskets, wooden benches, and shoulder cloths waiting for us. The problem is that

They had already started, and the monks were walking continuously. Imagine the confused and bewildered expressions on their faces. We had to find a moment when the monks were walking far apart to sit down. We picked up the cloth to drape over our shoulders, but oh no! We didn't know how to use it. How do they drape it? The monks were walking towards us. There was no time left. We just draped it haphazardly.

The most important thing is to quickly grab the sticky rice. Right now, we need to be fast. The monks walk very fast, and I can't grab it in time.

The guide told me that on weekdays, the monks and novices would be faster because the novices have to go to school. Wow, this is already very fast. Putting sticky rice in a monk's alms bowl is not as easy as I thought.

When the sticky rice was gone, we got up. When we came out, it was already the end of the procession of monks and novices. Plus, there wasn't much light, so we didn't get any good pictures. 5555

Tourists can both wait to take pictures and offer food to monks. Participation in the ceremony requires respect and understanding of its significance.

Dress code: Men should wear long pants, and women should ideally wear skirts or sarongs. However, few tourists actually wear sarongs.

We wore it, and other tourists came to take pictures of us too. 5555 It's a strange thing.

After we have put food in the monks' bowls, we will go and have coffee by the Khan River. On the way there, we will pass by the morning market, so we will have the opportunity to walk around the market as well.

The goods sold are local fresh produce. Some are exotic, never seen before, but many are similar to what we have at home.

We have arrived at the breakfast shop. There are many options to choose from.

The morning fog was very thick. I sipped my morning coffee and then got back on the bus to the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

The charcoal stove next to the table, at first we wondered why it was placed there. In the cold morning, we realized that it was used to add warmth.

I will add more information later, including the Ting Cave, the two-colored river spot, and Joe Ma Coffee Shop.

Thank you to my friends who have been following me. See you again. Have fun on your journey.