Visit Luang Prabang - Laos

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Buddhist temples full of history, tradition - and unusual beauty - waterfalls with extremely clear waters, surrounded by lots of greenery (and animals, such as elephants), as well as streets full of attractions and restaurants serving the best of local cuisine. All this is just a small sample of what the small town of Luang Prabang has to offer the visitor.

It's not uncommon to fall in love with this destination right away. A Unesco heritage site, the city, located in a mountainous region in northern Laos, was built on a peninsula formed by two rivers, the famous Mekong - one of the largest in the world and which, in addition to Laos, bathes Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam - and Nam Khan. The landscapes, therefore, are breathtaking.

And there's nothing like exploring the city at your leisure, on foot, or taking a ride in tuk-tuks, to admire the local architecture (which has some European influences) or simply feel the vibrant atmosphere of this city. Nor can we fail to mention how happy the people of Laos are, despite a past marked by tragedies and a still problematic present. During the time we were in the country, we only met people who spoke with a smile and who spared no effort to welcome you.

Luang Prabang is a destination that, in addition to the variety of attractions, attracts attention for its good prices, with tickets to tourist attractions costing 1 USD, complete meals at 10 USD - per person - and tuk-tuk rides that don't even cost 3 USD. The local currency is the Kip (K) and the language is Laotian, with English being widespread in most of the central part of the city, which practically lives off tourism.

Luang Prabang is a small, charming and simply delightful city for walking. On these tours, you can feel the local atmosphere, spirituality and energy of the inhabitants, as well as visit some famous Buddhist temples, eat in restaurants that serve the best of local cuisine, explore some of the city's markets and - why not? - have a relaxing (and cheap) massage session.

Some attractions are close to the city, such as the beautiful waterfalls with turquoise blue water and the villages of elephants - animals that, in Asian culture, are symbols of wisdom -, however, unfortunately, some of these establishments end up treating these beautiful animals wrong way (aimed solely at profit); therefore, always choose well-regarded places and companies, such as the already recognized White Elephant, Green Discovery and the Elephant Village and Shangri Lao.

Most of the city's attractions are concentrated in the so-called old quarter, very close to each other, by the way. There are two important and famous streets locally: Sisavangvong and Kingkitsarat, both super busy. It is at Sisavangvong, for example, where the Tak Bat, the "Ceremony of Souls" or the offering of food to Buddhist monks, a tradition in Luang Prabang, takes place.

Although most of the givers are locals, visitors who know the true meaning of the ceremony and feel up to it can also participate. In this case, however, it is necessary to dress respectfully (shoulders, stomach and legs covered) and only offer food that is extremely fresh and of good origin - like the "sticky" rice sold in the local market, every day, very early in the morning.

The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful: turquoise water falling over pale limestone rocks and, of course, a lot of greenery all around. The waterfall, which is one of the main tourist attractions in Luang Prabang, is ideal for swimming, as the water, although a little cold, combines perfectly with the heat in the region, not to mention that it ends up attracting a lot of people, too. , due to one attraction in particular: the elephants.

On site it is possible to walk with the animals, feed them with bananas and even “swim” in the waterfall - all for a cost, of course. Many agencies in Luang Prabang offer complete packages with transport to the waterfall and “interaction” with the local elephants. Among the more serious companies are White Elephant and Green Discovery (their offices are on Sisavangvong Road, one of the most famous streets in the city). The waterfall is open to the public daily, from 8 am to 5:30 pm.

How to get there: going there on your own is not complicated at all; just hire a tuk tuk, in Luang Prabang (not expensive), to take you to the banks of the Nam Khan River. On site, for 10,000K (per person) you will take a boat to the waterfall area, which also has a restaurant/snack bar, with a menu full of local cuisine, snacks and soft drinks.

Luang Prabang has more than 30 Buddhist temples and among them is Wat Wisunalat, the oldest in operation in the city. Erected during the reign of King Visounnarath, between 1512 and 1515, the site is one of the most significant places for worship and also for holding festivities for the Buddhist community.

Those who visit Wat Wisunalat (or Visoun, as it is called) can hardly imagine that in the past the building was hit by a serious fire, an event that ended up compromising the beautiful carved wooden structure that existed in the place. Restored in 1898, however, the temple houses more than 120 important religious artifacts - several of them in its main building, where there is a giant statue of Buddha, in addition to several smaller ones, dating from the 16th century.

Admission is free - keeping in mind that temples are sacred places, where footwear is prohibited, wearing a sleeveless shirt, shorts, skirts above the knee and low-cut sleeveless blouses. A solution for those who go unprepared are the sarongs, pieces of fabric that cover the lower part of the torso and can be removed right after the visit.

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