what i learned: luang prabang

I learned that Luang Prabang is one of the loveliest places in the world. Everywhere I went, I was surrounded by natural beauty...

other stuff we ate: luang prabang

There is one dish from Laos that I developed a craving for: the Luang Prabang Salad. The first time I tried it was at a nameless restaurant on Khounsua Road. It was more expensive than the one I had at Arthouse Café and it lacked an essential ingredient, phak nam (locally-grown watercress). But the dressing was ambrosial, and the vegetables were so fresh that I could hear every crunch reverberating in my head as I ate.

I've noticed that I'm liking soups more and more as I get older. So glad that I live in Asia, yay! This bowl of chicken noodle soup I found at a little stall beside Croissant d'Or was light and clean-tasting, and had a wonderful surprise at the bottom of the bowl: a bunch of watercress.

Near Food Street, there's a place which serves beef noodle soup like a Vietnamese pho bo, with very thinly sliced meat, a couple of beef balls and lots of veggies. If you want even more greens, they serve some long beans, watercress and basil on the side.

street food at food street

Everyday at around 5PM, Sisavangyong Road in Luang Prabang is closed to vehicular traffic and the Night Market opens for business. Near the end of that road is an alley everybody calls Food Street. You'll know you're in the right place when you see a building with a table flanked by "Bakery" signs in front, with some marked-down breads and pastries laid out. Banana cake at half price, anyone?

At the mouth of the alley, there may or may not be this lady who makes fresh, hot biscuits right on the sidewalk. (We saw her on Monday, and then she was absent the next nights.) Fantastic packaging-- completely biodegradable!

Along the sides of the alley are tables groaning under the weight of all sorts of edibles.

shopping without buying

We spent four nights in Luang Prabang, and every night we ended up at the Night Market. It was impossible to avoid it because it occupies practically half of the main strip, Sisavangyong Road. And Luang Prabang is so tiny that everyone, and I do mean everyone, congregates at the Night Market after sunset.

The vendors lay their wares out on the ground, either on a piece of tarp or a raised platform made of plywood, and then they settle down for the next four to five hours for some multicultural haggling.

chewing over lao cuisine

Arthouse Café is a very famous, highly recommended restaurant in Luang Prabang. Tripadvisor.com has ranked it second out of 73, and nobody seems to have anything bad to say about it.

But I hadn't read any of those reviews when I decided that we should try out Arthouse Café. We were just meandering along in the Nam Khan side of town when I saw it. It looked cozy and welcoming from the outside...

And the inside was not too shabby, either. The air-conditioned dining room on the ground floor was charming. The shiny wooden floors, the retro cane furniture, the French doors and lots of natural light-- I liked this place a lot.

But mostly I was attracted to the lunch special. Fried rice and a fruit shake for only 25,000 kip (a little over US$3)! That was a very good deal-- probably the best in Luang Prabang.

because it smelled good

Let's see... where was I? Oh yes, Luang Prabang.

I've already mentioned the French influence and the colonial architecture...

frozen in time

Actually, all of the buildings in Luang Prabang are similar to Villa Chitdara. The entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the local people are encouraged to maintain the centuries-old architectural style.

I hesitate to call it a city because I grew up in a sprawling metropolis with a population of 12 million. To me, Luang Prabang is just a tiny village-- albeit a very beautiful one that grew organically between two mighty rivers, the Mekong and the Nam Khan, was "protected" by the French who built all those fantastic colonial villas, and is now being preserved in all its charming glory, with the help of no less than the United Nations.

But I guess since Laos has only 6.5 million citizens in total, Luang Prabang's 50,000 is pretty substantial. AND it used to be the capital of the Lao Kingdom. So, yes, it's a city.

chalet in the tropics

The reason I chose Villa Chitdara Guesthouse in Luang Prabang? Because the monks pass right in front of it every morning. And of course, it helped that it's gotten very good reviews.

I was delighted that we got the room with the best view.

The room itself was not huge, but not cramped either. The AC, fan, ref and TV worked fine. We got free bottled water everday, and all the coffee and tea we could drink.

who needs instagram?

Mention "Luang Prabang" and most people immediately think of saffron-robed monks walking the streets, collecting (I'd rather not use the word "begging") alms. Indeed, even at the arrival area of the airport, there are notices posted all over about what the alms ceremony is about and how tourists should behave.

Unfortunately, some people insist on behaving badly.

From Wikitravel: Please note that the alms giving ceremony is one which, while picturesque, is not without its detractors. Unscrupulous local merchants have used the eagerness of tourists to participate in a local tradition as a means of making easy money, and sometimes sell unsuitable, stale and even unsafe food. This has resulted in monks falling ill after having consumed the offerings, and resistance to continuing the tradition. So if you wish to participate in this ceremony, prepare the food or fruit yourself, and avoid giving food of unknown quality. Another problem is the photographing. While it looks nice in your collection, think about how it must feel for the monks to have hundreds of tourists photographing them every day. Some lowlifes even stand right next to them, flashing them in the eyes! Strongly consider only watching this old tradition from a distance instead of using it as a tourist attraction, as this may detract from the beauty of the ritual - both for locals and tourists alike.

Let me tell you, those monks walk really fast. So many of my photos are kind of blurry, but I have decided to set my frustration aside and embrace the blurriness! Thank gad for Picassa.

1960s effect

HDR-ish effect

how to spend 279000

There is surprisingly very little information about where and what to eat in Luang Prabang. The most comprehensive review I read was on tripadvisor.com by this guy who seemed to enjoy his meal at Les 3 Nagas, so that's where we had our very first meal in Laos.

A couple of hours after landing at the cute little Luang Prabang International Airport, we went to a travel agency on Sakkaline Road to change US$100 to hundreds of thousands of kip (the best exchange rate in town at 7950 kip to one dollar) and made our way to Les 3 Nagas.

It was easy to find. Everything in Luang Prabang is easy to find.

i'm back

Guess where I've been?