Stories of Places, People and Photography in the Philippines and Beyond
Sabaidee! Khawp jai lai lai for taking time to join me on this journey through Laos. While it may have taken me months to finish the whole Laos Chronicles, the actual trip lasted only 14-days including transit from February 5-18 2009. I would have wanted to wraps thing up quickly but there are so many details to write about the place and I want it written in a way people are traveling with me as well. So here’s the summary of the trip with itinerary details and budget.
It was my last day in Luang Prabang and after visiting Ban Xieng Maen Village, I decided to spend the last of the dying light here by the Mekong River . I had a late afternoon lunch, at the nearby restaurants overlooking the river. When the sun was already low I went down the banks to capture my last sunset in Luang Prabang.
Somewhere around a 100 meters more after Wat Chom Phet, still on a dirt road but covered by tall trees. Across it is the Wat Long Khun Temple. It is one of the best looking temple grounds I’ve seen. The monastery looks new and the main sim is petite but beautiful likewise. Across the river, I noticed its directly across Wat Xieng Thong.
After visiting Tat Kuang Si waterfalls, I was deciding whether I should leave Luang Prabang the next day. Don’t get me wrong I love Luang Prabang but the slow pace can get to you some times. The best thing to do here is to visit outlying villages instead of staying in town. In the end, I decided to stay another day and try to visit the Ban Xieng Maen. The village just across the river where they say will give you a glimpse of what the Luang Prabang was like more than 40 years ago.
I checked out at Levady GH soon after my visit at the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong. When I got to Thony II they were still cleaning up my room at the upper floor. While waiting, I saw a small poster where it says that they can take me to Tat Kuang Si Falls for 50,000 kip round trip. It was pretty cheap than taking a sole tuk-tuk on your own which is around 150,000 kip. I booked to be included on the afternoon tour.
My morning temple hopping led me to Th Sakkarin Area. Before I went back to Levady GH to get my bags and move to my new lodging I decided to visit another temple since I had plenty of time to spare before checkout. It’s easy to get templed-out in Luang Prabang, so it’s best to choose which ones to visit. If you would only choose to visit just one it should be the most magnificent temple in Luang Prabang. And that is Wat Xieng Thong.
I enjoyed walking through the Night Market of Luang Parabang but had to withdraw myself lest I get tempted to spend. I headed to Th Khem Khong Road, another parallel road to the river but quieter and closer. Then I had a quick dinner of Stir Fry Mushroom Beef (16,000kip) and a strawberry shake (6000 kip) at one of the riverside restos there. Checked the internet and emails nearby then headed back to Levady Guest House for the night’s rest. By 9pm the town quiets down. There’s an 11pm curfew in Luang Prabang.
