Luang Prabang — tijd en weer

Bezienswaardigheden en historische plekken

• Wat Xieng Thong, a jewel of 16th-century Lao architecture with its mosaic 'tree of life'.
• Mount Phousi in the centre, with a stupa at the summit and panoramic sunset views over the Mekong.
• The dawn alms-giving to monks (tak bat) at first light through the historic town centre.
• The Kuang Si Falls, with turquoise cascades and jungle pools just outside the town.

Musea

• The National Museum (the former Royal Palace), with its throne hall and the Phra Bang Buddha image.
• The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, devoted to the diversity of Laos's ethnic groups.
• The UXO information centre in Luang Prabang, on the history of unexploded ordnance in the country.

Waar je tijd doorbrengen

• A Mekong cruise to the Pak Ou Caves, filled with thousands of Buddha statues.
• Swimming in the turquoise pools of the Kuang Si Falls and visiting the bear rescue centre nearby.
• The Luang Prabang night market, with Hmong handicrafts, textiles and street food.

Lokale keuken

Try the local Mekong river-weed 'kaipen', the stew 'or lam' and Lao coffee, and the buffet stalls of the night market in the evening.