Asian Adventure: Luang Prabang

Asian Adventunre: Luang Prabang

Accommodation: VisounNam Sok Hotel

Contiki Guide: Emmo

Local Guide: Mr. Mei

Day/s: 6, 7, 8

Highlights: Bike tour, Utopia bar, elephant riding, lunch, waterfalls and the night markets.

After two days of cruising, our arrival in Luang Prabang gave us our first opportunity to view urban Laos. The city is one of those that fill the pages of novels. While small, it has many side streets and avenues to explore; and with one of the most concentrated amount of temples in the world almost every corner gives you a view of some mysterious and ornate building.

Upon arrival we are given a few minutes to unload our luggage before hitting the streets for a bike tour. For those of us (myself included) who feel inept riding a bike we got the opportunity to ride in the back-up tuk tuk. Our tour gives us the chance to spot out interesting looking restaurants and cool buildings. Our first stop is to visit Wat Xieng Thong which dates back to the 1500’s. This temple is worth the visit (even if you have reached the point where all the temples are beginning to blend into one massive mush). Architecturally and artistically the temple differs from anything else you would see in South-East Asia. With a three tiered roof and thousands of mosaics decorating the wall the temple's splendour is obvious. The massive tree of life mosaic itself is a reason to visit.

If that is not all you may get the opportunity to see monks who live in the temple going about everyday life as well as 'tourist' monks visiting the temple. Included on this bike tour is the opportunity to stop and try snake whiskey as well as watch the sun set over the Mekong River.

Later that evening we go to a restaurant that has university students modelling traditional clothing from surrounding tribes as well as local teenagers blowing us away with their break-dancing routines. After dinner we head on over to Utopia. Utopia is a unique outdoor bar-like hang out with loungers, a volley ball court and a bamboo tree house where one can lie down and watch the river. As the bar closes at 11 o’clock our group split into two. Half of us returned to the hotel; the others went ten pin bowling (an activity that all westerners apparently adore and cannot do without).

The following morning is an early one. We head out elephant riding. The sanctuary we were at clearly looks after their elephants. Mehutes/trainers are paired up with an elephant for life. We soon met our Mehute, Gal, and our elephant a 35 year old female named Pepsi. The first thing you notice about the Asian Elephant is that they are substantially smaller than their African counterparts. This combined with their “cuetsy” doe-eyed look make them see slightly less intimidating than what I was expecting. Pepsi was fantastic as she stayed on course and Gal let us ride her bare-back for part of the trip while he took over 250 photos. With the ride over far too soon we were given the opportunity to buy Pepsi a treat (bananas). Eating them whole, Pepsi preferred the Banana placed directly on her tongue rather than using her trunk (though she would take with said trunk if we didn’t feed her fast enough).

With The outing over and back at the hotel at barely 10:30 am we freshen up and hit the town. Luang Prabang is geared towards tourism (despite it not being packed with tourists). With hundreds of opportunities to have lunch along the river we eventually stumble across a wood/bamboo bridge that boasts a restaurant on the other side. Paying the 5000 kip to cross over is defiantly worth it, as when you reach the other side the restaurant on your left gives one of the best meals you can get in South-East Asia.

Our lunch, Loas Fondue, is nothing like its western counterpart. You first receive hot coals with a metal contraption on top. Then you receive tofu (or meat/fish) as well as eggs, noodles and vegetables. After our waiter patiently showed us how to eat the meal (frying the tofu on the top and cooking noodles and vegetables on the bottom-see image) we had one of our best dining experiences in Asia.

A quick tuk tuk back to our hotel we rejoin our tour to see the waterfalls. The natural features in Laos are those that are so beyond belief that when you see the pictures on the internet you automatically believe that they are photo-shopped. The water is so blue, milky, clear and luminescent that each idea of it contradicts the other, yet it still exists. To see this and let alone be allowed to swim in it is one of the opportunities that very few places in the world can boast and in and of itself is a reason to visit Luang Prabang, Laos.

Finally our second day of our visit to this wondrous city is brought to an end with pizza, our first western food in over a week, and a visit of the local night markets (where if you don’t buy something you are missing out on some of the most beautiful and authentic souvenirs you will find).

To end off our stay, the following morning we wake up before sunrise to feed the monks. This gives you the opportunity for seeing an ancient ritual as well as to support the temples that look after so many young and impoverished children. From here we head back to our hotel, eat our own breakfast and head onto a new bus.

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