How To Spend A Day In Luang Prabang, Laos

My partner and I visited Luang Prabang in December, 2002. This is my journal entry on 12/6/02. Re-reading it fills me with warm memories and makes me yearn to go back. I know I will someday.

Journal entry

We have been in Luang Prabang, Laos for 2 days now. Our hotel is idyllic. Our room overlooks Phousi Hill which has a temple atop it. We'll be walking up the 320 steps to it tomorrow morning.

Luang Prabang has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. Tourism is big here. In town there are quite a few guest houses, restaurants, internet cafes, and backpackers from all over the world. There are also many crafts markets selling wood products, silk, silver and gold. I bought a pair of 22 karat gold earrings today for $20.00 U.S. and Kathie bought a larger pair for $40.00.

We've visited a number of wats and I have taken lots of pictures. All of the temples here are active with monks and novices living and working at them. I've spoken with 2 novices; their English is very good. One of them is 19 now, he will become a monk next year when he turns 20. Once they become monks, they are supposedly not allowed to speak to women, although this hasn't always been my experience.

After spending the morning walking around Luang Prabang and visiting wats, we had lunch at Villa Santi, an old, grand, colonial style hotel in the center of town. We ate on the second floor balcony overlooking the street. It felt quite cool and pleasant, the food was good especially accompanied with a Beer Lao and the service was impeccable and very friendly.

We came back to the hotel and spent a couple of hours down at the pool swimming and reading. Tonight at 7:30 we are being treated to a Cambodian dinner and dance for $13.00 each, which we are both looking forward to.