Laos Things to Do

 
by Willettsworld
 
  •   Things to Do
    by Willettsworld
  •   Things to Do
    by Willettsworld
  • Tuk tuk with tubes
      Tuk tuk with tubes
    by li-anne
  • Pak Au
      Pak Au
    by vuzu
  • Second temple in Pak Au Cave, NOT WORTH A VISIT.
      Second temple in Pak Au Cave, NOT WORTH...
    by vuzu
 
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A lesson in history

by cafank

Built by the French colonial government for King Sisavangvong between 1904 and 1909 the former Royal Palace was taken over by the revolutionary government in 1975 and reopened to the public as a national museum in 1976. The building is a blend of French and Lao architectural styles. Decorated with murals depicting scenes of everyday life in the city executed by a French artist in the 1930s, the king's reception room contains busts and paintings of past Lao monarchs. One reception displays gifts from various heads of state to the Lao monarchy - interesting to see what your country may have given as a gift...!There are many crystal Buddha images recovered in 1914 from the collapsed chedi of That Makmo in the grounds of Wat Wisun. Also in the compound is the home of the Pharak Pharam Royal Ballet Troupe of Luang Prabang where excerpts from the Lao version of the Ramayana epic are staged...

True history

by cafank

Luang Prabang Museum was a pleasant surprise. As much because I realised I knew little about the history of Laos - and there was lots of information here - as the buildings themselves being relatively new and offereing a nice inside to the culture of the place.It's not a huge museum but I really enjoyed wandering around learning about the history, the wars, the invasions, the development of the current Government.You must leave you valuable at the door so don't take too much with you. You should be dressed conservatively too - no short shorts or shoestring straps for the lasies.

Kuang Si waterfall

by magor65

While staying in Luang Prabang the trip to Tat Kuang Si - a multi-tiered waterfall is a must. It's a place of great natural beauty where you can stay a couple of hours away from the town, make a picnic and have a swim. When you get to the park and follow a path on the right, (not a main road), you will find two enclosures - one with black bears, the other with a tiger. The animals have been rescued from poachers and are looked after by the "Free the Bears" charity. Then you will pass a number of pools with incredibly turquoise water. In some of them swimming is allowed. Here my sister-in-law had a funny accident. She is a keen swimmer so she wasn't going to miss such an opportunity. But before putting on her bathing suit she decided to pose for a picture in this beautiful surrounding. To make the photo more interesting she got on a tree branch over the pool and ... the moment I took the...

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Villages on the way to Pak Ou caves

by magor65

On the way to Pak Ou caves you usually stop in some villages, where visitors can buy local products made on the spot or just observe village life. The most common stops include whiskey, weaving and paper villages. Visiting a whiskey village is a good occasion to taste the local product, lao-lao whiskey made from fermented rice soaked in water from the Mekong. The sight of all those bottles with snakes and scorpins inside put me off trying the spirits.I liked a weaving village with lots of hand-made fabrics on display. It was interesting to see the weavers in action sitting in front of wooden devices with hundreds of threads and making intricate patterns.In a paper village we could see sheets of rice paper spread over a kind of mesh and left to dry. The villagers in all those places are obviously used to visitors. They carry on with their daily chores and only at the distinct sign of your...

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Wat Xieng Thong - Luang Prabang

by magor65

Wat Xieng Thong, the most magnificent temple in Luang Prabang, is situated at the end of the town's peninsula, where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet. It was built in 1560 by King Steehathirat.The sim (ordination hall) with its graceful low-sweeping roof is an excellent example of Lao temple architecture. On its outer rear wall you can see a mosaic of coloured stones symbolising the tree of life. Other buidings are adorned with glass mosaics on the red background which depict Buddhist stories and folk tales. The mosaics come from 1950's.The most intriguing place of the complex is probably the funerary house. There you can see an impressive funeral carriage which is 12 m high. It carries the funeral urns of various members of a royal family. The seven-headed naga in front of the carriage is very photogenic, isn't it?

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Pak Ou Caves

by magor65

One of the most popular half-day trips from Luang Prabang is that to Pak Ou caves. All travel agents in town have the trip in their offer but if you want to get it cheaper it's advisable to arrange things with a boat driver directly down the Mekong. This is what we did, although having to pay some money in advance aroused our suspicion. But on the next day everything went all right and with a few other travellers we set off on a boat trip to Pak Ou caves. It took about two hours to get to our destination, including two stops in villages. The ride itself was very nice - we enjoyed the tranquil scenery of the river banks and exchanged travellers' tales with a couple who turned out to be Polish (isn't it a small world?)The big limestone cliff overgrown with trees is seen from afar. There are two caves here. You should get to the upper one only if you've got some strong artificial light....

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Luang Prabang - the Royal Palace

by magor65

The Royal Palace is a kind of a hybrid structure - a mixture of Lao motifs and French style from the colonial era. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century and was the royal residence till 1975 when the Pathet Lao gained control of the state. Consequently, the king, queen and prince were forced to exile to the remote region of the country and are believed to have died there of malnutrition.Visiting the palace gives some insight into the life of the royal couple. The modesty of the furniture, clothing and other possessions shows that the Lao Kings did not live in great wealth and splendour at all. One of the rooms is filled with diplomatic gifts presented to Laos by different countries, f.e. Cambodia, Thailand, Hungary, Japan, USA. I wasn't much impressed by A Polish gift - a modest copy of Polish coronation sword looked humble and inconspicuous, but still it was nice to find...

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Mount Phousi - Luang Prabang

by magor65

It's a good idea to start exploring the city of Luang Prabang by climbing Mount Pousi. It's the hill (above 100m) in the very heart of the city, visible from any point of it. Looking at the town from above will give you an idea of its geographical layout. You have to pay a small fee to climb the summit. I wonder why the fee is collected half-way - perhaps the visitors who have climbed so much are less likely to resign when they find out they have to pay? But I still would recommend to go up - the view of the city is excellent.On top of the hill you will see That Chomsi Stupa (coming from 1804). This is where the Lao New Year procession starts every April.Walking up we came across those old women holding miniature cages with little birds imprisoned in them. The birdies were half-dead because of the heat, lack of water, fear ... Whatever meaning this custom has, I don't like it at all. I...

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Luang Prabang - a jewel of SE Asia

by magor65

I would risk saying that everything in Luang prabang is superb. Let's start with its location - surrounded by the mountains it lies at the junction of the Mekong and Na Khan rivers, which not only makes the place more beautiful but also offers possibilities of nice trips. Then fascinating Buddhist culture imprinting itself on the city's life with more than 30 temples and a big community of monks. If you only bother to get up before dawn you will witness one of the city's most extraordinary sights - monks collecting alms. Luang Prabang is often referred to as the best preserved traditional town in SE Asia. No wonder that it is listed as one of the UNESCO Heritage Sites. In accordance with the UNESCO plans building new houses has been limited so this unique aura of an outdoor museum can be preserved. Most visitors to Luang Prabang are enchanted with its colours: gold of the temples, green...

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Patuxai

by magor65

The Arc de Triumphe in Vientiane? Built in 1969, 16 years after France had granted Laos its independence, Patuxai is undoubtedly reminiscent of the French presence in this country. Even its name can be more or less translated as "the arch of triumph".After closer inspection you notice differences. The bas- reliefs and ornamentations are typically Lao. You will find here f.e. kinnari figures - mythological creatures being half-birds, half-women.Patuxai is often called "the vertical runway". The reason is that the cement used for its construction was donated by Americans and was meant to be used for building an airport. Patuxai is one of the highest structures in Vientiane. It's possible to climb its top and look from there at the panorama.Another attraction situated nearby is a fountain (it is said to be "musical", but I haven't heard it play) donated by the Chinese.

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Fun things to do in Laos

Top 3 Hotels in Laos

La Residence Phou Vao  Luang Prabang

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163 Hotels in Laos
 
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Reviews and photos of Laos attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Laos sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Laos
  1. Luang Prabang Things to Do
  2. Vientiane Things to Do
  3. Vang Vieng Things to Do
  4. Pakse Things to Do
  5. Savannakhet Things to Do
  6. Ban Phonsavan Things to Do
  7. Don Khong Things to Do
  8. Ban Pak Beng Things to Do
  9. Champasak Things to Do
  10. Muang Hongsa Things to Do
  11. Muang Sing Things to Do
  12. Ban Houayxai Things to Do
  13. Muang Phonsavan Things to Do
  14. Ban Pak-Ou Things to Do
  15. Ban Thabok Things to Do
  16. Muang Pakxong Things to Do
  17. Muang Pak-Lay Things to Do
  18. Attapu Things to Do
  19. Louang Namtha Things to Do
  20. Ban Vangtao Nok Things to Do
  21. Ban Phonsavan Things to Do
  22. Vat Phou Things to Do

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Questions and Answers

trusmibatik profile photo

Q:  do any VT have any experience with the VIP overnight sleeper bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang??? is it reasonably... 

singnomore profile photo

A: I took the VIP bus from Luang Prabang to Vientienne in 2010. There is a toilet on the bus. I was on the upper deck and the airconditioner was very weak. So it was a VHB... 

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