You are at - Jotaro's Blog /AhPek Biker-Footsteps /Laos-China 2025/ D4 : Around Luang Prabang | Go to D1/D2/D3/D5/D6/D7/D8/D9/D10/D11/D12/
AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Laos & China 2025
Day 4 : Around Luang Prabang
Laos-China 2025 Day 4: 7th December (Sunday)
Day 4 - Around Luang Prabang:
Downtown Hostel>Chaofa Ngum Rd>L Prabang Morning Mkt>Royal Palace>Sakkaline Rd>Wat Xieng Thong>L Prabang Night Mkt>Downtown Hostel.
This is page 4 of a 12-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
Route recommendations, here are some tips on travelling to and around Laos:
7. Food
1. Traffic Directions!
Traffic in Laos, is left-hand drive and vehicles drive on the right side of the road. So do bear this in mind when crossing the road OR when sitting at the front passenger seat. I made this mistake several times and boarded the car at the driver's side with the driver giving me a surprised look 😂.
2. Getting to Laos.
We flew AirAsia from KLIA Terminal 2 to Vientiane's Wattay International Airport; buying tickets earlier to get cheaper fares. Considering the potential difficulties with luggage storage during the later train journey in Laos, we also packed light (20kg checked-in luggage for two people). Together with carry-on luggage, we each had 17kg per person. Fare was MYR407 per pax.
3. Getting from town to town in Laos.
For Laos, getting between towns can be by hired vans, express bus or the Laos-China train. One can buy the bus tickets at the Vientiane Northern Bus Terminal (which is about half an hour away from town) directly from the counter. To book the Laos-China HSR Train tickets, it is recommended to use the LCR App, the official app of the railway. Note that tickets can only be booked three days before the travel date. There is no necessity to book with a Laos, Thai, or China mobile phone number; one can use a personal e-mail address. There are several online sites selling the train ticket, but these are ticketing agents and could be charging higher prices or even overselling.
For Laos, getting between towns can be by hired vans, express bus or the Laos-China train. One can buy the bus tickets at the Vientiane Northern Bus Terminal (which is about half an hour away from town) directly from the counter. To book the Laos-China HSR Train tickets, it is recommended to use the LCR App, the official app of the railway. Note that tickets can only be booked three days before the travel date. There is no necessity to book with a Laos, Thai, or China mobile phone number; one can use a personal e-mail address. There are several online sites selling the train ticket, but these are ticketing agents and could be charging higher prices or even overselling.
We booked our train tickets from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna through the LCR App. For the Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna leg, electronic train tickets need to be changed to physical paper tickets at the Luang Prabang Train Station (at a counter of the ticketing office, so arrive earlier to do this).
Three days before our train journey, Anneh managed to purchase the Laos-China HSR Train tickets online for the for Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang leg. QR codes were issued for us to scan for entry into the train. Tickets were sold out fast, but she managed to get first-class tickets (at Kip258,000/USD10/RM51 per pax) . These cost slightly more than the second-class ones, which we had planned to buy. Luggage racks for big bags are limited, so best to use cabin-sized bags, which can be put on the overhead racks.
Three days before our train journey, Anneh managed to purchase the Laos-China HSR Train tickets online for the for Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang leg. QR codes were issued for us to scan for entry into the train. Tickets were sold out fast, but she managed to get first-class tickets (at Kip258,000/USD10/RM51 per pax) . These cost slightly more than the second-class ones, which we had planned to buy. Luggage racks for big bags are limited, so best to use cabin-sized bags, which can be put on the overhead racks.
4. Getting around towns and cities in Laos.
In Laos, for short distances, one can use tuk-tuks or songthaews, which can be found at most street corners. Our regular songthaews driver in Vang Vieng was a Mr. Ser (WhatsApp: +856-2076-812-586), who took us around the town and also sent us to the Vang Vieng Railway Station the next day.
For longer distances to the outskirts, install InDrive or LOCA. For InDrive, one can negotiate to an agreeable price, but it may be difficult to hail a ride from the outskirts (as we experienced). LOCA seems to be a better bet, but as you must be able to receive the SMS verification code, it's highly recommended to get a local Laos SIM card upon arrival for reliable service and to easily receive that SMS. Pay for LOCA rides with Cash, Credit/Debit Card (Visa/Mastercard). Or with LOCA PAY, with automatic deductions for card payments after binding your card in the app. While card payments are convenient and offer instant e-receipts, a small fee (around 4% + 6,000 LAK) may apply, making cash payment preferred.
In Laos, for short distances, one can use tuk-tuks or songthaews, which can be found at most street corners. Our regular songthaews driver in Vang Vieng was a Mr. Ser (WhatsApp: +856-2076-812-586), who took us around the town and also sent us to the Vang Vieng Railway Station the next day.
For longer distances to the outskirts, install InDrive or LOCA. For InDrive, one can negotiate to an agreeable price, but it may be difficult to hail a ride from the outskirts (as we experienced). LOCA seems to be a better bet, but as you must be able to receive the SMS verification code, it's highly recommended to get a local Laos SIM card upon arrival for reliable service and to easily receive that SMS. Pay for LOCA rides with Cash, Credit/Debit Card (Visa/Mastercard). Or with LOCA PAY, with automatic deductions for card payments after binding your card in the app. While card payments are convenient and offer instant e-receipts, a small fee (around 4% + 6,000 LAK) may apply, making cash payment preferred.
Most of the attractions and eateries in Luang Prabang are located within walking distance at the Luang Prabang Old Quarter.
Note: Touch 'n Go e-Wallet doesn't seem to work in Laos. It works well in China and Thailand.
5. Immigration & Customs Requirements
For Laos, Malaysians are allowed to enter Laos without a visa for a maximum stay of 30 days per visit.
Click here for who can apply for the Lao eVisa and eVisa application form. This visa allows for a stay of up to 30 days and can be extended once. Alternatively, travelers can apply for a tourist visa at a Lao embassy or consulate before arrival, permitting a stay of up to 60 days with the option of an extension.
Click here for Laos e-Arrival Card & e-Departure Card submission. OR one can fill in paper forms, which are available at the airport, train stations, or during the flight.
Click here for who can apply for the Lao eVisa and eVisa application form. This visa allows for a stay of up to 30 days and can be extended once. Alternatively, travelers can apply for a tourist visa at a Lao embassy or consulate before arrival, permitting a stay of up to 60 days with the option of an extension.
Click here for Laos e-Arrival Card & e-Departure Card submission. OR one can fill in paper forms, which are available at the airport, train stations, or during the flight.
6. Places & Things of Interests
?There were many scenic places, interesting attractions, but one should not miss the following (Note: click on the GPS coordinates below for a directional map to the respective places):
a. Luang Prabang Old Quarter (UNESCO Heritage Listing) (GPS: 19.88328, 102.13871).
b. Wat Xieng Thong (ວັດຊຽງທອງ) (GPS: 19.8972, 102.14368).
c. Luang Prabang Morning Market (ຕະຫຼາດເຊົ້າຫຼວງພະບາງ) (GPS: 19.89071, 102.13361).
d. Royal Palace & National Museum (GPS: 19.89222, 102.13555).
a. Luang Prabang Old Quarter (UNESCO Heritage Listing) (GPS: 19.88328, 102.13871).
b. Wat Xieng Thong (ວັດຊຽງທອງ) (GPS: 19.8972, 102.14368).
c. Luang Prabang Morning Market (ຕະຫຼາດເຊົ້າຫຼວງພະບາງ) (GPS: 19.89071, 102.13361).
d. Royal Palace & National Museum (GPS: 19.89222, 102.13555).
e. Royal Ballet Theatre (Phralak Phralam Theatre) (GPS: 19.89106, 102.13553).
f. Luang Prabang Night Market (ຕະຫຼາດກາງຄືນຫຼວງພະບາງ) (GPS: 19.89044, 102.13517).
f. Luang Prabang Night Market (ຕະຫຼາດກາງຄືນຫຼວງພະບາງ) (GPS: 19.89044, 102.13517).
g. Phou Si Hill (ພະທາດພູສີ) (GPS: 19.89032, 102.13700).
h. Fountain Square (GPS: 19.88719, 102.13138).
i. Minipost Money Exchange (GPS: 19.88887, 102.13315), centrally located near the night market.
i. Minipost Money Exchange (GPS: 19.88887, 102.13315), centrally located near the night market.
j. Laos Indigo Blue fabric and clothes; there are several boutiques in Luang Prabang selling these, try asking locals whether one can get these at nearby villages, could have an authentic experience there.
k. Laos colourful tribal fabric and clothes; these ones are from the Oma, a small ethnic community living in the hills of Phongsaly Province.
7. Food
a. Breakfast
- Inclusive breakfast (Western Breakfast or Lao Noodles) at Downtown Hostel (GPS: 19.88823, 102.13142).
b. Lunch
Orlam (Spicy Stew with Dried Buffalo Skin (Nang Khem)), Phad Mi Noodles, Paneang Kai Curry, and Beer Lao at Manola Café Bar (GPS: 19.89231, 102.13783).
c. Afternoon Coffee
8. Accommodations
Second of two nights in Luang Prabang at the Downtown Hostel (GPS: 19.88823, 102.13142) at USD100 (MYR409) for two 2-pax rooms for two nights booked via Trip.com (Breakfast included); i.e. MYR102 per room per night.
9. Communicating with Each Other
When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest.
In Laos, several telco companies have kiosks at the arrival hall of the Wattay International Airport. From the Unitel kiosk, we bought Unitel 5-G Physical Sim Cards and got the 5-Day 20GB card for 80,000 Kips (USD3.70 / RM15). Buy the Lao SIM cards at the airport, as in the city, it could be more expensive and harder to find.
In Laos, several telco companies have kiosks at the arrival hall of the Wattay International Airport. From the Unitel kiosk, we bought Unitel 5-G Physical Sim Cards and got the 5-Day 20GB card for 80,000 Kips (USD3.70 / RM15). Buy the Lao SIM cards at the airport, as in the city, it could be more expensive and harder to find.
10. Communicating with Locals
Except for those in the travel industry, in Laos, most locals speak Lao. As Laos was a former French protectorate, many older locals and tourist guides speak French.
10. Weather
The average day and night temperatures in Luang Prabang were 29°C and 12°C.
Useful weather forecast sites for Laos is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.
Useful weather forecast sites for Laos is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.
11. Navigation
Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.
___________________________________________________________________________
PRELUDE
The previous day, we took a LCR (Laos-China Railway) High-Speed Train to Luang Prabang. It's been ten years since my last visit to this UNESCO Heritage City during a 2016 Cycling Tour in Laos; I found that, with the railway connection, the city is now more vibrant but has lost some of its quiet, rustic charm.
Today, we have a full day in Luang Prabang, and will visit some familiar places, but will also attend an early morning receiving of alms by the monks. But things didn't go as expected from the start!
Today, we have a full day in Luang Prabang, and will visit some familiar places, but will also attend an early morning receiving of alms by the monks. But things didn't go as expected from the start!
___________________________________________________________________________
DAY 4: AROUND LUANG PRABANG
Small Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Laos & China.
Day 4 - Walking Around Luang Prabang:
(Zoom into Luang Prabang for more details)
Most of the posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out of your Facebook first. FB has recently changed its approach, and as such, all relevant links have now been inserted in the comments.)
5:15am - Good morning from Luang Prabang. It's an early morning set out and getting ready to offer alms.
As we walked out to Chaofa Ngum Road, where the monk will be passing by, we could still see Fountain Square still colourfully lit.
The monks haven't come yet, but local vendors were doing good business selling sticky rice and dry foodstuffs for the offerings.
5:15am - Good morning from Luang Prabang. It's an early morning set out and getting ready to offer alms.
As we walked out to Chaofa Ngum Road, where the monk will be passing by, we could still see Fountain Square still colourfully lit.
The monks haven't come yet, but local vendors were doing good business selling sticky rice and dry foodstuffs for the offerings.
Offering alms at main street (Chaofa Ngum Road) Luang Prabang.
Was rather disappointed as the whole thing seems so staged. Plastic chairs were laid out for tourists to sit on while waiting, and when the monks passed by, the offerings were put into their baskets without much prayer. There’s no mat to kneel and pray while offering alms. Also, we didn’t
see any locals here; perhaps they know that it's all a farce. From the look on the monks’ faces, they don’t seem
happy, probably as they sensed that alms were not offered sincerely and with
prayers.
Here's a link to a very appropriate comment on this staged alms giving.
Don't waste one's time getting up early to do this; it would be better to go to the temples and offer alms.
Here's a link to a very appropriate comment on this staged alms giving.
Don't waste one's time getting up early to do this; it would be better to go to the temples and offer alms.
We went back to Downtown Hostel to catch up on our beauty sleep, and three hours later was having the inclusive breakfast, which was a choice from several sets to choose from a wall menu, which included Lao Noodles and Western breakfast.
Tummy suitably sated, we walked out again, this time to the nearby Luang Prabang Morning Market.
The market has grown, with many new stalls selling local items such as these Dried Buffalo Skin, which can be roasted and taken as a snack while drinking beer. Locally called "Hi Nguu" it is often eaten as a delicacy by northern Lao tribes and is cherished for its chewy texture and rich, smoky flavor.
Giant Green Chillis and Mini Crabs (Pu Daeng).
Giant Green Chillis and Mini Crabs (Pu Daeng).
The huge chillis are often used to make "Moke Mock Pit", stuffed green chilli. The mini crabs called Pu Daeng, are usually fried till crispy to be eaten as a snack or cooked as a dish.
Local faces at the morning market, from young to old, some flushed with excitement doing business, a few old with wrinkled experience, and some looking bored while waiting for business.
Sultan Fish and Belida being sold casually here. Back home, these two are highly prized fish and very expensive!
Local faces at the morning market, from young to old, some flushed with excitement doing business, a few old with wrinkled experience, and some looking bored while waiting for business.
Sultan Fish and Belida being sold casually here. Back home, these two are highly prized fish and very expensive!
At the Luang Prabang Royal Palace & National Museum, we just viewed and admired the architecture from the outside. Entry fee for Laotian 10,000kip/person (MYR1:80/USD0:45), and for foreigners i 60,000kip/person (MYR11:00/USD2:75).
The Royal Pavilion of the Royal Palace is a more beautiful building, with a multi-tiered roof and intricately carved gables and walls of gold on rich green.
At one side of the palace grounds is Royal Ballet Theatre (Phralak Phralam Theatre), where one can enjoy Laotian drama. Click here to link to one such drama produced by Kurt Travel Video.
At the grounds were these fruiting Calabash trees.
2:00pm - Laotian Lunch at Manola
Café: Orlam (Spicy Stew with Dried Buffalo Skin (Nang Khem)), Phad Mi Noodles, Paneang Kai Curry, and Beer Lao.
Didn't realise we would be eating the unappetizing-looking Dried Buffalo Skin, which we saw this morning at the market - it actually tastes quite good 😋. Their version of the favourite Thai Paneang Kai Curry (not Penang, which has great food too!) was quite good and would have been better if they had used something other than chicken breast meat, which was a tad dry.
1:45pm - We walked along Sakkaline Road, the main street of the town. The girls are looking to do some shopping, and me just hanging around, observing life passing by. Surprisingly, the streets are rather quiet; every once in a while, a tuk-tuk or songthaew comes buzzing by. Most of the buildings are shophouses or cafes, each uniquely painted in pastel colour.
At Wat Xieng Thong, the most renowned of the many wats (temples) in this UNESCO Heritage city.
Built between 1559 and 1560 by King Setthathirath, Wat Xieng Thong ("Temple of the Golden City") is one of the most important of Lao monasteries and remains a significant monument to the spirit of religion, royalty and traditional art.
What enthralls visitors are the colourful glass mosaic covering the wall, carvings, etc. With the passing sun, and at different times of the day, they reflect a myriad of different colours.
A Wat Love Story at Wat Xieng Thong.
Borrowed somebody's bride to pose for a unique photo. Luckily, the bridal couple was sporting.
They were dressed in traditional Laotian wedding costumes. The bride wore a Lao silk sinh, which is a traditional skirt, a silk blouse, and gold jewelry & accessories, and a traditional low conical hat. The groom wore a traditional puffy silk salong, and brandished a ceremonial sword.
Click here to read more about a Laotian wedding.
Click here to read more about a Laotian wedding.
6:30pm - Late coffee break at Cafè Amazon Phetsamai.
At the Luang Prabang Night Market again, this time round, the girls were hunting Elephant Purses to buy back home for friends.
At the Luang Prabang Night Market again, this time round, the girls were hunting Elephant Purses to buy back home for friends.
7:45pm - For dinner, Khao Piak Sen (Lao Tapioca Noodle Chicken Soup) at the renowned Kao Piek Sen Hua Xiang (ເຂົ້າປຽກ ຫົວຊຽງ).
ຝັນດີ ແລະ ຝັນຫວານ.
(That's "fandi lae fan van" in Lao,
meaning "Goodnight and sweet dreams.")
(For more photos of Day 4, Click Here)
This is page 3 of a 12-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
< D2: Vang Vieng | Go to Other Days | D4: Luang Prabang 02 >
___________________________________________________________________________________
RELATED BLOGS:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
___________________________________________________________________________________
You are at - Jotaro's Blog /AhPek Biker-Footsteps /Laos-China 2025/ D4 : Around Luang Prabang | Go to D1/D2/D3/D5/D6/D7/D8/D9/D10/D11/D12/
If you like this, view my other blogs at Jotaro's Blog
(comments most welcomed below. If you like this pls share via Facebook or twitter)
No comments:
Post a Comment