Lovely Laos lives up to it's reputation

World Heritage listed by UNESCO, Luang Prabang is a wonderful mix of French and Laos culture. Baguettes and crepes for breakfast, with super-strong Laos coffee, and spicy laap for dinner with a delicious Beer Lao. The coffee and the beer here certainly live up to their excellent reputations. Everything in Luang Prabang does. It is lovely.


Typical buliding, Luang Prabang

At a point where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong, it is incredibly picturesque. The town is very well maintained, it has to be to keep the heritage listing. The locals are friendly although speak little English, if I spoke some French I would be better off. I’ve got a few Laos phrases up my sleeve already, and the Thai ones work here too. It’s enough to get some respect and service with a genuine smile.

I have splurged and forked out $18 a night (the most I’ve spent Bangkok) for a gorgeous room with dark oiled floor boards, crisp white sheets and towels, shuttered windows, a bathroom almost as big as my last guesthouse room, with a BATH, with breakfast included. It is another quiet guesthouse, there is American-Chinese family staying here also, breakfast is communal and they are friendly.


My room, Lane Xang GH

All I’ve done so far is have a bath and wander the streets, stopping frequently for coffee or beer laos. I climbed to the top of Phou Si, a hill in the centre of town covered with temples, and with a fantastic 360 degree view.

Caveshrine, Phou Si. I thought this was a real man at first when I walked in... it Was dark!

Last night at dinner I tried the local lao lao drink, rice whisky, I’d receive a complimentary one on arrival, in a little shooter glass with lemon juice. By the time I got to dessert (fried bananas with coffee toffee) I thought I’d have another with my laos coffee. Except this time there was an inch of it in a tumbler, it tasted strong, I found out it was 50% alcohol!

The caffeine and the alcohol was a heady combination and I got back to the guesthouse hyper and tipsy, trying to ask for my laptop back, speaking a little too loud and too fast, while the respectable family where eating their dinner. Finally I expained that I was mau (drunk) and when I explained about the lao lao, there where ah’s of understanding all around, and concern for my head this morning.

My head’s fine, a litre of water, more coffee for breakfast and an hour long massage has fixed me up. It’s just started raining, so there’s no point in going out for a while, so I think I’ll just slip back into that nice warm bath for a while…

My plan was to stay 4 days, then head south. My plan now is to stay here at least 6 days, then perhaps head north to the hills (when I feel like I can cope with another boat ride), I feel like some elevation. I will do the south when I go to Cambodia, sometime.