Impression of Laos – Vientiane, Vang Vieng & Luang Prabang
Laos is a country of Buddhists.
The slow-paced urban life makes local people more willing to be at leisure, drink some coffee or beer while chitchatting. Most Lao people seem to prefer a casual lifestyle rather than bear the burden of being rich.
Local people have equal social status and little is there hatred and jealousy among them. Rich people believe that their fortunes, in addition to their own efforts, are more attributed to the good fate. I think religion plays the biggest role in shaping their honesty, kindness, politeness as well as building harmony and equality among people.
The slow-paced urban life makes local people more willing to be at leisure, drink some coffee or beer while chitchatting. Most Lao people seem to prefer a casual lifestyle rather than bear the burden of being rich.
Local people have equal social status and little is there hatred and jealousy among them. Rich people believe that their fortunes, in addition to their own efforts, are more attributed to the good fate. I think religion plays the biggest role in shaping their honesty, kindness, politeness as well as building harmony and equality among people.
Day 1
Vientiane
Vientiane is the capital of Laos.
Vientiane might be a little bit dangerous now. Rumors said that there was a gunfight broke out among the Vietnamese a couple of days ago and some of them were robbing pedestrians on motorcycles at night. So I didn’t go out on the first night.
We stayed at Muong Thanh Luxury Vientiane.
Day 2
Pha That Luang
Enroute to the Pha That Luang temple in the morning, a landmark of Vientiane. “Pha That Luang” means “the valuable and sacred pagoda” in Lao language. The main pagoda has a gold-plated top that shines brilliantly under the sun.
[King Setthathirath] Fa Ngum founded a unified kingdom named Lan Xang in Laos for the first time after all warlords were conquered, and the capital was built in Luang Prabang. Vientiane lowered its status in order to maintain the core status of Luang Prabang as the kingdom’s capital, and Pha That Luang lost its glory. Vientiane didn’t recover its status until it was appointed as the capital again during the rule of Setthathirath in the 16th century.
Dok Champa is the national flower of Laos.
Putaxai
I went to the Patuxai, a war monument in the center of Vientiane dedicated to those who fought for independence from France. There are typical Lao style carvings and decorations on the arch, all well-crafted, demonstrating the remarkable traditional ethnic culture and arts of Laos.
Presidential Palace
I visited the Presidential Palace, which is a giant French style mansion. It was the residence of the governor during the French colony period and now the residence for the president of Laos. There are no guards at the gate and you can take a peek outside the fence, but you are not allowed to enter.
Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park)
Went to the Xieng Khuan in the afternoon. A park themed with Buddhist and Hinduist sculptures. The park is a big garden full of green.
Nam Ngum Lake
Enroute to Nam Ngum, the largest lake in the country. The water and mountains are so perfectly matched, offering a breathtaking scenery and fully reflecting the characteristics of the natural landscapes of Laos.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the sunset while boating because of the rain.
We stayed at Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort.
Day 3
Vang Vieng
Going to Vang Vieng in the morning, which was about a 2-hour drive.
Vang Vieng is a transit stop between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, the outdoor heaven for backpackers.
Cows were wandering around on the road.
The weather was rainy and sunny every now and then due to the tropical climate. So half of the way was wet and the other half was dry, and half of it was raining and half of it was sunny.
Sticky rice ice cream. We had the Lao-style ice cream made of sticky rice when we took a break on the way.
Biggest dried fish market in Vang Vieng.
Boating on a long-tail boat on Nam Song River in the afternoon.
Tham Chang Cave
Tham Chang Cave is a well known attraction in Vang Vieng. It was used as an air-raid shelter for Laotians before. Without any much man-made decorations, it largely remains what it looked like in its rawest form.
Elementary school in Vang Vieng.
Vang Vieng at dusk.
We had dinner in a French restaurant named Le café De Paris, and the owner was very welcoming.
We stayed at Vinutda Guesthouse.
Vang Vieng pubs
The pubs in Vang Vieng gather lots of western tourists. Sometimes people call them “pubs for the poor”. We went to Sakuna Bar, a very popular one, to break some moves!
Day 4
Luang Prabang
En route to Luang Prabang in the morning, which took about 4 hours by car.
The city of Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has witnessed history over a thousand years.
The bumpy road offered low visibility. A few trucks turned on their side along the road. We took a break on a hill.
We finally made it to Luang Prabang after almost 5 hours.
I had a bowl of Lao style pho after we arrived. Well… actually I had two bowls of pho. The shop was Pho Jan Tanom.
We visited the elephant sanctuary in the afternoon.
Wat Xieng Thong
Wat Xieng Thong represents the temple style in Luang Prabang, and it conveys the long Buddhist history of the country. Monks were chanting and believers were praying in the temple.
The weaving village in Luang Prabang.
Mekong River
Mekong River. Having a good time on the boat.
Songs could be heard on the banks of Mekong River. Lao people are content about their life, hence their high happiness ranking in several reports.
The junction of two rivers
Phousi Mountain
Phousi Mountain is the best place to overlook the ancient town of Luang Prabang. There is a gilded temple on top of it called Wat Chom Si, which is the landmark of the hilltop. All the scenery of the ancient town are in your sight when looking down from the temple. Especially the sunset, it was amazing.
The Lao style hotpot by Mekong River.
We stayed at Belmond La Residence Phou V for the last two nights.
Day 5
Royal Palace Museum
We went to the Royal Palace Museum in the morning, which used to be the royal palace. There are many relics from the Lan Xang kingdom era. The gold Buddha statue of Luang Prabang, a national treasure of Laos, is in the museum too.
No photography allowed in the museum, and all backpacks, hats and sunglasses need to be stored away. No sleeveless shirt, shorts or skirt above the knees are allowed.
Kuang Si Waterfall
We went to Kuang Si Waterfalls in the afternoon, a famous attraction in Laos. The waterfall is roughly 100 meters high, layered ponds are formed at the bottom of the waterfall. Then creeks flow into the forests from the ponds.
Bears farm.
A taste of Lao cuisine.
Traditional Lao dance.
Checking out Joma Coffee, a popular cafe in Luang Prabang.
The night market in Luang Prabang. I bargained hard, the shop owner eventually dropped the price from 35000 kip to 8000 kip, and we made a deal. The backpacker girl next to me was shocked, and said “I want the same, the same price as him”
Day 6
Almsgiving
Woke up at 4:30 and packed my bag to get ready for almsgiving.
[Almsgiving] It was still dark in the early morning. Women put hot sticky rice in their bamboo baskets, got their hair done, put on some lipstick and formal clothes, sat at the door of their house. Monks were walking from afar to accept the alms before they return to the temple. Then, when everything was over, then sun was up.
Lao people usually eat sticky rice. They put cooked sticky rice in containers woven with willow twigs. They are used to cook in early morning every day. First, they put some of the food in the willow container for almsgiving and then give some to their kids, and then whatever is left is for themselves.
The morning market in Luang Prabang. You even get to buy owls and all sorts of lizzards.
Street food in Laos
The most famous one is Beer Lao.
Homemade ice pop, only in Vientiane.
Steamed vermicelli roll in Laos, crazy delicious.
I’ve no idea what fruit it is, that’s why I bought it.
Cantaloupes in Laos are often cut into this shape.
This type of glutinous corns taste especially sweet.
Laos isn’t very industrialized, their vegetable produce is very organic. This is pork stir fried with green chili peppers. The pork was tender and a little bit sweet. The chili was crunchy and fresh.
The honeycomb from mountains…It looked super raw and I didn’t dare to try it.
Lao beef, purely organic, it tasted so good.
Deep-fried dough sticks. There is no illegal cooking oil, which is also hard to find.
Lao people prefer to put rice in this kind of containers.
Grilled chicken, pork and fish on the street.
Rice noodles
Fried rice with Lao style sliced sausages.
People of Laos
The mother and daughter selling fruits on our way to Vang Vieng.
The chef preparing Lao steamed vermicelli rolls in the resort.
The Lao girl selling local-made ice cream.
The kid selling boiled corns on our way on the mountains.
Lao people respect their elders. They get their children to learn how to respect elders and Buddhist doctrines in temples before they even go to school.
The girl working in the gift shop.
Kids playing in their neighborhood.
A wedding we came across in Laos. They spent an entire day on the ceremony. They were having a meal when we left our hotel after our breakfast in the morning, and when we came back in the evening, they were still eating and chatting.
Notebook of a high school kid.
Laos is perhaps the last piece of pure land in Southeast Asia.
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