Luang Prabang
Day 5
We got up somewhat early to go the train station. I had no idea what the check in process would be and was still a little wary about the tickets I had gotten online. They were just two separate QR codes for Tarli and I. To our relief, they got scanned as we entered the station and all was good!
Since we had gotten to the train station early we had some time to kill, so Tarli and I played a game of scrabble. Tarli had gotten this travel scrabble board before we left on the trip and we were putting it to great use. We finished an entire round waiting for our bullet train!
The train arrived and very promptly took off at 10:46 am. The scenery on the train ride was really beautiful. Lots of green! Rice fields, hills and a few tunnels here and there. We were supposed to arrive at 11:51 am, but to our surprise we got there about 11:30 am. I had ordered an instant beef soup bowl and had to scarf it down very quickly.
Someone from our hotel My Ban Lao was waiting for us with a sign. We were driven to the hotel in an air conditioned van. What service!
The hotel was the home of General Ouane Rattikone, commander of the Royal Lao Armed Forces in the 1960s. It was also the CIA headquarters during the secret war during the Vietnam War. Several bombs were dropped on Laos, making Laos the most bombed country in the world.
What is sad is that there are a lot of undetonated bombs in the country side that maim and kill, mainly children. The bomb removal squads make the headlines still, and there is a UN funded agency working to clear the country of mines. Tarli and I visited their museum our last day.
UXO Laos Visitor Center
Despite its notorious past, the hotel is completely remodeled and Tarli and I absolutely loved it!
Staying here was one of the highlights of our trip. One of the best features of the hotel is an elaborate winding swimming pool with certain rooms having a door and stairs leading into the pool. One other thing we loved about the hotel was the golf carts that would take us into town, specifically to the night market. They would pick us up as well to return – just a phone call away!
First stop for Tarli and I in Luang Prabang was laundry! The hotel laundry prices were per piece, but Tarli found a place just around the corner the charged by the kilo. It was something like 30,000 (less than two dollars) per kilo. We had about 5 kilos so our laundry cost under $10 US. With $10 US we would barely be able to wash a couple pairs of socks and a t-shirt or two at the hotel. Good find Tarli!
We had a nice swim in the pool and enjoyed the coffee shop. The cappuccinos were particularly good. After a bit of a rest we headed to the night market.
Night Market, with Chaly who makes cute fabric childrens’ books
We bought a children’s book made out of cloth from a young man named Chaly. There were many stalls selling similar items, but Chaly was the first. After a nice stroll down the market we found a place to sit down and Tarli and I had some drinks at Sena Steak House. This place really drew attention to itself, having some very cool lights outside.
Tarli and I had dinner at a really nice restaurant called Mookata. It is known for their meats and you basically cook your own food.
We were not that hungry we opted for some Lap (Larb) and a mixed noodle bowl. They were very good! We told ourselves we would come back to try the meats!
Day 6
This morning we woke up early as we were going to see the waterfalls! The famous Kuang Si waterfalls. It would be a long day, a full day. On the agenda was also a boat ride to the Caves. I really did not know what to expect but I was excited to find out!
Tarli and I got picked up by our guide Thin at around 8:30 pm and we drove for about an hour and a half until we arrived at a Hmong settlement. The Hmong are an ethnic minority in Laos originally from China and now also reside in Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
We continued on to the Waterfalls and were surprised to see that this was also a rescue center for bears. There were a few species of bears lounging and
We had some free time at the waterfalls and Tarli and I started walking up the scenic path. It was quite slippery and it also started drizzling a bit. The lower falls were already spectacular, so we were very excited to see the falls higher up.
It had started to rain once we were near the highest falls. We took shelter in the restaurant that we found there and I had a BeerLao. The rain subsided and Tarli and I decided to brave it and keep going to the top. I’m glad we did because the views were incredible. These falls lived up to our expectations!
Lower Kuang Si Falls
Tarli and I really enjoyed the falls and we even went to the top of the falls. We climbed about 500 steps to get up there! The views up top were not that great but it was a nice climb and we felt like we were in the jungle.
The falls were definitely a highlight of the trip for Tarli and I. I was not sure how the falls would be during the rainy season, but they were amazing! It would have been a mistake to not come thinking that the waters would be muddy. As evidenced by my photos, the falls were still very beautiful.
Next stop was lunch at Manifa Elephant Camp a sanctuary for elephants to roam free and also the headquarters of our tour operator Manifa.
The camp was right by the Mekong River and we boarded a boat headed straight to the Pak Ou Caves. The boat ride was very scenic and the clouds in the sky gave the scene an air of mystery.
We had about 30 minutes to explore the lower and upper caves. Tarli and I went to the lower caves first. We were told there were more than 4,000 Buddhas in the caves and that every year the number was increasing. I had no idea what our guide Thin was talking about. But once inside the lower cave – I understood.
People bring Buddha statues into the cave every year. Statues of varying sizes. It’s quite amazing. It definitely was something special and you could feel an air of worship and divinity in the caves.
But once we got to the Upper Pak Ou caves, things got serious. I have never seen such a collection of Buddhas in my life!
Upper Pak Ou Caves
After our adventure at the caves we made one last stop to try local Rice Wine. It was fascinating to learn how it’s made. There is regular Rice Wine which is 15% alcohol and then there is the one that is 50% more commonly referred to as “Happy Water”! There were all these other bottles with scorpions, snakes and other things inside – apparently aphrodisiacs! Tarli and I settled for the regular stuff – one 15% bottle and another “Happy Water” (50%) bottle.
Happy Water AKA Rice Whiskey and sundries
We came back to a different area from where we had launched – the port of Luang Prabang. We were driven back to our hotel and were there around 6:30 pm.
Lovely Boat Ride on Mekong River
We finished the evening enjoying the pool bar and went to the Night Market once more. It was raining a bit, so we took refuge in Mookata and this time we tried their meat cuts and do-it-yourself grill. The meats were well-seasoned and everything tasted delicious.
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