Luang+Prabang


 * LUANG PRABANG (posted by Laura Forgie)**

There are numerous guest houses everywhere in Luang Prabang. Along the river and the side streets from the river, it seems almost every second place is a guest house and prices will vary, from $10-40+ per night.
 * Places to Stay:**

A beautiful guest house on the banks of the Mekong River. If you can book one of the rooms on the street with the private balcony, that's the best. If not, there are often chairs and tables just outside the common room on the main floor where you can still watch the world go by. []
 * Sala Prabang (this is my favourite place to stay) **

Two locations: there is a hotel in town, in the old part on the peninsula, and a resort a few kilometres out of town that has a pool and a view of Lao 'mountains' and rice paddies (no pool at the town location). There is a shuttle bus that runs between the resort and town all day. They usually have a package deal with Lao Airlines for airfare and accommodation. The website is not updated very often, but the deal is on for a good part of the year. Maybe contact them for the latest package price. []
 * Villa Santi (the Resort is my second favourite place to stay) **

I’ve stayed at the __Xayo__ as well…..ask for the big room…it’s not much more but it has lovely high ceilings and high shuttered French windows. Don’t know what the other rooms are like….similar but smaller I imagine.


 * Things to do:**
 * go to the elephant camp and a very cool Tad Sae waterfall (can book a package through Tiger Trails);
 * go to see the other waterfall (Khoungsay);
 * take a boat trip up the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves and lunch at the mouth of the Ou river;
 * go to a pottery, weaving, or papermaking village to see how it's done (then buy some lovely samples to take home);
 * go to the village and/or cave directly across the river;
 * eat at L'Elephant restaurant at least once (a must!);
 * have a body scrub and aromatherapy massage at the Garden Spa;
 * check out the crafts and wares at the night market or the Hmong day market;
 * catch a puppet show at the National Museum;
 * marvel at the mosaics and stencils at Wat Xieng Thong;
 * eat great Lao food at any number of restaurants (green papaya salad, sticky rice, laap/larb/larp for sure!);......

In Luang Prabang, the cost of hiring a boat upriver to the Pak Ou caves should be about 200,000 - 250,000 kip or less (roughly $20-$25 US). There are all kinds of boat drivers along the river so you can often get a good deal. It's a bit of a long haul upriver to the cave so kids might get restless....take along some snacks and simple games. There are restaurants across from the cave and a variety of crafts available for sale, including lao-lao (rice wine). You can stop at a paper-making village, pottery village or silk weaving village on the way back if you want and aren't too tired.

There are two waterfalls near Luang Prabang: Both have their charms...I like them both so it's tough to recommend one over the other but definitely do one of them. Kids might enjoy an elephant ride and Tad Sae over the trip to the Pak Ou caves.....
 * Khoungsay or Kuang Si** is the high waterfall with a lovely hike up through the forest that passes by numerous pools where one could swim. The waterfall used to be more spectacular, washing over the built up limestone, but a few years ago part of the shell collapsed and changed the dynamics of the falls. There is also a bear sanctuary at the base of the walk. You can see some of the bears, make a donation, buy the t-shirt.....
 * Tad Sae** is a waterfall that has formed limestone steps through the trees. There are a couple of shallow pools at the waterfall where you can swim. When I went, it was part of a package through Tiger Trails.....elephant camp and ride in the morning, followed by lunch and a boat trip to the waterfall. I'm pretty sure that you can just book a tuktuk or van to the waterfall, too....there will be drivers looking for customers.