Luang Prabang Local Custom Tips by richiecdisc Top 5 Page for this destination

Betcha can't eat just one

By far our favorite snack in Luang Prabang was the gooey coconut pancakes called khao nom ba ping. Made of coconut and rice, they were more like dumplings in consistency. Even better was watching the girls make them. It was ingenious though time consuming. They were so popular the poor things could not keep up with demand. We felt they should have raised their prices as you got about five of them for 2000 Kip (about twenty-five cents). They were worth a lot more but they were quite happy pumping them out for their waiting patrons.

Beer Lao

Beer Lao has taken on somewhat of a cult status in the realm of Asian beer. Ultimately, I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the brew. It was a bit watery and bland but for a warm climate, it surely goes down well. My initial exposure to it was when I snapped this photo and as you can see, I was in love with it. It was hot out and we were walking around for hours. We found a shady café along the Khan River, on Thanon Kingkitsalat, and this stuff was cheaper (9000 Kip or a dollar for a big botte) than Coke. It might not be the best beer in the world, but better than Coke, it surely is. ;)

A rice popsicle?

Though not as popular as the coconut pancakes, these convenient little snacks were good if you were experiencing any stomach ailments. It was basically some preformed rice that was on a stick and roasted over an open fire. At only 1000 Kip (12 cents), how could you not try one?