Laos Off The Beaten Path Tips by richiecdisc Top 5 Page for this destination

little visited villages offer some local color

The village of Pak Au would be totally off the beaten path if it were not for the famous cave across the river. So, there are some souvenir stands of sorts near the dock. That said, there are not all that many tourists, especially when there is not a boat in from Luang Prabang. So, a nice way to visit a relatively unspoiled village is to take a jumbo there from Luang Prabang. At 40,000 KIP (5 bucks) each way, it is not the cheapest alternative but it is close to an hour away and the ride there is quite scenic. From there, a buck will get you across to the caves and wandering around the village itself will get you lots of strange looks for free.