"Luang Prabang ~ Charming Town By the... " a Luang Prabang Travel Page by icyjo24

Located near the confluence of the Mekong River and the Nam Khan, Luang Prabang is a small city surrounded by lush green mountains. It was accorded the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, which helps to preserve the historical ambience of the city.

In historical times, Luang Prabang functioned as the capital of several kingdoms. It was known as 'Muang Sawa' between the 6th and 8th century and renamed as 'Muang Xieng Thong' (City of Gold) in 1357. The city became known as Luang Prabang (pronounced as Phabang) in 1512 when King Visounarat accepted a Buddha image, the Pha Bang, as a gift from the Khmer King.
Luang Prabang remained as the seat of the monarchy even when King Phothisarat moved the administrative seat to Vientiane in 1545 during the Lan Xang Period. It remained as the seat of the monarchy til 1970s when king Sisavang Vatthana and his family were sent into exile in Northeastern laos by the government.

I spent 3 days exploring the town of Luang Prabang and the surrounding attractions. Luang Prabang is still a town that has retained much of its charm despite the fact that it seems to be getting more touristy. There are numerous activities to keep you busy. You can spend time exploring the Wats in town by foot or bicycle. If you are cycling, you can venture out of town to explore the surrounding countryside. You can visit caves and waterfalls by arranging transport with tour operators or guesthouses in town. Chill out at the numerous cafes and restaurants at night or shop for tribal goods in the day or night markets. I would recommend spending at least two to three days here.

For more pictures of the scenery around Luang Prabang, click on this travelogue 'Scenery Around Luang Prabang'

I love to take pictures of children. Most of them are usually excited when you try to take pictures of them. They will usually smile and pose except for a few camera-shy ones. A typical pose among Lao boys is the James Bond 007 pose, an effect of tourism? However, it is sad that some of them had tried to ask for money by saying 'khor money' or 'Khor ngen', probably because there were tourists who had given them money before. I discouraged tourists from giving them money or anything else as it had a negative influence on local culture.

For more pictures of the children of Luang Prabang, click on the travelogue 'Kids of Luang Prabang'