Luang Prabang Off The Beaten Path Tips by thedouglas Top 5 Page for this destination

Mount Phousi from the Back Entrance!

The backdoor entrance to Phousi - as opposed to the usual route from Sisavangvong Road is via steps from Kingkitsalat Road - along the Khan River road. We found this quite by accident, and didn't know we were going to end up at Phousi! I am not recommending this as a shortcut back to Sisavangvong, unless you have serious mountain goat genetic links. Although its not straight up like the other side, it is, nontheless, just as hard work! Mind you, there are some interesting things to see enroute, and its a good alternative way down.

Walk the Bamboo Bridge to Ban Xiengleck

Traversing the Kham River, on the southern side of the main town of Luang Prabang is this rickety old bamboo bridge - with posts weighed down with baskets of rocks! A small fee of 4000kip (.50c) is payable to tourists crossing, + an extra 2000kip if you have a bicycle, which is obviously largely for the purposes of either maintenance or a complete rebuild after the wet season.

We spent a few very leisurely hours wandering around over here through the village, the monasteries and along the dirt roads - very easy to feel completely transported from the increasingly busy Luang Prabang.

There was a lot of industry over there - including weavers and the lovely gardens along the river as you arrive across the bridge.

One feature of this visit was having a lengthy conversation with some young soccer playing monks - and leaving them with a great new stash of pens for their studies.

Stopping at little villages

Stopping at the villages that weren't on the tourist circuit - ie. brewing or weaving villages, which were really just wall to wall shops - proved to be a great part of the visit. We were usually greeted with a bevy cavorting naked boys (the girls tended to be much more modest) enjoying the water. Our driver took us up to his own village, and we left our purchases for the day in the boat - which was surrounded by children - safely there when we got back.

Our driver's house was a tin shed, which he said he built for US$1000 - loan from the bank. Very basic, but clean and clearly a source of much pride. We were given a drink which I though was possibly iced tea before tasting, but then realised that it was the colour of their water they had to drink. Politeness prevailed and I did survive!

Prison with a view

When we took our boat trip along the Mekong and surrounds from Luang Prabang, just happened to ask what this building was, and turned out its a prison. Not sure if its the ONLY prison in Laos, or just in this area. But, communication with our host was that this is where drug dealers and smugglers end up. Has a view, but a prison is a prison! This was only a few minutes away by boat from the town.