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It didn’t occur to me before I arrived that Laos has great coffee. You don’t really see it marketed well outside of Laos. It’s quite common to see the Sumatran or even Sulawesi blend at a Starbucks, but Lao blend, I don’t recall. Anyway the coffee here is great. Local beans brewed in a coffee sock and the usual sweetened condensed milk as is the go around this part of the world.
Coffee Lao by the Mekong River – Luang Prabang
Of all the cities I have visited in Asia, I am hard pressed to think of another place that blends east and west as well as Luang Prabang.
Luang Prabang is one of the best preserved colonial cities in Asia. I may not have appreciated this fact had I not already seen other once grand cities that have since been concreted over.
Restaurant La Cave Des
Luang Prabang is located at the junction of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. The Nam Khan flows to form a peninsular of land, which adds to the amount of river frontage. There are no buses allowed in the old town and as the historic section of town is on a peninsular there is no through traffic.
Mekong and Nam Khan rivers
In the centre of town is Phu Si, a hill crowned by That Chomsi (a Buddhist temple). The view from the top gives you a better idea of how well located Luang Prabang is. From here you see the river valley and surrounding mountains.
Luang Prabang from Phu Si
If you are not flying to Luang Prabang it is a bit of a trek getting here. You can arrive by a 2 day boat from the Thai border or by bus on winding mountainous roads.
Despite the relative trek to get here, Luang Prabang has definitely been “found”. There are upmarket villas, boutiques and restaurants everywhere. I found myself in an air conditioned cafe using its free wi-fi while having a Cappucino Freeze.
I took the overnight bus from the border, which was a tortuous 13 hours on a winding potholed road. I found myself never wanting to get on a bus again (actually buses are kind of sucky at the best of times). Being in Luang Prabang is the perfect place to be if you’re not in a hurry to get to the next place.
Country: Laos
Date: 30 Jan 2010
I love New Country Day. New currency, new flags, new languages, new people.
Laos has been on my radar for a few years but I have never managed to fit it into my schedule. I was in Cambodia and Vietnam in 2005 and heard passing travellers tales of Laos, and I knew I would have to go as well.
I arrived in Laos from Chiang Khong in Thailand. From Chiang Khong it’s a short boat ride across the Mekong to Huay Xai, Laos. I figured this would be the best place to enter by land as it would involve the least amount of backtracking.
For a border town Huay Xai is not so bad. Border towns are usually unremarkable places of hustle. Maybe it was the lack of hustle and “New Country Day” that made it enjoyable. Lao people are known for their laid back attitude. Here I wasn’t asked once if I wanted a tuk-tuk or any other commercial offer.
Wat Chome Hhaou Manirain Mekong View – Huay Xai
There are loads of guesthouses and tourist related shops in Huay Xai. The town is handy launching pad into Laos with riverboats and buses. It’s from here I go to Luang Prabang.
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