What to Do in Luang Prabang
A city of contrasts, Luang Prabang features temples, monasteries, and traditional crafts alongside more modern aspects like a museum devoted to the U.S. bombings in the 1960s. When visiting, be sure to also explore the countryside or cruise the Mekong River.
27 Ounheun Rd, Luang Prabang, Laos
Luang Prabang’s national museum centers on the former Royal Palace, a Lao-meets-Beaux-Arts-style building constructed for King Sisavang Vong in the early 1900s. After the Communists took power in Laos in 1975, the palace was recast as a...
Khem Khong, Luang Prabang, Laos
Though Luang Prabang earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995 for its fusion of traditional Lao and European colonial architecture, the city’s most dazzling structures are most certainly its shimmering, gold-adorned temples. Many are worth...
Sisavangvong Road, Luang Prabang, Laos
Laos has a long history of wild and domesticated elephants—though few roam free these days—with the majority being used in the logging industry or for tourism purposes. A number of elephant camps operate around Luang Prabang,...
Ban Muang Khay, ຫຼວງພະບາງ, Laos
Founded by two expat couples who used to live in Singapore, Laos Buffalo Dairy is part food business, part social enterprise—and the first of its kind in Laos. The company rents buffaloes from local farmers, then vaccinates and cares...
Luang Prabang, Laos
The most popular natural attraction in the area around Luang Prabang, this three-tiered set of falls offers a picturesque outing, with trails meandering through the jungle and turquoise pools scattered about. While it’s indeed very...
Sakkaline Rd, Luang Prabang, Laos
Laotians are loyal Buddhists—many young boys become monks even for short periods of their lives. Defined by simplicity, prayer, and purity, a monk’s day in Luang Prabang begins with a walk at dawn through the streets of the city from...
Many Americans are aware of the devastation caused by theVietnamWar, but perhaps more harrowing was the U.S. involvement in Laos. In an effort to halt the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia, American forces carried out 580,000 bombing missions...
Luang Prabang, Laos
Often run by the owners themselves, the many small, independent boutiques in Luang Prabang offer a relaxed shopping experience, without any pushy staff or hard sells. Among the places to spend your hard-earned dollars are quaint jewelry shops,...
Luang Prabang, Laos
Aimed primarily at tourists, the Night Market sets up each evening along a few blocks of Thanon Sisavangvong. Lining both sides of the street, with a section down the middle, stalls offer a plethora of souvenirs, from cotton shopping bags and...
Luang Prabang is located on a skinny peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. To truly appreciate the town’s setting, take a cruise along the Mekong, especially at sunset. Boat captains and operators can be found all...
Luang Prabang, Laos
Agriculture is a key part of life in Laos, making up half of the country’s economic output, and nowhere is this more apparent than at Living Land. Set in fields southwest of town, this community farm started offering tours in 2011 with the...
