Mix in with the vibrant colors of Luang Prabang

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If you want to be splashed with millions of colors through the locals’ very own wardrobe, the general vicinities’ wooden and somewhat sun-burnt roofs, to the lively smell of coffee brewing in the distance and the enchanting menace that only a city alive and kicking with life can produce, then this place would be suitable for you.

After endless travels that gave you a closer affinity to nature or being warped into the future because of the high-rise concrete-clad buildings of a busy metropolis, it will definitely be refreshing to be enveloped with a local suburb’s usual day-to-day activities and be drawn away by the thought that you’re just another tourist.

Be delighted as you skim through the exciting veins of Luang Prabang in Laos, a city that offers a vibrant and joyous stay.

Location

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Luang Prabang is a certified UNESCO Heritage site because of the rich culture that the city possessed which is a clear mix of different influences. The main city is located roughly about 300 kilometers of Vientiane and is in the middle of two huge rivers, Nam Khan and Mekong. Situated at the northern tip of Laos, Luang Prabang has a small number of the populace, which is 50,000.

Climate

Like its neighboring cities and countries, Luang Prabang’s location on the globe is in the tropics. 

Under the Koppen Climate classification, this city has a tropical wet and dry climate. The whole of Luang Prabang is generally dry and warm all year round cooling down on the months of December to January.

Wet seasons are evident in the months of April through October, although the heat is still emanating on the general area. Hottest temperatures can go up to 34 degrees and coldest can drop to as low as 10-degrees.

Transportation

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Transportation would never be an issue once you feel like traveling to Luang Prabang as the most convenient options are present to choose from. The main airport is just at the north of town and international/domestic flights are being served all day long. Some of the airline companies that you can rely on whenever going in and out of Luang Prabang are Bangkok Airways, Laos Airlines, Lao Central Airlines, Thai Airways and Vietnam Airlines.

If you’ll just treat Luang Prabang as a side-destination, the city is readily accessible from Hanoi, Vietnam, which is a 30-hour bus ride. Luang Prabang and the whole of Laos are very much known for their tuk-tuks, which is a form of transportation that uses a motorcycle with a makeshift seat at the back that can carry as much as 8 passengers in one seating.

Long trips via boat rides are also available from the borders of the Mekong and Huay Xai. If you don’t want to be stuck in a 2-day boat ride from the aforementioned ports, try renting a speed boat with other travelers or if the money would permit it, get the cruise lines instead.

What to See

Royal Palace Museum

Built in 1904, the Royal Palace Museum is a clear embodiment that Luang Prabang and Laos in general had been under the French Colonialism during the Old Times. The Palace itself is clad with evident French architecture and even at the seams, it shouts of English inspiration.

Be mesmerized by how intricate the details had been and the attention to even the smallest fraction of space is admirable. Feast your eyes to endless collections of different exhibits, which are all labeled in the English language, ranging from Buddhas, colorful mosaics, huge sculptures of wood and bronze and so much more.

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Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham

Just beside the Royal Palace, this monastery is a sight to behold and is being a fad to all Luang Prabang travelers. With its wooden sim and its intrinsic built, Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham is something that’s been standing on the land for as far back as 1796. It had been known to be the home of Sangharat, the master head of Lao Buddhism.

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That Makmo

That Makmo literally meant Watermelon Stupa and is an iconic edifice of the city since its construction during the 1500s. Even after its deconstruction and revamp in 1887, That Makmo’s magic never faded and is still a place of interest that Luang Prabang is proud of.

Housing some hidden treasures from its deconstruction phase, not paying a visit in That Makmo would not complete your Laos trip.

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Villa Xieng Mouane

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Aside from its grandeur, the Villa Xieng Mouane also functions as an occasional exhibition center for budding artists. Be relaxed while the wind brush the tree-trunk stilts comprising the whole villa and take in the freshness of sun hitting the leaves amidst the beautiful chaos that is Luang Prabang.

OckPopTok Living Crafts Centre

Local weavers of the Luang Prabang area had been seen crowding this contemporary art place and is just 200 meters towards the great Mekong River. Here you can be a witness on how weavers turn fibers of clothing into a well-woven piece of colorful fabric.

One news that would surely be of essence is that free-guided tours are there to roam you inside the dye-making and silk-producing areas of the center. While waiting, an in-house restaurant would be there to suit your tummy needs and be their guest in trying their infamous worm-poo tea, a drink made out of silk droppings.

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Images
(1) www.remotelands.com
(2) www.ecotourismlaos.com
(3) phuketwelldoitlive.wordpress.com
(4) commons.wikimedia.org
(5) www.audleytravel.com
(6) www.panoramio.com
(7) www.falangprabang.com
(8) gallerycosmosis.blogspot.com