In love with Luang Prabang

---

Luang Prabang is exquisite, it takes my breath away. We've wanted to come for some time, but have traversed so many other parts of South-East Asia before finally making it here. This is a jewel of a town, and having travelled to nearly thirty countries, this would make it on to a 'top ten' list.
The whole town is relaxed and romantic, full of culture and tradition and every comfort a traveller could want. It's the old royal capital and has an elegant and regal feel to it. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 and that thankfully means they can't raze the old buildings. The streets are lined with French colonial two-storey villas complete with window shutters, balconies, louvered doors, ceiling fans and polished wooden floors. Many of them have been restored as galleries and guesthouses. Throughout the town are coconut and banana palms, other tropical vegetation and flowers such as frangipani and bouganvillea, and we've also seen the most amazing colourful butterflies.
There are intriguing wats (Buddhist temples) scattered through the town - similar in style to the Thai ones with elegant rooftops, gold mosiacs, bass reliefs, frescos. The wats are old and crumbling, and are looked after by monks in saffron robes. Dan and I are trying to refrain from chasing monks to photograph them!
The night market here is probably the most low-key one we've been to. It's one street of women sitting on blankets and mats, under red umbrellas, with their wares spread out around them - bags, scarves, quilts, clothing etc. Most of it is local handicrafts - superbly woven silks and elegantly embroidered patterns.
Throughout the town are local organisations, promoting Laos culture and tradition. One such group is a company called 'Big Brother Mouse', which publishes children's books and then asks travellers to buy and distribute them to village children. It's a wonderful initiative to raise literacy levels. They also sometimes take volunteer editors - maybe I'll come back and work here! Another organisation puts cameras in the hands of local students and then exhibits the photos in a Luang Prabang gallery. Others promote traditional silk weaving, and there are stunning silk throws and quilts in many shops.
Dan did his bit to appreciate local culture today and had a Laos banquet by ordering five dishes for lunch. The dishes were delicious and included chicken, lime and coriander cooked in a lemongrass stalk and served with sticky rice and a dipping sauce; an assortment of dips made from ingredients such as smoked eggplant, coriander and garlic, tomato and sweet chilli; and make your own spring rolls, but not out of rice paper - instead green leaves with a selection of noodles, lemongrass, peanuts, chillis, beans and coriander. Yum, yum, yum! We're going to try and do a cooking class in a few days' time so that we can replicate all these delectable treats!
Tomorrow we're going on an elephant ride!

---

Comments

[claire]

dinner invitation
I hope I get a dinner invite when you return to Australia. The dishes sound delicious. What an amazing place.