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Published: February 17th 2016
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Hello again everyone!!
For our next leg of the journey we drove a few hours to a major city where we flew to the city of LuangPrabang (population 50,000) in the north of Laos. Our first impression was very positive in that it is a clean and quiet city with a laid back feel set in the lush mountains. As Laos was a french colony at one time, there definitely is a French influence seen by the architecture, buildings, restaurants and bakeries. It reminded us of being in France.
So far in general we have found things very inexpensive in Laos. Lunch would be a couple of dollars and dinner around five or six dollars. I also got a pleasant surprise in that good French wine is available in Laos and at a very reasonable price. I us uppose it is due to the French connection. Speaking of food, it's excellent here in Laos. Not much Western food but a lovely variety of Asian cuisine including lots of fresh vegetables, meats and fruits. Along the river bank you can see the vegetable gardens growing so you know everything you eat is fresh! One of our favorite meals was a
buffet hot pot. All you can eat feast for $7. Each couple is given a pot with a charcoal fire underneath and a domed shaped grill in the middle for cooking your meat. Around the edge they poured broth where you cook your vegetables and noodles. It was fantastic! Besides raw veggies and meat that you cook in your pot, the buffet included a host of delicious prepared items such as fresh spring rolls, fried chicken, noodle dishes, port ribs, beans and papaya salad. Warren was particularly fond of the giant prawns.
Our accomodation was one of the nicest we stayed in on our trip. Beautifully decorated and with all the bells and whistles. The next morning we visited a cultural museum which depicted the many different tribal groups scattered throughout northern Laos. Very interesting and excellent displays. The highlight in the afternoon was a visit to The Kuang Si Waterfall. Incredible!! We walked a short distance up about 6 waterfall levels. The most amazing thing was the beautiful turquoise blue color of the water due to mineral deposits and the light reflection. We have seen many waterfalls throughout our travels and this had to be one of the
best. The water was chilly but once you were in it was fine. . . very refreshing and invigorating!
Another attraction in the waterfall area was a large natural habitat where they keep and protect a certain species of small black bears. Apparently they are endangered and are also under the threat of being captured and put in cages for years only to extract their bile which is supposedly some sort of exotic Chinese medicine of which results have not been proven. It seems very cruel and it is nice to see the Laos people are trying to stop the practice.
Day two in LuangPrabang was spent on a self guided walking tour of the city visiting museums and temples and observing the local people go about their day. As well we spent time at sidewalk cafes enjoying iced coffee, beers and a tasty lunch of pork noodle soup and delicious friced rice. The place where we ate made the dishes right in front of our outdoor table along a beautiful river. The setting was lovely.
We would highly recommend a visit to LuangPrabang! Next stop Vang Vieng.
Thanks for
reading
Mallory and Warren
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Margaret Seaton
non-member comment
Great write-up
Thanks Mallory. Very informative and fun to read and follow your travels. m