The year was 2007, in the month of December.
I was all set to paint the skies red; riding along the wave of the low cost travel revolution that hit Asia by storm with AirAsia’s rapid route expansion.
The most memorable event from the my travels to Luang Prabang in 2008, was enduring a crowded 14 hour local bus ride from Vientiane to Luang Prabang in total darkness up the hilly, long winding road with numerous deep pot holes scattered randomly on route 13; in the bus that can miraculously fit more passenger than it should (sometimes accompanied by chickens and farmer’s produce). With plastic chairs and cane stools placed in the bus for excess passengers to sit in the isle.
What’s fascinating and made the 14 hour bus trip worthwhile though, was the breathtaking landscape, mountains and valleys in all kinds of greens at the background of the Lao rural life with water buffalos and playing children at the foreground.
After a torturous and dangerous 14 hour bus ride passing by sloppy and dangerous corners without any road lamps; sans the infamous bandits that rules the mountains and rob off tourist along route 13. I reached Luang Prabang with icy blue fingernails, cracked lips and a bladder so full it hurts every part of my lower abdomen. Luang Prabang has always tops my favorite city in Indochina. Perhaps it was a fascination with the ancient wat(s) that stood sturdily among the French influenced architecture of guesthouses and cafes, sitting in the café spotting for a perfect shot of monks in saffron robes; sipping a cup of strong Lao coffee sweetened with a few teaspoon of condensed milk that had me yearning for a second visit.
Wat Pa Phay
I started my trip with much excitement on 6 September 2012 with AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur to Vientiane. Then off to Luang Prabang with Lao Airline.
Surprisingly USD168.40 for a return flight was worth every dollar. Especially with the very clean and very new Airbus 320 that comes with an excellent crew, and pilot that was trained for superb landing! The flight from Vientiane to Luang Prabang took approximately 40 minutes, and passenger were served with wet towels, a bottle of mineral water and a packet dried fruit crackers.
Luang Prabang was not quite what I remembered how it used to be. I expected to be greeted by sweet kisses of chilled air but instead greeted by the blazing hot sun at 30ºC. The roads were invaded by Honda(s), building’s looked so old, as though a vibrant young lady that was robbed of her beauty and left a lethargic old maid throughout the years.
My heart sank a little. The van that picked me up from the airport for a fare of USD10 entered along Sisavangvong Road, a familiar area that I used to walk to early morning in the chilled December morning before settling down by the roadside for a tuna baguette and a cup of hot Lao Coffee.
Sayo Naga was a very pleasant, nice, cozy guesthouse for only USD15 (after the special discount due to wet season). The standard double room comes with a personal terrace, air con, cable TV, bath room with bathtub, hot shower, minibar and wireless Internet! It’s also a better choice for me because it’s tucked away from the main road and a stone throw away from my favorite cafe – Joma and main attractions like Mt Phuosi, National Museum, night market, and mekong river.
Guesthouses were abundant in Luang Prabang along Mekong riverfront and Sisavangvong Road with prices ranging from USD2-USD1500 to suit any budget. Lao coffee has become an obsession ever since I had my first taste of Lao coffee in Luang Prabang 5 years ago. Though its full flavoured coffee with a hint of sourness, it tasted heavenly with sweetened condensed milk, minimising the heftiness found in Vietnamese coffee.
The best coffee in Luang Prabang can be found on the street next to Haw Kham(The National Museum) leading down to the Mekong riverfront by a elderly Laotian who’s ever so generous with her smile.
Lao coffee
stainless steel pitchers
Noodle soup is a staple food that I can’t live without in Indochina. It’s cheap, it’s quick and it’s filling and they let me throw in as much basil leaves, lime wedges, cilantro, bean sprouts that I can fit in the bowl. The glass noodle in clear broth soup never fail to ignite my taste buds and appetite. And what I love about it is that it gives me a lot of freedom to transform my bowl of noodle soup into a personalised bowl of noodle soup with chili paste, soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce to taste.
The noodle soup stall opposite the National Museum with only 10,000 Kip per bowl.
Noodle soup
Other than noodle soup, baguette is my go-to breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner! Yes, my love affair with the french baguette is deeply rooted in my heart ever since I had my first taste of french baguette in Laos. For 10,000 kips, you get to choose from a variety of filling (bacon, chicken, tuna, omelette) for your baguette topped with pickled carrots, daikon radishes, cucumber, cilantro, and Chinese celery with chilly sause and mayonnaise.
The french baguette to me, is possibly the best culinary legacy that the French left behind for Indochina!
Baguette stall
Tuna baguette
Restaurants and cafes are of abundance in Luang Prabang along the Mekong riverfront and Sisavangvong Road which serves up traditional Laotian, French, Thai, Western dishes. For a cheaper option, head over to the market stalls set up along the alleyway next to the Tourist Information building. That serves everyday Laotian dishes like fried noodles, friend rice, BBQ chicken, buffalo sausage and an array of vegetables dishes.
Another popular option among backpackers is the buffet stall that offers a dozen of dishes for 10,000 kips per plate. Word of caution though that dishes are displayed on aluminium basins and by 8pm, it would already turn cold dead.
10,000 Kips buffet
Coming up…what did I do in Luang Prabang for 4 days 3 night.
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