Kuang Si Waterfall<\/strong>.\u00a0 It’s about an hour’s drive away along a terrible road full of pot holes and dreadful surfaces.\u00a0 There is a lot of work going on at the moment (Dec ’25) so hopefully the road will be greatly improved soon, making the journey time quicker too.\u00a0 We took a private taxi which is the most expensive option at around US$45, but tours started at around US$18 each and didn’t give you the freedom to start and finish when you want, so we were happy to pay a bit more.\u00a0 You can climb up to the top of the waterfall (good quality steps which also take you to a zipline if you’re interested) and there are nice pools at the top where you can swim, although we had heard the water was very cold and only saw 2 people swimming.\u00a0 The rocks can be a bit slippy, so make sure you have good footwear.\u00a0\u00a0There’s a little cafe at the top too, with great views.\u00a0 The waterfall is beautiful and well worth a visit.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”25px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”2522,2529,2530,2525,2523,2526,2524,2528″ posts_number=”8″ show_title_and_caption=”off” show_pagination=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”30px|||||” custom_padding=”||0px|||” border_style_all_image=”none” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”5px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Another wonderful thing that we did in Luang Prabang was a sunset cruise.\u00a0 There are many companies doing cruises, but our hotel recommended the company Sasa and paid 295,000 kip each (about 11.60 euros) which we thought was excellent value.\u00a0 The cruise lasts about 2 hours and you get a free drink (beer, cocktail or soft drink) and snack included.\u00a0 We were lucky because there was a fantastic sunset and the Mekong was beautiful and golden with the reflection of the sun.\u00a0 It was quite magical.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||5px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”2546,2545,2535,2540,2541,2539,2542,2543,2547,2538,2537,2536″ posts_number=”12″ show_title_and_caption=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” min_height=”572px” height=”573px” max_height=”575px” custom_margin=”-16px||31px|||” custom_padding=”||0px|||” border_style_all_image=”none” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”||-18px|||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Another thing to do in Luang Prabang is to climb Sousi Hill.\u00a0 It’s quite a climb, but not difficult, and there are interesting things along the way such as the gold buddhas.\u00a0 The views from the top over the city are well worth the effort.<\/p>\n
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[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-4px|||||” custom_padding=”2px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”2566,2555,2567,2568″ posts_number=”8″ show_title_and_caption=”off” show_pagination=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”1px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”5px||22px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”||-15px|||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The main street in Luang Prabang has a lot of lovely shops and restaurants and is really nice just to walk along and browse.\u00a0 It’s also nice to walk along the riverside.\u00a0 \u00a0There are several temples, our favourite one being Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham<\/strong>.\u00a0 We also visited the Royal Palace and National Museum<\/strong>, but we were distracted there because Gareth had just dropped his phone when he tried to pass it to me while he changed into trousers to visit the temple.\u00a0 We found a place to fix it, but it was a problem we could have done without!!<\/p>\nEveryone visiting Luang Prabang should visit the UXO Visitors Centre<\/strong> to learn about the terrible problems the Lao people have had and still have today because of unexploded bombs and mines left behind by American armed forces after the end of the Vietnam War and the amazing work of the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao).\u00a0 \u00a0Entry is free but visitors should be encouraged to make a donation for this worthwhile cause. If you are visiting Vientiane, there is a similar visitors centre there which is actually better than the Luang Prabang one, with really interesting videos. Try to visit both if you can.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”2552,2553,2554,2561,2556,2557,2558,2559″ posts_number=”8″ show_title_and_caption=”off” show_pagination=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||11px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|auto|-2px|auto||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
We had some amazing food and drinks in Luang Prabang.\u00a0 Our favourite restaurant was Buang<\/strong> on the main street.\u00a0 Delicious food, excellent service, great value for money at both.\u00a0 \u00a0The Luang Prabang sausage at Buang was the best we had, and their Laos Meatballs and Red Stir Fry Curry were also delicious.\u00a0 Yuni Yupoun was another really nice place.\u00a0 There are lots of really nice coffee shops there too.<\/p>\nOne negative review has to be for Cafe Toui<\/strong>.\u00a0 We had read great reviews and went out of our way to go there for dinner.\u00a0 It was empty apart from one table but the scruffy looking staff greeted us as if they were disappointed to be disturbed.\u00a0 Reviews had praised the friendly staff, so perhaps there are new owners or we just caught them on a very bad day.\u00a0 We should have left then, but decided to stay and the food was actually quite good, but the whole vibe was negative and we felt that they couldn’t wait for us to leave!\u00a0 \u00a0It was so unlike everywhere else in Luang Prabang where the staff were so friendly.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||9px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”13px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”2569,2570,2571,2572,2573,2574,2519,2221″ posts_number=”8″ show_title_and_caption=”off” show_pagination=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”22px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
After 5 really enjoyable days in Luang Prabang we took a train to Vientiane<\/strong>, the capital of Laos.\u00a0 Note that you can’t book this train until 3 days before your journey and chances are that when you go to book it is already showing sold out.\u00a0 This happened to us and we weren’t exactly enthusiastic about the prospect of having a bus journey of about 11 hours to get to Vientiane.\u00a0 Luckily Chang, one of the Receptionists at our hotel was able to use her contacts to get us tickets.\u00a0 The high speed train journey takes about 2 hours.\u00a0 We travelled at night so there was nothing to see, making it a bit of a boring journey.\u00a0 \u00a0Security is strict, like airline check-in and many people have aerosols, pocket knives, scissors, etc confiscated.\u00a0 We left a swiss army knife at the hotel in Luang Prabang as they assured us it would not be allowed in our luggage.\u00a0<\/p>\nOur first impressions of Vientiane were not good.\u00a0 We stayed at The Riverside Hotel<\/strong> down by the night market, and when we went out to explore on our first evening there we were shocked at the piles of rubbish all over.\u00a0 It is a nice hotel in quite a good location, near the daily night market and just a block away from what seemed to be the nicest part of the city, but the streets nearby were quite disgusting.\u00a0 The night market was a bit disappointing too to be honest.\u00a0 We felt that it was aimed more at locals than tourists and the clothes, jewellery, bags etc were all super-blingy – lots of sparkly stuff, gold chains, etc!<\/p>\nWhen we went exploring the next day we found that Vientiane is not the easiest city to walk around because the pavements are atrocious full of potholes, trip hazards, etc.\u00a0 We walked to the Victory Monument (Patuxay)<\/strong>, past the Presidential Palace.\u00a0 For a small fee you can climb to the top of the Victory Monument for some nice views over the city and to browse the small museum with historical information.\u00a0 The monument was built in the early 1960s to commemorate the independence of Lao PDR from French rule.\u00a0 \u00a0 As mentioned above, try to find time to visit the Mag UXO Visitor Centre<\/strong> for really interesting information about the unexploded bombs which are still a big problem for the people of Laos, particularly children.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-15px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”0px||17px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”2603,2598,2597,2611,2601,2602,2604,2605,2606,2607″ show_title_and_caption=”off” show_pagination=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”44px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”6px||12px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”13px||23px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
On our first night we were quite late arriving so looked for something to eat close to our hotel.\u00a0 There was a small, friendly restaurant\/bar called Sticky Fingers<\/strong> in the next street so we had some food there the first night and returned a couple of other times for drinks because we liked the atmosphere and the staff were very welcoming.<\/p>\nLast year in Thailand, Gareth discovered Swensens Ice Cream<\/strong> and loved it, so he was delighted to find a branch in Vientiane!\u00a0 The Sticky Chewy Chocolate Fantasy is definitely his favourite!<\/p>\nWe wanted to do something special\u00a0 on our last night in Vientiane (also our last night in Laos) and decided to go to the Tipsy Elephant Rooftop Bar<\/strong> at the Best Western Hotel.\u00a0 It’s a really nice bar with a lovely ambiance and great views over the city.\u00a0 The food and drinks are good too and not too overpriced considering it’s more of an upmarket type place.\u00a0 We enjoyed the spring rolls, pad thai and spicy noodles, but would rather they hadn’t all come at once!\u00a0 We did find this to be a problem throughout our trip.\u00a0 You have to specifically ask for a starter to be served first if you don’t want all dishes together.\u00a0 Service was good and friendly and they brought us nice soft warm blankets when it got quite chilly at the end of the night.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”13px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”2626,2637,2638,2639,2640,2644,2643,2641″ posts_number=”8″ show_title_and_caption=”off” show_pagination=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||30px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|auto|-3px|auto||” custom_padding=”14px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
We had a great time in Laos and it’s somewhere we’d like to return to, particularly Luang Prabang.<\/p>\n
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