Laos > The temples of Luang Prabang

The alarm goes off at 7:30. I have breakfast in the courtyard, where I also meet some fellow travelers. Around nine o’clock, we start walking into Luang Prabang. There’s no fixed route planned, but there are a few temples we definitely want to visit. Right away, on the street by the hotel, we pass a temple complex on our left. This is the Wat Visounnavath temple, the oldest temple in the city. The original wooden temple was burned down during raids and later rebuilt in stone. In front of the main entrance stands the That Makmo stupa, also called the Watermelon Stupa due to its rounded shape. From the That Makmo, we walk to the nearby Wat Aham temple. All the temples date from the period 1820–1870. At Wat Aphai, a smaller temple on the route to the center, a fight between turkeys is just taking place. The animals don’t look very healthy.

Laos - Wat Xieng Thong is the main temple of Luang Prabang

The monks don’t get involved in the fighting but watch with interest. Let’s hope it ends quickly for both birds. Via the quay along the Khan River, we arrive at the actual center of Luang Prabang. We visit Wat Phai Phutthabaat and the nearby Wat Paa Phai. A young monk approaches us and starts asking all sorts of questions about where we are from, our names, and our families. He is busy practicing his English. He also explains that his family lives in the countryside and that he wants to learn languages in the monastery to get ahead. A clever boy. As we continue walking, I realize I brought a photo book from home specifically for moments like this—too bad I only think of it now. We have lunch on the banks of the Mekong River, enjoying a delicious tuna sandwich. In the afternoon, we continue exploring Luang Prabang and arrive at Wat Xieng Thong, one of the most beautiful and important temples in the city. The sim is decorated with mosaics. On the back of the temple, the Tree of Life is depicted in mosaics. In the funeral carriage house opposite the sim, there is a large gilded funeral carriage adorned with the seven-headed naga serpent. This carriage was intended for King Sisavang Vong. Even though we’ve already visited several temples today, each one exudes its own unique atmosphere, which I really enjoy. We walk to the end of the main street and see Wat Pak Khan. Monks are busy constructing a canopy, so we only view the temple from the street.

Laos - Wat Xieng Muan is a smaller elegant temple

Along the main street on our way back to the center, we pass Wat Sop and Wat Sene. After a drink on a riverside terrace, we continue past Wat Xieng Muan and Wat Chum Khong to the Royal Palace. Since the communist takeover in 1975, the palace has been a museum, showing how the king used to live. At the entrance, we find out that we must leave our cameras and bags behind. Not everyone wants to do this, so we skip the museum. Instead, we climb Mount Phu Si opposite the palace. There are 330 steps to the top. From this sacred mountain, there is a fantastic view over Luang Prabang. On the other side of the mountain, we descend to Wat Phu Si, a temple in a cave that houses the Fat Buddha. Also on the mountain is a Buddha footprint, more than half a meter in length. Back down, we have a drink on a terrace and then walk back to the hotel. In the evening, we dine at the restaurant The Elephant, recommended by the Lonely Planet. The restaurant is somewhat expensive, but the food tastes excellent. Around midnight, we return to the hotel.