No dramas at Bangkok airport.
The flight was Bangkok Airlines on a propeller plane - 2
hours. They provided food and drink.
At Luang Prabang airport, we got off the plane and followed
the small crowd. At customs, we gave them our passports and visa forms then
proceeded to another counter to pay for the visa in US dollars only. All was
going smoothly until they said the $30 visa was $31 because there was a $1
service charge. Luckily, I had two spare $1 bills. Honestly though what customs
place charges a service charge.
Anyway, we put that annoyance aside and picked up our bags
and headed for an ATM machine. The ATM machine rejected our cards so I cashed
$200 AUD @ 6 000 Kip per dollar. We paid 50 000K for a taxi to our hotel.
In town the taxi driver dropped us at the wrong hotel.
Jacinta stayed in the taxi while I checked where our hotel was. It got all
sorted out and soon we at the correct hotel Sok Dee Residence.
We checked in and were immediately impressed with the small
hotel and the great room. The room was clean and constructed from dark wood
with a great bed, balcony over the street, air con and fan. Perfect for a two
week stay.
After settling in, we wandered down a few streets and sat in
a nice looking restaurant for dinner. The food was good and the beer cold.
Back in the room for a quiet night's sleep.
9 SEPTEMBER 2018
We walked down to the banks of the Mekong River for
breakfast. We sat and ate at a terraced restaurant overlooking the river. It
was very pretty. We met Lucas, a young traveller from Germany. He arrived late
last night on a bus from Vietnam and slept on a park bench as the hotels were
all closed. He was waiting for his parents to arrived who were travelling from
Germany to Laos in a campervan. Wow, what an adventure, experience, hardship, good
times that trip would be.
We tried Jacinta's ATM card and the machine captured it.
OMFG! To cut a long story short we contacted our bank in Australia and they
said my card would be able to work and Jacinta's had expired. That took ages to resolve.
We decided to put all that aside till tomorrow and we walked
down to the boat racing on the Nam Khan River. It was so crowed along the river
road. There were food stalls, makeshift restaurants, drinking, loudspeakers,
markets, music, loud talking and many people. The boat racing was very exciting
with a number of very close finishes. The boats were narrow and very long with
about 40 paddlers. This event was held once a year in Luang Prabang. All the
nearby villages gathered together to compete against one and other.
The temperature increased dramatically as the day progressed so it was time to
find shade and rest. We sat in a lovely shaded quiet restaurant and had a few
beers and snacks.
Later in the afternoon, we wandered the streets again and
had dinner along the main street.
10 SEPTEMBER 2018
We woke early for a walk to the top of Mount Phousi. It was
such a pretty walk winding up steep stairs past panoramic lookouts, shrines,
temples and statues. It finished at the top at a golden stupor with views over
the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers and the town of Luang Prabang with a backdrop of
lush hills shrouded in low clouds. Nice.
Back down the hill and we had a cool breakfast at Le Banneton.
A very filling breakfast in a shady spot opposite a temple.
Time to try the ATM. It didn't work. Back on the phone to
our bank in Australia. Turns out that they had stuffed up but couldn't fix the
problem. The final solution, we switched to internet banking and they are
sending us via priority mail a travel card. When I have the card in my hands
and it works I'll believe it. We will be claiming our calls to the bank in
Australia at a later date.
Anyway, once again put problems aside until we can deal with
them.
We had lunch at a cafe above the Mekong River. Nice view
over a simple lunch.
I had an afternoon kip and later we had a great meal with
pretty decor at the Bamboo Restaurant near the Nam Khan River.
11 SEPTEMBER 2018
We walked along the path beside the Mekong River and turned onto the
main street back into town.
We turned again and wandered through the food market which was interesting and very clean. We stopped for breakfast at corner cafe which had a not bad cappuccino.
We turned again and wandered through the food market which was interesting and very clean. We stopped for breakfast at corner cafe which had a not bad cappuccino.
Lunch was at an Indian restaurant above the Mekong River. The best vegetarian talli.
An afternoon walk to craft market and along the way, we booked a tour
for the elephants and waterfall as well as buying deliciously cool fresh fruit juices.
Dinner was at the Bamboo Restaurant and we tried rice whisky. -
burning!
12 SEPTEMBER 2018
Breakfast at Le Banneton
A mini van pick us up at 8:50 then we picked up 4 more people from Japan. It was a rough
car ride due to the roads and the driving.
We eventually stopped at the river bank on the Nam Ou River and boarded a small narrow long boat to the falls. Once there Kevin, the guide, lead us to the elephant riding. We walked up steps to a platform and boarded the elephant. We sat on a cushion wooden seat and the elephant handler sat just behind the head. He guided us along a short jungle path then hopped off and took photos of us on the elephant walking through the jungle, then along a concrete path to the falls. He boarded the elephant again and guided us to a platform through the water. At the water he got off and took more photos with me sitting just behind the elephant head. After that, to my total surprise, he walked off and guided the elephant with verbal commands while I was still sitting behind the elephants head. All I could grip with was my legs. The elephant walked through the water, up the ramp along the path and back to the starting platform. It was a great and scary experience.
After that, we walked around the falls. There was a a lot of water and a few raised paths and bridges were washed away. We sat in an above the water cafe and had a coffee. Later, I had a shallow swim with Italian guy in the brown turbulent water. After that, we walked back to the river bank and back onto boat and motored off to the minivan. A great tour.
We eventually stopped at the river bank on the Nam Ou River and boarded a small narrow long boat to the falls. Once there Kevin, the guide, lead us to the elephant riding. We walked up steps to a platform and boarded the elephant. We sat on a cushion wooden seat and the elephant handler sat just behind the head. He guided us along a short jungle path then hopped off and took photos of us on the elephant walking through the jungle, then along a concrete path to the falls. He boarded the elephant again and guided us to a platform through the water. At the water he got off and took more photos with me sitting just behind the elephant head. After that, to my total surprise, he walked off and guided the elephant with verbal commands while I was still sitting behind the elephants head. All I could grip with was my legs. The elephant walked through the water, up the ramp along the path and back to the starting platform. It was a great and scary experience.
After that, we walked around the falls. There was a a lot of water and a few raised paths and bridges were washed away. We sat in an above the water cafe and had a coffee. Later, I had a shallow swim with Italian guy in the brown turbulent water. After that, we walked back to the river bank and back onto boat and motored off to the minivan. A great tour.
Back in Luang Prabang, we had lunch at shop/cafe on our street corner. It was 10 000 kip ($2) for large beer. Our stomachs full, we went back to room for rest.
Late in the afternoon, we walked along the main street and booked tomorrow's tour, bought a fruit juice and wander along the street markets. We wandered down to the Mekong River for sunset beers.
We had dinner at out corner street cafe.
Late in the afternoon, we walked along the main street and booked tomorrow's tour, bought a fruit juice and wander along the street markets. We wandered down to the Mekong River for sunset beers.
We had dinner at out corner street cafe.
13 SEPTEMBER 2018
After breakfast, I (not Jacinta) went on a bicycle tour from Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Waterfall.
It was a massive ride 70 kilometres return. On the journey to the falls we rode up two massive and long hills and down one huge hill. On the way back, we organised a tuk tuk at the bottom of the first big hill to take us to the top of the hill then we had a long downhill ride and eventually back to Luang Prabang.
The humidity on the ride was high, the sun was massively hot (around 40+ degrees) and it was a hard ride. I thought that I'd melt into a puddle. Anyway, we did it and I have to admit that it was a hard and fun awesome ride and I was glad that I did it. Haha
The falls were amazing. A massive fall of water with a huge drenching pool of spray. I had a swim in a quieter section of the falls. The water was cool and refreshing, especially after the huge bicycle ride.
Our guide, 'Tom Cruise' was excellent. We chatted at length about his life and Lao culture. I learned a lot -
pay a dowry for a wife
son moves in with the wife's family
Tom has three sons - to at school
He is concern about having money for his sons to one day marry
he lives 35 kms away from Luang Prabang - 1 hour by motor bike
the ferry across the river costs 3 000kip for passenger and 10 000kip for motorbike
he uses slash and burn method for farming on his land.
Back at the hotel, I had a shower and laid on the bed exhausted till dinner time.
14 SEPTEMBER 2018
An easy day today.
We had breakfast at Le Banneton, then wandered around the the many vats (temples). They were pretty, hot and intricate architecture. We sat down and rested in the shade at a park above the Nam Khan River.
We had breakfast at Le Banneton, then wandered around the the many vats (temples). They were pretty, hot and intricate architecture. We sat down and rested in the shade at a park above the Nam Khan River.
After a rest, we ventured out for lunch in a cafe above the Mekong River then walked through town to cash money.
Our card had not arrived from our bank. We were very annoyed and disappointment. We sent an email to our bank but have received no answer as yet. There was also a lot of noisy construction work at the back of the hotel. We spoke to the manager, who said he would get them to finish earlier the next day.
We organized a tour for tomorrow then had dinner and drinks at the Utopia Bar. It was nice laying on the cushions watching the flow of the Nam Khan River while sipping wine.
15 SEPTEMBER 2018
After breakfast, we were met by our guide Won who walked us to our boat for the Whisky Village and Pak Ou Caves tour.
The boat was long and clean with good seating. Won (our guide) explained the tour while we waited for the three other guests from Japan to arrive. The boat trip along the Mekong River was cool and pretty. A better way to travel around Laos.
Our first stop was the Whisky village where they make ... whisky ... but also a lot of bright and pretty handicrafts. We taste tested some local wine and whisky, then bought a small bottle of whisky. e walked through the village which was basically a circle of craft weaving shops. the crafts looked good but we didn't buy any as we didn't need any.
Back on the boat and cruising along the Mekong. We eventually reached the Pak Ou Caves. What a sight! The caves high and low were reached by a series of steps on the cliff face. The caves were filled with Buddha statues of all shapes and sizes as well as other relics in a random fashion. They needed to be seen to be appreciated.
The top cave was very dark and it was eerie looking at the statues in the dim light.
Back on board the boat, we motored back to Luang Prabang. Along the way, we had lunch on the boat which was a delicious fusion of Lao food.
Back at the hotel, we contacted Chloe at home and found out that they had sent our travel card to our home address. Such a waste of time and effort and money on our part and little thought on the bank's part. Anyway, we made arrangements to have Chloe sent us some money on Monday.
After a great morning, our day was further spoiled by the continued and loud construction work at the back of our hotel till 5:30 pm. It as insane.
We had a quiet dinner along the main street .
16 SEPTEMBER 2018
The construction noise started again at 7:30 am. Enough was enough. I looked for another hotel and found a nice quiet one along the banks of the Mekong River with a large room and balcony. We checked out of Sok Dee Residence and had a quiet afternoon and day at our new lodgings.
The day improved immensely, especially, with a beautiful sunset over the Mekong River.
17 SEPTEMBER 2018
After breakfast, we walked downtown. We had arranged for Chloe to send us money from Australia using 'moneygram' and we wanted to be near the bank just in case. Lucky we did. The lady at moneygram in Australia sent it to the wrong country. Chloe got a refund and they tried again. This time, she was about to send the money to the right country but the wrong amount. Once again, it was lucky Chloe picked up that she was sending the money in Australian dollars and not American dollars. At last, the money arrived here in Laos and we have access to enough funds.
We booked afternoon transport to Kuang Si Waterfall. The falls were magnificent - a massive fall of water, two pleasant and cool swimming spots, great views, cool temperatures, cascading steams and not so many people. It was a great afternoon.
We headed back to Luang Prabang.
Later, we headed downtown for a great dinner near the night market where I also bought two tee-shirts. The walk down was a bit sensational as there was a lot of thunder and lightning.
That night we had a lot of rain.
18 SEPTEMBER 2018
A lazy morning - eating, organizing washing and reading.
Late in the morning, we strolled down and wandered around the Luang Prabang Palace aka museum. It was full of royal artifacts and was quite interesting.
At sunset, we walked along the banks of the Mekong River to watch the river flow and the sun resting for the day.
A great meal downtown with a few wines. Then we hit a wine bar for a few more wines. We met a South couple who are living in Vientiane. He works in the mines and had a lot of positive and interesting insights on Laos and its people.
19 SEPTEMBER 2018
A bit of a sleep in for Jacinta, breakfast and we hired a couple of mountain bikes.
The bikes weren't in the best condition but were just passable. We rode around town trying to avoid the main road traffic fumes. It was a fun ride.
Later, in the afternoon , we had another cycle ride but not as far. Again it was a fun ride.
Dinner was at the Coconut garden followed by drinks at another bar.
20 SEPTEMBER 2018
A bit of a sleep in then breakfast at the hotel.
We read and eventually wandered outside for a walk along the Mekong River, through the food markets and a visit to the library.
We continued along the Nam Khan River and stopped at 'Le Banneton' for iced lattes and chocolate croissants. A hard life!
Out of the midday sun and then a late light lunch.
Transport organised for tomorrow at 2 pm to get us to the airport - 50 000K
A meander through the night market, where we bought some wrist bands, tee-shirts and scarfs. Afterwards we had a delicious dinner nearby.
21 SEPTEMBER 2018
A good sleep, exercises on the balcony and breakfast.
We had our final stroll along the paths above the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. We stopped every now and then to enjoy our favourite views.
Back at the hotel, we packed and checked out and strolled for our final lunch at the Chennie Restaurant.
The heat had increased greatly on the walk back to the hotel .
We were driven to the airport - no air conditioning there! It was so hot! We checked in and made our way to the Bangkok Airways lounge where at least there were fans.
We boarded our two propeller Bangkok airways plane for Bangkok, Thailand.
Goodbye Luang Prabang, Laos. :)
Our card had not arrived from our bank. We were very annoyed and disappointment. We sent an email to our bank but have received no answer as yet. There was also a lot of noisy construction work at the back of the hotel. We spoke to the manager, who said he would get them to finish earlier the next day.
We organized a tour for tomorrow then had dinner and drinks at the Utopia Bar. It was nice laying on the cushions watching the flow of the Nam Khan River while sipping wine.
15 SEPTEMBER 2018
After breakfast, we were met by our guide Won who walked us to our boat for the Whisky Village and Pak Ou Caves tour.
The boat was long and clean with good seating. Won (our guide) explained the tour while we waited for the three other guests from Japan to arrive. The boat trip along the Mekong River was cool and pretty. A better way to travel around Laos.
Our first stop was the Whisky village where they make ... whisky ... but also a lot of bright and pretty handicrafts. We taste tested some local wine and whisky, then bought a small bottle of whisky. e walked through the village which was basically a circle of craft weaving shops. the crafts looked good but we didn't buy any as we didn't need any.
Back on the boat and cruising along the Mekong. We eventually reached the Pak Ou Caves. What a sight! The caves high and low were reached by a series of steps on the cliff face. The caves were filled with Buddha statues of all shapes and sizes as well as other relics in a random fashion. They needed to be seen to be appreciated.
The top cave was very dark and it was eerie looking at the statues in the dim light.
Back on board the boat, we motored back to Luang Prabang. Along the way, we had lunch on the boat which was a delicious fusion of Lao food.
Back at the hotel, we contacted Chloe at home and found out that they had sent our travel card to our home address. Such a waste of time and effort and money on our part and little thought on the bank's part. Anyway, we made arrangements to have Chloe sent us some money on Monday.
After a great morning, our day was further spoiled by the continued and loud construction work at the back of our hotel till 5:30 pm. It as insane.
We had a quiet dinner along the main street .
16 SEPTEMBER 2018
The construction noise started again at 7:30 am. Enough was enough. I looked for another hotel and found a nice quiet one along the banks of the Mekong River with a large room and balcony. We checked out of Sok Dee Residence and had a quiet afternoon and day at our new lodgings.
The day improved immensely, especially, with a beautiful sunset over the Mekong River.
17 SEPTEMBER 2018
After breakfast, we walked downtown. We had arranged for Chloe to send us money from Australia using 'moneygram' and we wanted to be near the bank just in case. Lucky we did. The lady at moneygram in Australia sent it to the wrong country. Chloe got a refund and they tried again. This time, she was about to send the money to the right country but the wrong amount. Once again, it was lucky Chloe picked up that she was sending the money in Australian dollars and not American dollars. At last, the money arrived here in Laos and we have access to enough funds.
We booked afternoon transport to Kuang Si Waterfall. The falls were magnificent - a massive fall of water, two pleasant and cool swimming spots, great views, cool temperatures, cascading steams and not so many people. It was a great afternoon.
We headed back to Luang Prabang.
Later, we headed downtown for a great dinner near the night market where I also bought two tee-shirts. The walk down was a bit sensational as there was a lot of thunder and lightning.
That night we had a lot of rain.
18 SEPTEMBER 2018
A lazy morning - eating, organizing washing and reading.
Late in the morning, we strolled down and wandered around the Luang Prabang Palace aka museum. It was full of royal artifacts and was quite interesting.
At sunset, we walked along the banks of the Mekong River to watch the river flow and the sun resting for the day.
A great meal downtown with a few wines. Then we hit a wine bar for a few more wines. We met a South couple who are living in Vientiane. He works in the mines and had a lot of positive and interesting insights on Laos and its people.
19 SEPTEMBER 2018
A bit of a sleep in for Jacinta, breakfast and we hired a couple of mountain bikes.
The bikes weren't in the best condition but were just passable. We rode around town trying to avoid the main road traffic fumes. It was a fun ride.
Later, in the afternoon , we had another cycle ride but not as far. Again it was a fun ride.
Dinner was at the Coconut garden followed by drinks at another bar.
20 SEPTEMBER 2018
A bit of a sleep in then breakfast at the hotel.
We read and eventually wandered outside for a walk along the Mekong River, through the food markets and a visit to the library.
We continued along the Nam Khan River and stopped at 'Le Banneton' for iced lattes and chocolate croissants. A hard life!
Out of the midday sun and then a late light lunch.
Transport organised for tomorrow at 2 pm to get us to the airport - 50 000K
A meander through the night market, where we bought some wrist bands, tee-shirts and scarfs. Afterwards we had a delicious dinner nearby.
21 SEPTEMBER 2018
A good sleep, exercises on the balcony and breakfast.
We had our final stroll along the paths above the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. We stopped every now and then to enjoy our favourite views.
Back at the hotel, we packed and checked out and strolled for our final lunch at the Chennie Restaurant.
The heat had increased greatly on the walk back to the hotel .
We were driven to the airport - no air conditioning there! It was so hot! We checked in and made our way to the Bangkok Airways lounge where at least there were fans.
We boarded our two propeller Bangkok airways plane for Bangkok, Thailand.
Goodbye Luang Prabang, Laos. :)
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