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Luang Prabang

Discover Luang Prabang, a riverside town filled with French colonial architecture, yet steeped in Buddhist culture. Nothing epitomises this UNESCO World Heritage city more than its sacred daily alms-giving ceremony. At dawn, barefoot monks clad in orange robes glide through the bougainvillea-lined streets while locals sit on roadside stools, ready to drop bundles of sticky rice into their urns. As the sun rises, it illuminates European-style, shuttered buildings and glistens off the mighty Mekong and Khan Rivers.

Cycle along Luang Prabang’s palm-fringed streets, passing tuk-tuk drivers who nap beside glittering Buddhist temples and royal palaces, while tourists sip Beer Lao in cafés. In the morning, vendors spread mats heaving with local produce, fish and live toads on the ground, while handicrafts woven by Laos’s ethnic communities grace stalls at the night market. Head to the top of Mount Phousi to follow the Mekong, host of dragon boat races to mark the end of Buddhist lent, as it carves a path through forested countryside dotted with waterfalls.

Uncover Luang Prabang’s cultural charms with help from our destination experts who can arrange authentic Luang Prabang tours with local guides.