Luang Prabang Trips & Tours

Luang Prabang Trips & Tours

Graceful sights and picturesque surrounds make this chocolate-box town an enduring delight.

If Laos has (mostly) escaped the gaze of the world, the one place that perhaps hasn’t is the ancient royal capital of Luang Prabang. Perched on the sacred confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, it’s the third largest town in the country with a population of 20,000 - although standing on the sleepy streets will make you wonder if they got the census count right! It’s also, undeniably, the darling of Laos. The 1,500-year old history has resulted in a romantic mix of architecture and culture, and the old town is full of plaited bamboo houses, uber-cool French villas-cum-boutique-hotels, and 33 gilded wats, their gold-leaf Buddhas shimmering in the sun. In the morning, watch the robed monks flood the streets for their daily alms, and in the afternoon, pick a street-side café for an iced coffee. But don’t let the charms of the centre hold you hostage for the rural fringes are just as attractive. Fifty shades of green merge in a circle of mountains, forest and rolling countryside, and trekking, mountain-biking, kayaking and adventuring are all up for grabs.