Laos - Luang Prabang

• A hot summer day in Luang Prabang

Each time I heard Luang Prabang, I used to imagine a relaxed man reading a book at noon on a hot summer day in the tropical region of Asia. Laos is as hot as Vietnam.  The name with a long rhythm, the echoes it always evokes leisure, relaxed and cheerful atmosphere in my imagination.

• Luang Prabang - Buddha image

Later on, even when I learned that the literal meaning of Luang Prabang in Lao was a "Buddha image," a very religious name, my impression of Luang Prabang remained unchanged. Because my trip to that beautiful city has confirmed that Luang Prabang is an ideal destination for those who want to hide the busy and noisy of everyday life.

A buddha head in the garden of my hostel!!! 

Perhaps no one has come to Luang Prabang to search for an adventure, a strong feeling, or an interesting story. If I was a writer, I would travel to India, South Africa, Italy, or France to find subjects for my books, but I would choose Luang Prabang to rest and seek ideas for it. .

• What do I love of Luang Prabang?

Of course I'm not a writer but I'm just a student who loves exploring and travelling. Anyway, I still love Luang Prabang because of the fresh air, peaceful life, comfortable and reasonable price (not to mention the fact that Luang Prabang is just over an hour flight from Hanoi) the special attraction of this city.

But last year, I went to Luang Prabang to do nothing. After an awkward time with hard work in the classroom, I just wanted to relax and read a book and sleep comfortably. And Luang Prabang is a perfect place to pamper yourself like that. This is a small town, like a town, so you will not have to find a way to 'check in' from place to place like many other tourist destinations, just wandering two, three days is to discover all the points needed.

I remember spending a whole afternoon reading a book at a pretty cafe on Sisavangvong Street, sometimes looking up to see the happy ride on the street.

Despite being a small, peaceful city, it may be a bit too peaceful for some travelers to enjoy the excitement, but Luang Prabang is also a bit of a surprise.

• Luang Prabang - A clean city in Asia. 

My first surprise was that the city was much cleaner than many of the places in Asia I visited. Although I like Bangkok, or Phnom Penh of Cambodia, I have to admit that the sense of preserving the streets in those cities is poor, if I do not want to say there is a lot of stinking waste on the road. Luang Prabang Airport is relatively simple and not very busy, but very clean. The tourist business of the city is quite clean and organized; there is no phenomenon of sugar litter or tourists as in Vietnam.

•  Luang Prabang - A good exmaple of preservation

The second surprise is the way the city is preserved by the efforts of local authorities and people. Through a book of foreign travel, I learned that the international community judged Luang Prabang to be the best preserved tourism city in Southeast Asia. Personally, I also think that this statement is not biased. Formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Laos throughout the 14th century and 1975 when the monarchy was overthrown, Luang Prabang was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995.

• Laos - traditional bungalow

In my opinion, those interested in architecture would be delighted to see the traditional bungalow of Laos and the houses or houses bearing the stamp of the French colonial period here. At the main tourist sites, most of the houses are small, rare houses that are over three stories high. The temples are also worth a visit, with its characteristic Laos-style domed roofs and sophisticated gold leaf decorations.

• Haw Kham - The Royal Palace of Luang Prabang

And certainly, I will certainly not forget visiting Haw Kham, the royal palace of Luang Prabang, which was built in the early 20th century during the French colonial period, where King Sisavang Vong and his royal family once occupied. The old imperial palace with the beautiful and magnificent Vat Sala Pha Bang in the royal palace, where the Buddha statue of Phra Bang is kept is the gift of King Khmer to King Fa Ngum when he enters the throne, you can make a round to visit Vat Saen, Vat Sop, Vat Sirimungkhun, Vat Si Bun Heuang are adjacent to each other on the central street, passing through the citadel before reaching the end of Sakkarin Road. Visit Xat Thong - the magnificent temple with many heros statues and buddha statues. Exquisite carvings, built a long time ago.

Today, this palace has become a museum, display many precious artwork of royal Lao.

• Luang Prabang - The green city of Laos

There is one more thing that I like about Luang Prabang. It is the green space of Luang Prabang, it is also a point to make the city's charm. Situated on a valley of the Mekong River and Nam Khan River, Luang Prabang has many small alleys with green trees. Any visitor to Luang Prabang also climbs Phou Si hill, which gives a panoramic view of the beautiful city. The ideal time to climb the Phou Si hill is at sunrise or sunset. In addition, the Kuang Si Waterfall, 30 kilometers from the center of Luang Prabang, is not as spectacular as many waterfalls in Vietnam, but will bring you comfortable relaxation thanks to the cool, fresh air. .

• Kuang Si Waterfall

This waterfall is not far from a butterfly park of about 1  kilometer.

Finally, I will tell you what all travelers interested in indigenous culture should do in Laos. That is to wake up early to watch the sunrise and find out the ritual offerings whereby local people donate some bags of rice and fruits for monks. This ritual takes place at 6 am on the streets of Sensoukharam. The image of the orange dressed monks striking past the old town and receiving the baskets from the devout peoples will leave you with a beautiful impression of a traditional local ritual.

Buddhism monks are receiving donated rice baskets from local people Photo source:

http://www.baomoi.com/ky-2-dong-phat-pak-ou-linh-thieng-va-ky-bi/c/19699163.epi

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