sorry, only google translate 🙁
Luang Prabang is the tourist heart of Laos and was touted to us by many as THE HIGHLIGHT of Laos. The reader of an English travel magazine choose it well regularly for rewarding city destination worldwide. Accordingly, we sat in anticipation in the booked mini van to in 7 (!!!) hours, the 350km from Luang Namtha to Luang Prabang to bridge. Just a tip: Take NEVER a mini van for a distance of over 2 hours. Those things are uncomfortable as everyone still so bad bus. Kerstin was just on her injured leg a slight swelling at the base … It must be said also that the landscape was really nice partially !!!
Arrived we sit first again in one of the mandatory tuk-tuks to the hotel and here already waited a welcome drink, a nice room and a plate of fruit on us. What sounds like an expensive hotel, is only a 13 € 1 star hotel with single rooms. After having his feet stretched out a little, we went to the night market in the city center, where it should devious us the next day even frequently, as the city simply radiated an incredibly serene and quiet atmosphere !!!
We also extended to the minivan experience our stay by 2 days when we just wanted to no longer make the other two goals (Plain of Jars and Vien Viang) due to further 4-6 hours in such a minivan. We also hoped thereby give Kerstins leg the necessary peace to be possible to cure completely.
Therefore, the next two days consisted of a scooter tour around the city, with two beautiful waterfalls as absolute highlights (Kuang Si with 5 stages and Tad Sae which is reachable only by boat). On Kuang Si waterfall there is also a sanctuary for bears, as they are trapped because of their supposedly healing saliva in Asia often. We also rented a boat to the Mekong upstream to drive and to look at the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas. The cave itself is quite worth seeing, if a little crowded, but the boat ride is truly stunning and we were sorry to have some not yet made the 2-day trip to Luang Prabang … But we stand just for the next time on: -)
We also visited some villages on the other side of the river and booked a one-day Laotian cooking course including guidance through a local market. In addition to the preparation of some Laotian dishes (which up to the intense coriander) tasted really great, we got even a cookbook to cook.
All in all a very successful albeit quiet stay in Laos!
After the experience with the buses, we also had another part of our Route deleted. Actually we wanted to Luang Prabang with a combination of buses and boats directly to Sapa, but after that as a 55 hours turned out trip and we now know the quality of buses at first hand, we decided to us and direct flights from Luang Prabang to Hanoi.
As it goes there, as it is always in the next entry!