Laos - Luang Prabang

After our 2 day Mekong boat ride, we arrived to a picturesque small town - Luang Prapang - where we spent the next 5 days. Arriving amidst yet another Lao new year water fight, we got another soaking tring to locate our Guest House :-)


Luang Prapang from the Pho Si hill. Our riverside guest house is center shot - white building right of the bridge.

Night scenes from the town.

Buddhas footprint... is it there or not?

Decorative trail up to Phu Si.

David meditating...

View from the top at sun set - was well worth the hot climb.

Phantom tuktuk.

Interesting rules at our guest house... read 5 and 6 :)

Crossing the bridge to the other side of the river... was scary!!

Wasn't much to see... disappointment after my brave crossing... bugger.

No, this wasn't deliberate... David was quite excited though and running to the balcony now and then.

Interesting methods again... this man was planting sticks with bate in to the river and after that, checking them one by one - didn't seem very effective.

This guy took the direct approach - didn't seem to catch anything either.

David getting his new year good luck bracelets from our guest house family grandma.

See what we had in our bathroom... neither of us had the courage to get rid of this one, so the guest house receptionist came to rescue (with a sandal... poor spider)

At the near by water falls.

Steps from the falls.

Scandinavians posing... wow!!!

Asian bear - lazy.

David obsessed with crossing bridges... and bothering bathing local women.

Who knows what these are? We had no clue.

Local temple... once more.

At the Mekong from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, via Pak Beng.

From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang is a 2 day boat ride down the Mekong, sleeping at a local village mid way.


Our means of transport, the slow boat.

Our accommodation on Thai side (just right from the stairs).

The border crosing post at Chiang Khong, Thai side.

Locals preparing for a New Years celebration on a small island in the middle of Mekong.

Pak Beng, the village mid way to Luang Prapang. We ended up staying at the white room on 2nd floor.

View from our window to the other side of the river.
Our honeymoon sweet. No expence spared.

David chasing our dinner with a camera.

At a local restaurant. Discovered at this point that Lao food is not exactly as delicious as Thai, but beer is cheaper (also very important!).

Having breakfast at our guest house before boarding again.

Views of Mekong.

The boat stopped at a local village where we could buy some lunch.

Who wants the rat (in small boys hand) and who wants the iguana (which was by the way sold by the end of the bargain... we decided to stay on chips and cola though)?

The water looks nice and clean - no more rubbish and dead bodies like at the start of the trip (passed one dead fisherman on the way... no-one reacted at all).

Ok, quit harrasing me with the camera!!!

Another slow boat on its way upriver to Huay Xai.

Fisherman's day is not easy.

Interesting methods.

This one looks more familiar.

Beautiful views as we approach Luang Prabang.

Huay Xai, Laos

Into Laos! A new culture and atmosphere awaited us! Our first impressions of Lao people were that they are more relaxed than the Thais, you generally have to wake them to get any service :-)

First things first...getting money. The lao people use Dollars, Baht and Kip. We are Kip millionaires here.

At the slow boat port about to purchase our tickets to Luang Prabang.

Thailand from the Lao side of the Mekong.

Laos new year! An excuse to throw water at each other and have karaoke - listening to the singing here is painful!

We spend the day at a welcoming cafe and made friends with all of the family.

The 'can'. I'm a pro already with this style of toilets - ota vahva puolikyykky.

Cafe's back yard - checking out our dinner :)

Local girl awaits for her next victim to get wet - she seems to have had her share as well.

... and here we gooooo!

Resistance is futile!!

No-one is spared...

David had his revenge - watch out Lao people on Sungthau!

Driving lessons start young here.