Luang Prabang, Laos with Kids

The last we were in Laos was back in 2010, just the two of us before marriage and before children! We visited Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Laos is authentically Asian with paddy fields, saffron-robed monks and timeless quality of relatively rural life. However, in the main towns like Vientiane and Luang Prabang, the French influence is strong in their architecture and food - with lots of cafes and French restaurants. 

We spent 5 days in Luang Prabang, Laos with 2 children, Ed 2 years old and Em 4 years old, in Oct 2019.  It can actually be done in 2 full days, but we decided to take it slow and spend time in the hotel. 

  • 5 days 4 nights
  • 1 country - Laos
  • 1 city - Luang Prabang
  • 1 UNESCO World Heritage Site - Town of Luang Prabang
  • 1 timezone - GMT+7
  • 1 currency - Laos kip, but you can use US Dollars in hotels too

Day 1 | Flight & Hotel in Luang Prabang 

3 hours flight to Luang Prabang from Singapore - a short flight that was just enough to get the girls excited. As Laos kip was not easily available in Singapore, and probably other countries as well, exchanging to kip in the airport was recommended. We settled in our hotel for a rest. 

On our first evening, we walked around the night market, and had the tasting menu of Lao cuisine at Coconut Garden in town. This is our second trip to Laos, and I still can't really appreciate their cuisine! A big fan of their neighbours' cuisine though (Thailand and Vietnam). 

We splurged on Pullman Luang Prabang, a beautiful hotel with paddy fields around us. We don't normally spend a lot on hotel rooms, but we made an exception for this trip. We wanted a holiday with culture, and yet a relatively relaxing one! 


Day 2 | Bamboo Bridge & Phu Si Hill 

After a lazy start, we crossed the Bamboo Bridge for lunch. The Bamboo Bridge was built every year and in place for about 6 months.  During the rainy season when the water levels and currents were too high, the bamboos are removed and stored away. A small token was collected to cross the bridge. Em (4) was very excited and walked by herself across the slightly wobbly bridge! I had to carry and balance little Ed (2)! Having children had definitely made me braver!

Lunch was at Dyen Sabai Restaurant. It had comfortable recliner seats on the floor with cushion which was good for the girls, and we had mookata-like dishes that they called "Lao fondue". 

Next up, we visited the Royal Palace Museum. We walked all the way in, only to realise that the ticketing was in another building and the locker room for bags in another! The hot and humid weather made us almost giving up, but kudos to Papa who did all the walking to get the tickets. There were thrones, elephants, golden pillars, golden robes and rooms of the royal family. 

With a little negotiation and persuasion, and some carrying, we climbed up the 329 steps to Phu Si Hill. There was a small Buddha temple and lots of people were vying for spots for the "best sunset view in Luang Prabang". The small area was not interesting to the little ones, and down we went before the sun actually set! 

Day 3 | Pak Ou Cave & Tat Kuang Si Waterfall 

We arranged for a car to drive us out of town for the day, and we crossed the Mekong River to Pak Ou Caves. Boat rides were always fun for children, even if it was a rickety rackety boat that the girls had to hold on tight to us! Pak Ou Caves had upper and lower caves, and there were steps to climb and dark caves! Em didn't want to go inside the caves, so I stayed outside with her while Papa brought Ed in and she prayed to all the Buddha. 

We had lunch at Tat Kuang Si Waterfall and walked around the area. The multi-layers Kuang Si Falls started with smaller falls with lots of people, and as we continued walking, there were fewer people and more beautiful falls! We visited the sun bear rescue centre as well and it was a nice break to just watch the bears play around. 

Day 4 | Temples & the Old Town 

We visited Wat Xieng Thong, a beautiful golden temple that means Temple of the Golden City. It has many different golden and shiny structures, and we loved taking some time to just sit inside the temple for some quiet time. The little one prayed to all the Buddhas she saw in this trip. We met a nice Japanese lady who gave the girls some candies, just for being young and cute! 

We had lunch at Le Benneton, and because it was a French bakery, we ordered croissants and coffee, plus other dishes like pizza, gallette, ice chocolate and ice cream. Luang Prabang has many cafes with French inspired cuisines, so do explore and enjoy short breaks while exploring! 

We then walked around the town, admiring both the traditional and European architecture. Though the weather was hot and sunny, making us wish we were actually back in our hotel pool! We stopped by Ock Pop Tok, a boutique selling Laos textiles. 

 

Day 5 | Flight Home 

Flight home via Vientiane took about 5 hours. A hot but relatively relaxing trip. 

Afterthoughts

  • The trip can probably be shortened to a 2 full day, but we wanted to have time to relax. 
  • We couldn't find fresh milk in town, so some UHT milk with ice cubes saved us many times!
  • There were no specific playgrounds and parks for the girls, and so we took breaks in the hotel pool and kids room. They each brought a soft toy and we always travelled with a bag of arts stuff (papers, stamps, stickers, crayons) to engage the girls while waiting for meals. 
  • Our hotel was not in the main town, so there were a little shuttling to and from the hotel to the town. There are many accommodations in the town, and lots of tuk tuk to bring you around. 
  • Many travel sites and travel books will recommend Tat Bat - a daily alms giving ceremony for Buddhist monk that takes place early in the morning as the sun rises, beginning on the main street of Luang Prabang and spreading out to all side streets. However, it is a spiritual and religious ceremony, so do respect the monks and the locals if you do decide to observe it. 
A story behind this photo: Our hotel room has a photo of this temple and its roof, and Ed kept saying that she really liked the photo. We didn't know which temple this was, and while walking on the streets, the children pointed out the temple! So, of course we had to capture a similar shot as the one in the room! 


Happy travels! 

~ nateniale

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