Luang Prabang

Wesna Engelhart • March 10, 2019

Luang Prabang is a small town in the heart of Laos. As in the whole of Laos, architecture has been highly influenced by the French. Houses in the old quarter are small, painted in happy colours, usually have a balcony made out of colomns and have typical (decorative) french doors. It is no wonder that the old town of Luang Prabang is on the Unesco World Heritage list. The center of this little town is a popular tourist attraction, most homes in have been converted into guesthouses, restaurants and stores. The asian lanterns and colourful lights make this town feel cosy and small, though it is always busy.


Every place in town is in walking distance, with the highest point in town, the That Chomsi stupa on mount Phousi, visible as a landmark from every point in town. Make sure you're in good shape before climbing the 300 steps up and be amazed by beautiful views of Luang Prabang.

But this sacred hill has more to offer than beautiful views. You'll find a small temple, where you can visit a giant Buddha footprint. As it is about my size, I'm not convinced it is really Buddha's footprint, but it does look like a giant footprint. Along the way you might encounter some monks. The etiquette for addressing a buddhist monk varies in every Asian country. Here in Laos, be respectful and try to limit your eye contact if you're a woman. These man have made a vow to be celibate during their period in the monestary. Though making pictures without consent is not the way to go, the younger generation of monks might surprise you by whipping out a smartphone and making some pictures of the beautiful surroundings. Always ask politely.

After enjoying the sun for a bit, walk down to the royal palace at the foot of the mountain. This palace was build in the 20th century and home of the last king of Laos. The garden is beautifully maintained and is freely accessible, as is the temple which is beautifully crafted with a lot of love and attention.

For visiting the palace, you will need to pay a small fee. Though it’s not allowed to make pictures inside the palace, it is beautiful and worth your time. The main entrance is beautifully decorated with scenes that depict traditional Lao life. It is quite different from the other rooms, which are quite sober. Lao kings have had a long and good history with various countries in the world. Part of the exibition shows gifts from visiting kings, presidents and ambassaders, varying from a piece of the moon (gift from the USA after the first moonlanding), silverware and ceramics.

As Laos has a high percentage of minority tribes, visiting the Traditional Art and Ethnology Center (TEAC) is a good way to learn more. This small museum focuses on the four main etnic groups; Hmong, Akha, Tai Lue and Khmu. All smaller groups are derived from these bigger groups. It is impossible to learn everything in this short amount of time, but it gives a good enough impression.

Shopping in Luang Prabang

As in any Asian countries, where there are tourists, there are night markets. If you feel like shopping, the center of town has a lot to offer, from jewelry to clothing, from toys to chopsticks. Of course a good amount of street food can't is impossible to miss. The Lao version of a french baguette is widely popular among tourists, filled with all kind of cold cuts or even a fried egg, all prepared on a tiny little cart. If you're craving a fresh fruit shake, this is the place to be, carts are lined up next to eachother. All look similar, all offer the same prices. There is little competition.

But if you’re looking for something with a little more meaning, take a half day to cross the bamboo bridge to the village on the other side of the Nam Khan river. You will find different ateliers where paper is handmade from different natural materials and traditional hand weavers. The atmosphere on this side of town is different, more laid back. You won't find a lot of tourists here, which makes for an excellent place to shop souvenirs for relatively fair prices. A handwoven scarf will cost you between €8 and €30, depending on the complexity of the work. Another adventage is that, though there is competition, you won't get called and you will not be followed by an over diligent salesperson. If you want to take the time to look and ask some questions about the product, this is the place to go.

Kuang Si

The main attraction in the area is the Kuang Si waterfall. Arrive early in the morning or later in the afternoon to enjoy Kuang Si in its peace. Though it is possible to book a combination tour, including the butterfly farm and the Pak Ou caves, you can easily spend the entire day at the waterfalls. Walk from the main entrance to the black bear shelter. Here you can view black bears that have been rescued from poachers, misusing these animals for their vile. Though different from the standards in Europe, the bears don't have a lot of room, the park is doing its best to ensure the wellbeing of these animals. They have room to walk around, relax and play with eachother.

After walking past the shelter, it is a small walk up to on of the most beautiful waterfalls you’ll ever see. The clear turquoise water is absolutely stunning. But the fun doesn’t end here. You’ve only just arrived at the bottom of the waterfall. If you’re feeling adventurous, take the path up to the top. It is about an hour walk, but it is worth the effort. Along the way, you will be accompanied by the most beautiful butterflies and dragonflies.

But there is more. Take a walk up to the Phalesi cave. Now it isn’t the most beautiful cave you’ll ever see, nor is it very big or magnificant. But it might be the most exciting one. When arriving at the entrance, you’ll receive a flashlight and 2 bananas. This is where it gets strange. Why would you need two bananas? Can you possibly get lost? Will you need them to distract wild animals as you flee the cave? What is in this cave? You will just have to see for yourself. All I can tell you is, I got out alive…


After visiting the cave, relax at the nearby Spring water restaurant or, if you want a bit more privacy, walk your way back to the top of the waterfall. Halfway in, you’ll find a beautiful little riverstream. Accompanied by some thirsty cows, it’s an excellent place to lay down and read a book.

In summary

Luang Prabang is a little town with beautiful architecture and wonderfully nice and inviting people. It is worth visiting this town, which has been called out as a Unesco world heritage site. Want to know more in preparation to your visit? Go to www.luangprabang-laos.com to find out more.

Check out my photo gallery here .

Land of a thousand elephants

By Wesna Engelhart • March 5, 2019
The center of this town, in the north of Laos, is quiet and small. There is one main street, which you can easily walk in under 10 minutes. This is the street were you'll see most guesthouses, some combined with a restaurant. Though eco tourism is on the uprise in this area, you will not see mega hotels in this area, there is no party scene. Luang Namtha is for nature lovers that love to explore and come back to town to relax with a cold Beerlao (Lao beer).

A piece of Pai

By Wesna Engelhart • February 21, 2019
From Chiang Mai a mini van will take you to Pai within 3 hours. Be prepared, these might feel like the 3 longest hours of your life as the bus will drive up a mountain containing a mere 762 curves. Motion sickness pills may help you survive the ride. If you’re feeling adventurous, there are several companies that rent out scooters for your ride from Chiang Mai to Pai and deliver your luggage for you for a reasonable price. This however is at your own risk. Along the way we encountered a transport van that lost some mattresses along the way and our own driver almost hit some tourists driving on the wrong side of the road. But the view up to Pai is beautiful. Along the way you will see deep valleys, large trees and blue skies. Like everything outside the major cities, it is quiet and picture perfect.

Cooking Thai food

By Wesna Engelhart • February 16, 2019
The workshop started with an early visit to the market. Here our cooking class got to see and smell different vegetables and herbs that are used in the Thai kitchen. Our teacher explained the variety in ingredients that depict typical thai food. I saw various products I hadn't seen before and it was fantastic to learn what was actually in the different dishes I'd tasted already.

Chiang Mai

By Wesna Engelhart • February 13, 2019
I took the nighttrain from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. The nighttrain is a great way to travel and buy time at the same time. If you have to sleep anyway, why not travel comfortably at the same time. After 12 hours I arrived in Chiang Mai. Outside of the trainstation there are a lot of small red firewagon looking buses. These buses are typical Chiang Mai taxis, that will take you anywhere in the city for a reasonable price. After settling in my hostel (private room with private bathroom, I am a bit of a glampacker) in the old city center I took an exploratory walk. As the old city center is just ..., it is perfect to get around on foot, though the main method of transportation used by tourists that have a longer stay in the city is a scooter. I prefer walking, because I believe it's the best way to observe and well, I have the time. But, as in any major city, you will have no trouble finding a taxi(bus) or a tuktuk that will get you wherever you want to go.

Sawasdee ka (Hello)

By Wesna Engelhart • February 6, 2019
A homestay means that you will be staying on the property of a local Thai person. There are different variations, ranging from booking a room in a familyhouse to different rooms with bathrooms on one property. In some cases it is possible to eat with the family. In my case I'd booked a separate room with private bathroom and optional breakfast. Booking a homestay is a way of supporting local entrepeneurs. Besides that, it really feels like you're on a holiday when you're trying to communicate with locals that only speak basic English. It has it's charms. If you're ever in the Ban Krachao area, I do recommend 88 Homestay . It looks exactly as pictured and the people there are really friendly. After settling in the room, I took a short biking trip. Biking is the best way to get around in this area as there is so much to see. It is also relatively safe, there aren't a lot of cars and people drive cautiously. The area is a mixture of modern villas, which are quickly being build all around the area, and the wooden, more traditional, pavillions. The contrast between wealthy and poor is also visible in this part of Bangkok. Between uprising villas there are also homes, made out of cheap materials, where whole families (including grandparents) live in a small amount of space. Different from Bangkok though is that people aren't living on the street. You might encounter some stray dogs though. Even though Ban Krachao is still part of Bangkok, it has a different and much more relaxed atmosphere. It reminds me of a caribean island, with multicoloured houses and concrete highways, intertwining with nature. People grow a variety of fruit trees including mango, coconut, durian and bananas. Gardens are well taken care of, with a variety of flowers and plants. Inbetween homes you might find some small banana and coconut orchards. It is a village within a city, where everyone seems to know each other and every person, native or foreign, is greeted. People are polite, a bit shy, but wiling to help and answer any questions you may have. As tourism is still up and coming in this area (it isn't even mentioned in my Lonely Planet!), there aren't a lot of tourists. You might have to rely on your hands and feet to get around, but people are willing to help, sometimes even supported by Google translate. The second day I got up early and took a walk to Sri Nakhon Kuenkhan Park. This park is accesible by bike or on foot. In between the concrete paths you will find a reconstruction of the biodiversity that used to exist within the area. The swamp-like lakes make for picture perfect views. As it is yet to be discovered by foreign visitors, it is a very quiet place to observe the animals that live here. You might see some squirls, a variety of birds, fish, butterflies and if you're lucky even a water monitor (giant lizard). On my way back I found a local restaurant serving Thai food. For only 50 Baht (about €1,50) I had my first pad thai of the trip. This typical thai dish is made with rice noodles, vegetables and any type of protein stir fried in a fish sauce and with ground peanuts. Why go? If you like a relaxed athmosphere and you don't mind not having everything at arms reach (restaurants and supermarkets are scarce and you will not find a Starbucks or any other foodchain here), this is a perfect place to relax. Rent a bike, take your time, enjoy some peace and quiet. Perfect when you've just come of the plane and want to adjust to the change in climate, without the noise of the city (though at night you might hear some dogs barking). The first pictures have been uploaded to the photo gallery.

Preparing for take off

By Wesna Engelhart • February 4, 2019
The last couple of weeks I've been meeting up with a lot of friends and family, wanting to meet up with me before my journey. Unfortunately I couldn't see everyone, but I received a lot of phone calls, messages and even practical gifts that I can use along the way (you know who you are and I will be writing one line a day ;-)). A lot of people asked me which places I will be visiting. I will start in Bangkok, where I will be staying near Ban Krachao, which is also known as the green lung of Bangkok because of it's green character. After that, I will be travelling up north to Chiang Mai to see it's beautiful temples and hopefully learn how to cook proper Thai food. After that I will travel to Chiang Rai and, among other things, visit the golden triangle. This is where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. After this I will cross the border over to Laos. After Laos I will visit Vietnam and Cambodia, and return to Thailand for my flight back to Amsterdam. As you might have noticed, my itinerary is a little vague after I leave Thailand. The reason for this is that I simply do not know how I will be travelling trough these countries. I have a couple of months and will be taking my time getting from one place to another. Hopefully I will receive some tips along the way to safely deviate from the beaten track and experience some truelly amazing things. During this journey I will be using trains and buses as much as I can. This has different reasons. It leads to places you might have missed when flying and I do have time to make unplanned stops. It is a great way to meet people making a similar journey and share travel tips. Taking a night train saves time, as you need to sleep anyway. Last but not least, it is very affordable. In a couple of hours I will be boarding and my journey will begin. I will be arriving in Bangkok on the morning of 5 February. As you might have heared, there is a lot of smog covering this city at the moment. Though action has been taken to lower the smog levels this is a continuing issue, caused by extreme traffic pollution. As I will be staying near Ban Krachao, 'the green lung' of Bangkok, I hope the air quality will be better. I will keep you updated in the next couple of days.

It's a fact

By Wesna Engelhart • January 28, 2019
The last couple of months I found myself in a job I was good at, but didn't particularly like. I wasn't my best person and felt I could do better. However not knowing what it is that I did want to do kept me stuck in a a place I didn't want to be in. It was time to make some changes. I didn't want to change me, I was quite happy with myself. I couldn't change the work environment I was in. The only option that was left was to change the thing I had an actual influence in. And thus I made the decision to quit my job. It was a shock to many. Did I have another job? Did I know what I was going to do? How was I going to pay my bills? These are some of the questions I got asked. People didn't understand how I could make such a crazy decision at my age. But what I found alarming was people telling me that they understood. That it was daring, brave even. That they would if they could. These were people of my generation, struggling with life. Struggling to find a balance between careers, social life, family. Not doing the things they want to do. Keeping up appearances, pretending to be fine. People being overworked and unhappy. I can not even put in writing the relieve I felt when I made a decision to choose for my own happines and health. I felt as if an enormous weight was lifted of my shoulders. Starting 2019 I was free to do whatever I wanted to do with my time, no obligations whatsoever. And to make the most of this free time, I decided to go travelling. Not to 'find myself', I have a good enough idea of who I am. But to enjoy the time I have,and make fantastic memories. So it's a fact. on 4 February I will starting my journey trough southeast Asia, starting with Bangkok, Thailand. If you're interested, check out my travel logs in the coming months, where I'll be sharing travel updates.
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