The previous reviews leave me somewhat perplexed. Of course, this was my first time travelling in Southeast Asia and I had never visited an Asian colonial city before, so I couldn't compare. But I am generally an easy audience and my friends and my wife who accompanied me agreed with me that 4 days would not be enough to visit everything that the city and its surroundings had to offer.

We visited the city of Luang Prabang at the beginning of the dry season, at the end of November, in two 2-day periods interspersed with an excursion to Luang Namtha by rental car, in the northwest of Laos.

We stayed in the city center along the Nam Khan River to fully enjoy the unique atmosphere that pervades the city both day and night. However, we ignore to eating at the night market, which seemed too touristy.

The heritage is dense and, as the city centre is compact, it is best explored on foot. It's difficult to describe each monument in detail, as there is so much to see. To give you a general idea, here is what we saw, and this is still incomplete, in the chronological order of our visit:

A/ The evening of our arrival at the airport: the monasteries of Wat Visoun, Wat Aham and Wat Pa Phai at the foot of Mount Phousi ;

B/ The next day: the ascent to Mount Phousi, Wat Chomsi (+/- €2.5), the grounds of the royal palace and the adjoining Wat Ho Pha Bang sim (+/- €2.5) (The photo), the Wat Choum Kong and Wat Xieng Mouane monasteries along Kunxoa Street, the backbone of the city. Along all the streets of Luang Prabang there are also magnificent colonial and traditional Lao buildings, such as the colonial building occupied by the French Institute, a public library where books are made available to everyone under a pergola, a kindergarten, commercial buildings, etc. Kunsoa Street ends at Wat Xieng Thong, which is undoubtedly the richest and most beautiful monastery of all, with its glass paste decorations and gilding (+/- €2.5) (The photo)

C/ Two days later, we went by lowboat on the Mekong River to see the Pak Ou caves (+/- €10 per person for 5 people) decorated with countless small and large Buddhas. The boat is the only way to access the caves because they are located in a cliff overlooking the Mekong. Be careful, it's cold on the river in the morning. In the afternoon, we crossed the Nam Khan River to visit a women's weaving cooperative that sells woven clothing. This was an opportunity to tick off the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage box: The traditional craft of weaving the Naga motif in the Lao community. Naga is a mythical serpent that symbolizes prosperity and is woven into fabrics, represented by brightly colored triangles. Laotians wear these fabrics on special occasions. This motif is quite rare and... expensive. (See photo) In this regard, there is also in a village near Luang Namtha, Phieng Nam, a craft center for the production of woven clothing with silk. In Luang Namtha, the women in our group had a very cheap traditional Lao long straight skirt made.

In the district beyond the Nam Khan River, there is also an interesting monastery to visit, albeit of modern design, for two reasons: firstly, because it is surrounded by numerous Buddhist tombs, and secondly, because it is a hybrid between a sim (the main building, usually with a stepped roof and topped with a Buddha image) and a stupa (generally a mausoleum shaped like a giant frieze, most often gilded). The richly decorated building is multi-story! In this hollow stupa, we felt like we were ascending to Nirvana!

D/ We also participated at dawn in the alms-giving ceremony practiced by the monks, the Tak Bat, along Sisavang Vong Street (The photo). It's very impressive because there are so many monks marching in single file and the feeling of spirituality is at its peak. It's possible to buy rice and biscuits from the Laotians, which we then offer to the monks. Please do so sparingly; there needs to be enough for everyone! You must remove your shoes, sit on a stool, and wear a scarf over your shoulder. Avoid taking photos in a conspicuous manner; the best approach is to participate. We make small balls with the rice which we place in a large silver bowl carried by the monk, without looking him in the eyes.

E/ We also took a trip to the Tad Kouang Si waterfalls, located about 30 kilometers from Luang Prabang. In November, the water flow is impressive and very beautiful. Since there are many Chinese tourists visiting the site, we extended our walk beyond the falls to a secluded restaurant on the riverbank where butterflies fly all around us. Paradise on earth, in short.

F/ A visit to Luang Prabang wouldn't be complete without an excursion to the right bank of the Mekong River. This bank is also located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's possible to walk around the river to the right bank as soon as you disembark from the ferry (approximately €6 per person round trip). The route is very simple: just follow the red brick paved path to the end where Wat Hat Siaew, also a UNESCO-listed site, is located. But we took a left onto a drivable road which leads up to a modern monastery, Wat Kiw-Nor Intharam. On the way, there is first a traditional Lao village with its bamboo houses built on stone piles, Siengman (The photo), then very old royal monasteries like Wat Xieng Man Setthasayaram, Wat Tham and the sacred cave Sakarindh (€2.50 entrance fee), Wat Chomphet (Magnificent view at the top of a steep staircase where my wife and her friend were offered a bracelet by a monk in the sim) and Wat Long Khoun. Each monastery has its own specific characteristics, whether in style (Laotian, Thai, Khmer...), its age which can be very ancient or its decoration of frescoes or sculptures on wood or stone. This excursion was very pleasant because it's not offered by tour operators, and we were practically alone during the walk. Information panels in English provided good explanations about the monuments.

In conclusion, the UNESCO site of Luang Prabang is very rich, the ancient Buddhist monasteries follow one another almost side by side, and each time, it is a haven of peace in the middle of the vegetation where it is pleasant to stroll. The harmony between royal buildings, colonial buildings, and spiritual buildings is perfect (see the introductory photo). One can almost physically feel the mutual respect between them and the peaceful nature of the Lao people. This haven of peace is bordered by the majestic Mekong River on the left (with its many restaurants) and the Nam Khan River on the right. Witnessing the sunset at the confluence of these two waterways in the far north of the city is a magical experience. The atmosphere is so pleasant and relaxed that you almost forget the tourist pressure, especially from the Chinese who are numerous at sunset on Mount Phousi or at the Tak Bat ceremony, which creates some minibus traffic jams that are quickly forgotten... This unfortunately is likely to change in the coming years to such an extent that our innkeeper of French origin, proud of his certificate of classification of his colonial hotel under number 323, has informed us of his intention to leave. However, it seems that the local authorities are taking the necessary measures and our innkeeper reassured us about maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the site, complaining about excessive heritage measures! We also observed the implementation of a trial of stricter traffic regulations in the old town, aimed at regulating car traffic, which we approved. In short, an unforgettable stay!