After having spent what seemed like months in Vietnam, I’d forgotten the sense of anticipation accompanied by the arrival in a brand new country. Flying down into Luang Prabang, Laos, I was struck by the lush jungles that surround the Mekong River as its brown waters flow through most of the country. Signs of deforestation exist, but you kind of get the feeling of being very deep into untouched territory.
Aside from the small city, there’s really not much in the surrounding areas, save for more pronounced mountains and remote jungles. The city itself has a sense of charm similar to Hoi An, though far more steeped in religious calm and peace than any other place I’ve visited on this trip. The sleepiness resonates. Streets are full of shops and restaurants, yet quiet. The touristic temples and monasteries are busy, but filled with more whispers than shouts. The restaurants along the Mekong were very nearly empty, with a suspiciously low number of encouraging hostesses by Asia standards. Honking horns are few and far between, as I soon learned after mistakenly taking my motorbike etiquette with me from Vietnam. Even the night market is quiet, as vendors allow would-be buyers to parous at their leisure, no beckoning required.
Dawn marks the daily procession of Monks through the town, collecting morning alms, their lone source of food for the day. While tourists have begun to get in on the action, it was inspiring to watch locals set up shop on the sidewalk as they awaited each set of passing monks, scooping sticky rice into their bowls. Afternoons can be whiled away at riverside cafes and yoga studios, where pads strewn about on the decks serve as a reading chair, lunch seat, and napping bed.
Outside of town, a multi-tiered waterfall provides a respite from the heat, with many pools scattered in its wake. The ride out to the falls showed just how remote the small city is, with no more than a few huts here and there throughout the 25 miles out and back. My suspicions were confirmed as I climbed the town mountain for sunset. As expected, temples dot the hill, as well as the surrounding mountains in all directions. That’s about all that dot the mountains, though. No sprawling houses, no development, simply a river and jungles, for as far as the eye can see.
Luang Prabang is truly a gem, tucked away among the shroud of the jungle. There’s little wonder as to how it’s become such a holy, peaceful oasis.