Temples of Luang Prabang

This is a quick break from my 2022 European vacation series and is dedicated to my most recent travel destination: Luang Prabang in Laos. Finally, D and I got the chance to explore one of the places I have always been meaning to visit early this month.

Our visit to Luang Prabang was a great way to cap this year’s travels. As the plane descended, I was in awe at the sight of the mountains and the lush greens from the window. We arrived in the afternoon and after settling in the hotel we headed off to watch the sunset along the Mekong River.

Luang Prabang is known for its Buddhist Temples, so I’m dedicating this post to show the ones we explored.

On our second day D and I rode the bicycles rented out by our hotel for our temple tour. The first temples we visited were right next to each other: the Wat Aham and the Wat Makmo.

Afterwards we rode off next to the Nam Khan River and chanced upon the steps leading up to the Phousi Hill which also has a Buddhist temple atop. It is known for offering a wonderful panoramic view of Luang Prabang. Our hotel host said that the best time to climb Phousi Hill was in the morning and at sunset. We got there before noon and I saw that the path up was lined by trees so we figured to check it out while we had the energy. There were interesting stops before getting to the top, like Buddha’s Footprint temple.

After Day 2, we didn’t get to visit other temples, but we made up for it on the next two days. D and I did not have a guided tour when we walked to the temples the following days. Thankfully we had our pocket wifi and online information helped us in our self-guided tour. In several temples we visited we saw monks and heard their prayer at dusk.

On our last day in Luang Prabang, we walked to the temple that was closest to our hotel, Wat Pa Phon Phao. It is on a hill, and when we walked it was just after sunrise and we had the place all to ourselves. The atmosphere was very serene and the view here was great. I love how the trees of Bougainvillea added to the beauty of the place.

Wat Pa Phon Phao

More to come about what we did during our five days’ stay in this beautiful city!

Responses

  1. thehungrytravellers.blog Avatar

    We loved Luang Prabang too, the confluence of the rivers and those temporary bridges…..although on the night we climbed the steps, there wasn’t a sunset of note. Atmospheric little town though!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. MrsWayfarer Avatar

      Glad you got to visit this lovely and calm place. There is no direct flight from my Manila to Luang Prabang but the multiple stops to get there was worth it.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Monkey's Tale Avatar

    Gorgeous pictures. We loved Luang Probang too. Maggie

    Liked by 1 person

    1. MrsWayfarer Avatar

      Thank you Maggie. We enjoyed Luang Prabang. Oh I wish I can go back right now.

      Like

  3. Rebecca Avatar

    How brilliant the temples of Luang Prabang look! Never heard of them, but they look worth the trip over. Glad you enjoyed the beautiful sites close to home!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. MrsWayfarer Avatar

      Laos had always intrigued me since I heard about it from backpacker friends in 2011. I am glad we got the chance this year.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. AndysWorldJourneys Avatar

    oh that hill! I climbed it in the middle of a bloody hot day! but LP is really one of SE Asia’s lesser known gems!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. MrsWayfarer Avatar

      Wow! What month did you go? It’s the cooler months now though I had a good sweat climbing up. I can imagine what more if it’s their summer season.

      Like

  5. ThoughtsBecomeWords Avatar

    Wow, brilliant photographs and such a stunning location. Wishing you happy holidays and a great New Year!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. MrsWayfarer Avatar

      Thank you! I wish you a joyous holidays and new year!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Bangkok, Revisited – Living Free and Making a Difference Avatar

    […] this month D and I had the chance to revisit Bangkok en route to Luang Prabang, Laos. We booked via AirAsia and given the cheaper flights entailed a few days’ stay in […]

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  7. Highlights of Luang Prabang – Living Free and Making a Difference Avatar

    […] since we went there. When I reminisce about our trip, what comes to mind other than its beautiful Buddhist temples is the dramatic sunset view of the Mekong River. We stayed in Luang Prabang for four days at the […]

    Like

  8. gederedita Avatar

    great post, Wayfarer. beautiful pictures.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. MrsWayfarer Avatar

      Thank you for reading, Gederedita. I am glad you liked it

      Like

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