Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang province is located in Northern Laos and shares a border with Northern Vietnam. The population is more than 400,000. Roughly 50,000 live in Luang Prabang city, which is the fourth most populous in Laos after Vientiane, Pakxe, and Savannakhet. Luang Prabang city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995 and has maintained its old world charm much better than the current Lao capital of Vientiane. It served as the royal capital until the monarchy was dissolved in 1975. The best comparison to Luang Prabang outside of Laos is its official sister city of Bagan, Myanmar (Burma).
Take a Lao Cooking Class
Cooking classes are a way to personalize your travel experience. Lao cuisine is difficult to find outside of Laos. Most classes will show you the most common dishes like green papaya salad, larb, mok pa (similar to Khmer amok) and sticky rice. While Thailand may be one of the world’s top rice exporters, Laotians eat more sticky rice than anyone else.
While Thai and Vietnamese restaurants seem to be on every corner in most major cities, Khmer and Lao cuisine are relatively unknown outside of Southeast Asia. Ethnic Lao people are said to outnumber ethnic Thais by a ratio by six to one in the Isan region of Thailand. When you eat green papaya salad and larb (two of the most popular items at Thai restaurants), you are eating Lao cuisine.
Visit UXO Information Center
A visit to the UXO Information Center is a sobering experience. Although the Vietnam War ended more than 40 years ago, unexploded bombs are still maiming and killing Laotians to this day. During the Vietnam War, the United States dropped more than 2 million tons of ordnance on Laos, making it the most heavily bombed nation in history. An estimated 30% of those bombs did not explode. 10 of the 18 Lao provinces are still considered to be severely contaminated.
More than 1 million UXOs (unexploded ordinances) were destroyed between 1996 and 2009. Some of them are on display at the information center. There are also exhibits and videos in English. Admission is free.
Learn About the Hill Tribes
According to the Lao government, there are more than 160 different ethnic groups in Laos. While ethnic Lao are estimated to make up slightly more than half of the population, the Khmu and Hmong each make up roughly ten percent. The hill tribes even have their own Lonely Planet phrasebook.
If you don’t have time to venture outside Luang Prabang (city), you can still visit the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre (TAEC). The three rooms offer enough information to give the visitor an insight into Northern Lao Hill Tribe culture without being overwhelming. Permanent exhibits focus on the Akha, Hmong, Kmhmu and Tai Lue. Even if you are planning to visit a hill tribe, it’s a good idea to visit TAEC first. Exhibits are in English and Lao.
Visit the Markets
There are morning, afternoon and evening markets in Luang Prabang. While bottles of snake and scorpion wine may shock first-time visitors to Southeast Asia, there are several crepe carts and smoothie bars for every vendor selling live bats. Laos is still a developing country and instead of fancy Beats Pills, you can buy a non-electronic iPhone speaker dock for less than the cost of a cable car ride in San Francisco. Make sure you have cash. Credit cards are not widely accepted at outdoor markets in any part of Laos.
Sample the Street Food
While you don’t have to go to a market to enjoy the street food, markets are certainly the best option if you want variety. Either way, you can get quality food on the street for a fraction of what you would pay in a restaurant. Many street food peddlers have small seating areas as well. Most are cash only.
Interested in Luang Prabang Tours?
I love your pictures! A friend of mine in in Luang Prabang right now and is loving it. I understand why now!
Green Paypaya salad sounds incredible and I know that they make everything so fresh as well! I would love to visit LAOS.
The street market is a sure place to explore when visiting a country for the first time. I’ve seen the bottles of snake and scorpion wine before but never had the chance to taste one, right now I feel like having one!
I loved Luang Prabang its a great place. I visited the market too and had the street food. I should try a cooking class next time 🙂
Never had Laos on my bucket list until now!
Looks like a great place to visit! I would love to take a cooking class and visit the markets! They both seem they would be so interesting.
I’ve never been to Laos before, but I think it’s awesome to take a cooking class when there’s one available. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in a country’s culture! Plus that also means good food!
I loved Luang Prabang and this makes me miss it so much! We actually stayed 5 days there but didn’t get to do much because of unusually cold and rainy weather forcing us to stay in our room. But I did have time to walk around to admire the beauty that is Luang Prabang.
Awesome photos. I miss Laos a lot! It’s such a chilled out country, I felt like I could have stayed forever.
Thanks Katie. Vientiane post coming soon!
What an incredible place to visit. I just love the idea of taking cooking classes as cooking is such a great way to get to know a country. I’m just so boggled that bombs are still in the area and are still being activated in laos after so much time.
what a great experience!! i love your photos 🙂 thanks for sharing with us
Now I really want to go to Laos. The markets look like fun and I would love to visit a hill tribe. Did you try scorpion wne?
Nope, didn’t try the scorpion wine lol.
I love green papaya salad and always thought it was Thai! How interesting
A cooking class sounds fun. I must admit, I honestly don’t know what most of the foods are that are pictured in the street market. Are those large fish? Fun pictures of what looks to be fun experience.
Wow this sounds like a fascinating place and the food looks delicious. I have always wanted to take part in a coking class on my travels but only once had the pleasure to learn first hand. It must have been a fantastic experience.
I didn’t know that Laos has so many ethnic things to experience! Never heard of bottles of snake and scorpion wine before, though it sounds creepy to me! Though I’d love to try their food!
Ana, you’ll try their food, but not their drink lol??
Fascinating look at Laos, a place I want to go. Love the street food and market photos. Taking a cooking class seems like a superb way to immerse in the culture.
I lived in Chiang Mai for half a year and ate copious amounts of green papaya salad and larb. They were so common in Northern Thailand that I never questioned their origins. Well, always learning ;). I am glad that I found your post – learned something new about a place I haven’t visited yet. However, the most striking part for me were your photos: clarity of pictures, refined details, rich colors. I wonder what camera do you use?
Since April 1, 2016 I’ve been using the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100.
Thanks ?
Wonderful post and gorgeous photos! It all looks so colourful and the talk of food has made me want to try some. Thanks for sharing!
Seems like there’s a truly diverse set of experiences here. It’s amazing that the hill tribes have their own Lonely Planet phrasebook! That’s got to be truly unique 🙂 The cuisines seems to be the big draw here, especially if it’s very rare to get Lao cuisine outside of the country.
You certainly got out an about in Luang Prabang. I didn’t know they ate more sticky rice than anywhere else. I love sticky rice. The market looks to have some bargains and not too busy either!
I never had Laos in mind as a destination I would like to travel, but hey never too late to add new places to your travel list. Anyways, Luang Prabang looks amazing and you have captured all the memories beautifully. It is interesting to know that green papaya salad is a traditional Lao cuisine. Did you try the Scorpio or the Snake wine?
I did not drink the scorpion/snake wine, lol!
Very interesting article. My best friends parents go there every 2 years backpacking. I think it’s amazing and I want to learn more. One question for you is how do they feel about American’s after dropping all those bombs?
Like Palestine, they have reason to hate us, but were very friendly.
Beautiful photos! We actually lost almost all of our photos from Luang Prabang (only time that’s happened!), so I’m vaguely jealous of seeing yours. 🙂
Do like Paul Shoul and create 2 different backups immediately.
Asian street food is my favorite!!! And I have never done a cooking class while traveling but would love it. I did a Chinese calligraphy class in China and it was awesome for learning a little and chatting with a local.
Loved the perspective! Kind of wish you had described what larb & mok pai were as you forced me to not only use the google machine but also salivate over my laptop looking at pictures of a delectable meat salad and that fish in the banana leaves!
How interactive are the hill tribes? Is it like Mongolia where you can stay with the tribes in a yurt for a bit to really dive in or is more like visiting museums and the area of their ancestors?
Hi Eric. My post is focused on the city itself. I can’t speak for the rest of the province. Your reference to “Google machine” made me laugh. Are you a fan of the Bruce Prichard podcast?
It looks very diverse. I am a big fan of street food. I have never been there, but now it is on my list. Btw, I love your photos.
Yes, going to local markets, food stalls, cooking classes – my favorite ways to explore a place. Luang Prabang seems to have a lot to offer.
I love taking cooking classes when I travel! I’m glad that was one of your suggestions!
Gorgeous photos! Cooking class while traveling are the best! I can’t wait to go to Laos one day
I loveSouth East Asia but haven’t been to Laos yet. Your tips sound great and first of all I would choose cooking class and sampling street food. Thanks for sharing.