Luang Prabang and surroundings Laos

Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang is a city located in north central Laos, at the confluence of the Nam Khan river and Mekong River about 425 km north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province. The population of the city is about 50,000. The main part of the city consists of four main roads located on a peninsula between the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers. The city is well known for its numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. Every morning, hundreds of monks from the various monasteries walk through the streets collecting alms. One of the major landmarks in the city is a large steep hill on which sits Wat Chom Si. In this presentation you will see: - Pak Ou caves nearby the city along the Mekongriver; these caves are noted for their miniature Buddha sculptures; hundreds of very small and mostly damaged wooden Buddhist figures are laid out over the wall shelves; - The city itself; the Haw Kham Royal Palace Museum and the Wat Xieng Thong temple are among the most well known historical sites; along with the wats a significant part of the old town's appeal are the many French provincial style houses; the other buddhist tempels and monastries and a night market where stalls sell food but also shirts, bracelets and other souvenirs; - Kuang Si waterfalls 29 km south of the city; the falls begin in shallow pools atop a steep hillside. These lead to the main fall with a 60 metres.; there is a nice walk along the falls. - Workshop with weaving, making paper, silkactivity and so on.