How to explore Luang Prabang’s temples, rivers and waterfalls 2/3 2023 (Stop 8)

27 Feb – 1 March 2023 It was fun and therapeutic sailing down the Mekong for 2 days, through the scenic mountainous north of Laos. In the end, another reward awaited – Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It lies on the confluence of the Mekong and its tributary Nam Khan. The Mekong flowed between two hill slopes. On the valleys and hillsides, life forms were nourished and prospered. Beliefs were born and flourished, many ancient Buddhist temples built a few hundred years ago were still intact. Houses were built, of beautiful local architecture, of solid wood, many still seen magnificently around the riverfront. Brick colonial buildings were also well preserved.

I took a long walk along the Mekong and further along Nam Khan, sometimes digressing into the temples around them. I came cycling along these rivers the next day, to soak up all the good vibes from them. Mekong was a great benefactor. Its contributions to all activities here are obvious. Nam Khan was almost ornamental. Its water looked so clean and almost filtered. It was so still and smooth that its surface would show only goosebumps when gentle breezes whispered.

One of the best things, often unsaid, is to cycle around the streets and narrow alleys of the city. It is not a big city. One could just walk, but leisurely cycling makes enjoying the city that much more complete.

I have seen the biggest, the most powerful, and the most muscular, including the Niagara and Iguazu Falls, in Argentina, Brazil, and Victoria. They were loud and boastful. Kuang Si Waterfalls by contrast is demure. It was pretty. It charmed. Its turquoise water, swimmable shallows, and stepped cascades, are all crafted to make all visiting admirers swoon.