Once the capital of Laos, the sleepy riverside city of Luang Prabang offers all the charm you’d expect of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and more. Saffron-robed monks gather alms at sunrise; boats flit along the Mekong; eaves soar; and Buddhas gleam at the cities’ temples and royal palaces. But there are more things to do in Luang Prabang than history and culture alone: Cooking courses, craft classes, waterfalls, and the night market all beckon.
Travel around Laos is easiest during the dry season, which runs from November to April. But the best time to visit Luang Prabang is between November and February when temperatures are cooler, and the March–April rice stubble burning has yet to fill the air with smoke. Photographers will love the Lao New Year (Boun Pi Mai) celebrations on April 14-16 and the Festival of Lights (Boun Lai Heua Fai) in October.
Luang Prabang is pocket-sized with little by way of hills, so many travelers do most of their exploring on foot or on rented bicycles. There’s no formal public transit, but tuk-tuks and songthaews, the tuk-tuk’s big brother, run routes around the city and work as taxis too. The Loca ride-hailing app, Laos’ answer to Uber, is a great way to book both four- and two-wheeled taxis.
British celebrity chef and champion shouter Gordon Ramsay says Laos is one of the world’s top food destinations. Give back while you munch by eating at Khaiphaen restaurant, run by a non-profit that provides training and funding for disadvantaged children. And don’t miss the classes at Tamarind, a restaurant-owned cooking school known for its fresh, creative use of Lao flavors.
