For our last day in Luang Prabang, we head out over the Mekong, to the still relatively untouched string of villages and temples facing the old royal city. We’ve been recommended a short hike (between two and ten kilometres long depending on who we ask!) that will take us along the riverbank, from the hamlet of Ban Xieng Mene through a series of temples and back. Sounds like a good programme for the day!
We head out mid-morning, walking west along the peninsula in search for the ferry terminal. We’ve already spotted the large flat boats laden with passengers, motorcycles and cars crossing the Mekong on previous wanders through the city centre, and they should be the cheapest way to cross the river. However, we’ve also heard that it’s possible to charter a private boat, with a scheduled pick-up at the end of the walk, for a reasonable price, so we start a conversation with a few of the boatmen posted along the promenade, waiting for tourists. No luck: we must be looking particularly gullible today as we get quoted a couple of ridiculous prices, culminating in 400,000K, twenty times what it will cost to cross with the ferry! Best to just laugh it off and continue to the terminal.
Boarding is quite an informal affair: the boat precariously docks on a muddy road going down to the water, and vehicles file out in order of who’s closer to the door. There’s an orderly line of cars, tuk-tuks and minivans waiting to get on but motorcycles and pedestrians zigzag round and we follow the first few waves onboard before the last of the previous passengers are even off. It’s roomy when you’re on foot: large benches all around the almost square platform which don’t get even half full. However, for vehicles it’s a race to cram in as many as possible and quite a few of the cars are left waiting for the next boat - already coming across the river, so it won’t be long. Once full, we set off across the Mekong at a stately pace, giving us plenty of time to admire the view - unlike yesterday it’s a lovely sunny day which makes a big difference.
Once across, time to start our hike - Ban Xieng Mene is very rural but the trail we’re following is obviously well-publicised as the road is paved through and in impeccable condition, and there are a number of helpful signs to the main sights along the path. Time for the verdict: the full trail is just over 3km one way - easy enough to do the return loop and catch a ferry back without trying to haggle with a private boat! We set off along the Mekong, back towards the east - ironically the furthest point of the hike is almost directly across from our hotel. Just after the start, a large information panel tells the legend of the two hills we will be trekking along, Phou Tao and Phou Nang. According to it, they were created out of the bodies of two lovers who died from grief at being separated - the whole story is much longer and involves ogres, kings, evil queens, fireballs and walls of water, but it would be lengthy to recount in full here (you can find an accurate enough summary there). It’s a lovely bit of local colour to start our hike, and a rare occurrence - usually the information panels we find tend to be kind of useless, giving some very dry and uninteresting facts about attractions rather than providing insight on their significance.
The first kilometre of the walk is a simple, flat stroll through Ban Xieng Mene village - it’s actually fascinating for us as this is the first good look we’ve had at a more rural, less touristy Laos. Small wooden houses line the streets, clucking chickens scatter at our approach, and gaggles of adorable children observe us from a safe distance. I’m glad I decided at the last minute to wear my elephant pants instead of shorts - I would have felt very skimpily dressed in comparison to the women we see preparing food or doing laundry who are all sporting long sleeves and full-length trousers or skirts. We seem to be the only falangs in sight as well - although at 11am we can’t be the first.
Just as we get to the end of the village, we reach our first temple stop: Wat Chomphet, set, as we’ve come to expect now, at the top of a steep flight of uneven stairs. Legs still aching from yesterday’s climbing, we ascend slowly. We’re not expecting anything special from the temple itself but apparently the view from the top of the hill is worth it. And indeed, we get a very nice look back at Luang Prabang’s historic centre just across the Mekong. This makes up for Wat Chomphet being in the process of being restored: nothing to see under the scaffolding! This will become a recurring motif as we progress through the walk: none of the temples we see appear in good conditions at all, and most are currently under work. A relief for Ollie who was scared of spending too long visiting each of the five complexes we pass through, but a bit disappointing as this was one of the main draws of the hike.
A few highlights: Wat Long Khoun is one of the largest monasteries we go through and seems in better repair. The main prayer hall door is flanked by two large Chinese spirit guardians - painted by an invading Chinese platoon besieging Luang Prabang, who was being pestered by angry spirits while sheltering in the temple and needed some extra help repelling them. Just a bit later down the path, opposite Tam Sackkalin (unfortunately shut), a modern prayer hall is covered in frescoes painted comic-style - they’re even numbered! This is the first time we’ve seen anything like that. In between the temples, we meander on the shaded concrete path through a pretty forest - a very easy and pleasant walk with some occasional glimpses of the Mekong on our right.
In no time at all, we’re nearly at the end of the hike as we walk into Wat Had Siam, another large compound reputed for still having a meditation corridor in use: a separate, windowless building in characteristic long and thin shape. Past that, there should be another forest path leading us to the final temple, Wat Khok Pab, but it’s a struggle to find it: compared to the rest of the journey, this leg is narrow and overgrown. We can just about find the start of a narrow concrete trail covered in fallen leaves, and we follow it to the top of another hill, crowned by a small prayer nook and a series of golden statues. There, the concrete peters out and the path splits up into a multitude of faint packed earth trails - too vague for us as we’re still a bit traumatised by our visit to the Laos UXO centre, and we decide it’s time to turn back.
It’s an easy walk back to the ferry and this time we see quite a few westerners going the other way - it seems we were the early birds after all. After an easy trip back across (the ferries are exceedingly frequent), it’s time for lunch at another of the many cute Luang Prabang eateries - I take advantage of the decent food hygiene standards in this very touristy city to order another laarb salad with plenty of fresh herbs.
After some serious resting in the afternoon, there’s one last thing to check off our bucket list before leaving tomorrow: we’ve managed to leave climbing Phousi hill for last, as I was trying to time it for sunset. This is the first slot we’ve had during our stay and we get going at five with plenty of time to spare (or so we think). Unfortunately we’ve had the same idea as every other tourist in the city, and when we get to the top the small viewing platforms are completely overcrowded with travellers, cameras clicking madly. I can see it’s a nice spot, with some very pretty views over the historical centre, but the crowds detract from it quite a lot. It’s a shame as you can really appreciate the protected architecture and nicely symmetrical town plan of Luang Prabang from this aerial view. The sunset itself is fairly nondescript by our standards, especially as we have to crane around a dozen tourists to see it. On the way down, we check out the alleged Buddha footprint - Ollie can’t hold back a loud “it’s bullshit!”, to the shock and stifled laughter of fellow sightseers, when he realises it’s an 80cm-long depression in the stone. Poor Buddha must have struggled for shoes in his size!
On the way back to the hotel, we stroll through the night market - an uninspiring food court, and lots of souvenirs on offer - but it’s hard to work out what is decent quality and what isn’t, and we’re also very limited on what we can carry so no shopping spree for me tonight. Dinner is in a small, almost deserted restaurant which turns out to simply be someone’s terrace (evident through the bathroom which is also clearly the house’s only shower). The food is delicious however and very cheap, and I get to try a dish of crispy vegetable noodles which, unexpectedly, is very different to any other fare tried on our trip so far.
All in all, Luang Prabang is probably one of the prettiest, most pleasant cities we’ve stayed in so far. The incredible concentration of temples and the preserved architecture gives it a timeless, quintessentially South-Asian feel, while all of the tourist comforts you could wish for are within easy reach. We could have done with a slightly shorter stay here (and perhaps more exploring of the wider region) but it’s been a very enjoyable experience indeed!
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