Wow! It'a Lao - Part 6: Luang Prabang

A popular tourist activity in Luang Prabang is waking up early to watch the locals give alms to the monks.

After three days on the road, I settled down in Luang Prabang for a full day of sight-seeing. The town is the peatl of the Lao tourism industry and even has its own international airport. As I mentioned in the last video, Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning it is recognized as having a cultural and historical significance that is of value to the entire world. 

On the road to Kaung Si

High on the list of things to do in Luang Prabang is the Kaung Si waterfalls. I did my research, and on the downside, people primary complained about the crowds at the falls. Being surrounded by hordes of tourists prevents full enjoyment of the soothing tranquility of the site. I was resolved to beat the crowds and so I got up quite early and was on the road to Kaung Si as soon as the sun came up. 

32 kilometers later, I was at the gates at 7:10 AM. Whoops. Again, my stellar travel planning skills showing themselves. The park doesn't open until 8:00 AM. Perhaps the guard was impressed by my determinatio. Perhaps, by not giving me a ticket, he could put my $2 entrance fee right into his pocket. In any case, he let me in and I had the whole place all to myself! 

On the short walk up to the falls, there's a small bear rescue facility. The bears live in a very nice enclosure where they have lots to do and play with and plenty others to interact with. They seemed happy enough. If you're not familiar with the species, these are Asian sun bears, smaller than their cousins from temperate climates, they're also cuter. 

At the falls themselves, I had never seen water so incredibly blue. It was practically flourescent. Maybe that's due to high oxygen levels. The water was also clean, crisp and after shakily making my way through the rocks on the shore, it made for a refreshing swim. 

In the afternoon, I had a nice rest and in the evening, my exploring lead me to an unlikely activity there in developing Lao: bowling! I blame my horrible scores on having to bowl in my socks. 

Enjoy the video!