Laos - Luang Prabang

[kapotasana]

How to travel around luang prabang? Got grabcar there?

They have Songthaew trucks and tuk tuk in Luang Prabang but you need to know the rate and you can bargain, not a problem. In Vientiane, there’s Loca, like Grab.

 

[kapotasana]

Oh ya. I forget to ask about the currency. Read that Singapore money changer has no Laos Kip. Have to change in Laos.

However some bloggers posted that best to change sgd to usd in S'pore then change USD to Kip in Laos cos Sgd to kip in Laos very low rate.

So is above true? Anyone can share?

Yes, no money changer in SG to change to Kip. The best USD to Kip rate is along the main road in Luang Prabang, not at the bank.

Bring USD (50-100 notes for good rates) or Thai Baht if you have some leftover to change. Many money changers to shop around for the best rates around the post office and the royal palace area. They show the rates on the board.

Best SIM card to get is with Beeline. Cheapest one and best package. It’s at the airport close to the baggage claim, just before the exit to the arrival hall pick up.

 

[kapotasana]

Do they still accept Thai baht??? Many years back when I went to Laos they prefer Thai baht more then their currency

Use your baht to exchange at the money changer if you have extra and don’t want to bring USD. Don’t use the Baht or USD to pay in the shops

 

[kapotasana]

There are 3 ways to climb up Phousi. I tried all and the most enjoyable way for me was through Wat Siphouthabath. The entrance is either across from Formula B Cafe in Sisavangvong Road or across from Cafe Toui. The Palace way is a little Touristy but you can choose to enter from one and go down on the other.

 

[Sammychan]

Lousy place. Most backward place i've ever been. Worse than cambodia.

 

[myben5]

Wanted to go these three places, Luang Prabang, Plain of Jar, Vientiane.
Don't how many days are needed? Two weeks enough?
Thanks

 

[correct]

Use your baht to exchange at the money changer if you have extra and don’t want to bring USD. Don’t use the Baht or USD to pay in the shops

They charge lower

 

[correct]

There are 3 ways to climb up Phousi. I tried all and the most enjoyable way for me was through Wat Siphouthabath. The entrance is either across from Formula B Cafe in Sisavangvong Road or across from Cafe Toui. The Palace way is a little Touristy but you can choose to enter from one and go down on the other.

I only know two. One of them has nice view. I didn't see what route but went upwards north west. This has nice views. Then I went down the other route (no views) and just nice night market all open.

Sunset okay la. Around 5pm, tons of people will come.

 

[correct]

Yes, no money changer in SG to change to Kip. The best USD to Kip rate is along the main road in Luang Prabang, not at the bank.

Bring USD (50-100 notes for good rates) or Thai Baht if you have some leftover to change. Many money changers to shop around for the best rates around the post office and the royal palace area. They show the rates on the board.

Best SIM card to get is with Beeline. Cheapest one and best package. It’s at the airport close to the baggage claim, just before the exit to the arrival hall pick up.

Right now... Small note USD 1 to 20 all 9000 kip

 

[correct]

Hi! I just came back from Luang Prabang! It’s a wonderful place to visit. Before I left, I checked out this thread and so I want to share some things that may help someone.

Laotian food is similar to Thai and Vietnamese and it’s delicious. Depending on where you go, they sometimes use less spices, so people from Singapore may feel like the food is needing more spices and chili sometimes. Just ask for some fish sauce and cut chilli. Food wise they have tonnes of cafes, western restaurants and local restaurants, so no problem for food. Just google and you will see a whole list.

My favorite porridge place next to the Mekong was Pasaneyom Coffee Shop. Don’t forget to try the porridge and go sit at a shed across the road to get a view of the Mekong. Another local seafood restaurant that my friends and I enjoyed was Xieng Thong Phonsavanh Restaurant. It’s a local Zichar place next to the Mekong.

Best noodle soup (pork or beef) is opposite Wat Sen and it’s called Khao Soi Noodle Soup. It’s next to a travel agency called Galaxy. This is the best according to locals. There are many along the street so make sure it’s the corner one next to Galaxy.

You can go cafe hopping everyday. It’s all good. Best is Saffron Coffee flagship at the Mekong side across from the ferry shed.

My favorite local food in a nicer restaurant was Cafe Toui (went there 3 times) and a fancier one is Manda De Laos with a beautiful lotus pond. Going at 6pm is recommended.

Change your USD at the main street. The rates are better than xe.com and a good rate that I got was next to the post office or a few money changers towards the middle (around Mini Sou and towards the end of that block). There are many so you can check the board. Best rate I got was 1 USD = 9,080 kip (50 to 100 USD big note fetches the best rate). Change as you need as you want to spend all your kip before leaving.

There’s food and drinks at the airport if you have spare Kip (20,000 to 35,000 kip for local drinks and food). You can check in 90 mins before departure. Check in takes no longer than 15 mins and customs is a breeze.

Stay on the main strip if you like to walk around without transport. Some nice hotels away from the main street provide shuttle rides to and from the town throughout the day.

For people who like nature, a beautiful and green hotel I stayed at was My Dream boutique across the town on the Nam Khan River side and the town is easily accessed by shuttle rides or walking across the hand-made bamboo bridge that costs 70,000 kip return trip.

But if you want easy access, staying on the strip is much easier and especially if you have kids or older folks.

Best massage I got was at Khmu Massage with Vone. I usually do 1hr foot reflexology and 1 hr traditional (like Thai) and it was a lot less than 150,000 kip I forgot the exact amount. The hot compress I also enjoyed a lot. First massage provides pick ups. It was 160,000 for the same treatment.

Hope you enjoy!

Right now I am at Luang Prabang. Bridge costs 7000 kip. Will look up Khao Soi Noodle Soup tomorrow.

 

[invisible999]

Right now I am at Luang Prabang. Bridge costs 7000 kip. Will look up Khao Soi Noodle Soup tomorrow.

What is the current rate from airport to the town and back?

Any interesting places to visit?

 

[correct]

I already had someone from where I stay pick me up and send me back. I didn't ask for the rate.

Kuang Si Waterfalls, Mount Phousi, Morning market and wooden bridge (dry season).

If fond of hiking at Kuang Si, there is a dangerous trail to the top. Not for the people who tend to slip.

Things to know: check if other waterfalls have enough water if you are planning to visit others. I was told about this by a 'local'.

At least 2 days if you planned well.

 

[invisible999]

Thanks. Planning to be there next week for 2.5 days with my wife and our friend.

Except waterfalls, seeing temples and market, what else one would do?

Do you know anything about river sunset cruises? How much they cost, how long it is and when they depart usually?

Walking around the town is a challenge, in terms of noise, dust/pollution, uneven pavement or is it ok?

Does it worth to get bicycles to explore the place?

How about food? Would you recommend a good place? Not necessarily fancy/expensive, street food works fine too.

Thanks

 

[correct]

Except waterfalls, seeing temples and market, what else one would do?
> Walk the wooden bridge and eat, climb Mount Phousi. These are what I did. I did have a massage but it is like not hard for me. 1hr - 60,000kip. More if with extra oils.

Do you know anything about river sunset cruises? How much they cost, how long it is and when they depart usually?
> USD $15... about 1hr 30mins... Depart at 4.15pm and return to Pier after 6.15pm... Will recommend. Better to go earlier like 3.30pm to get good sitting spot (second floor). Online booking is available.

Walking around the town is a challenge, in terms of noise, dust/pollution, uneven pavement or is it ok?
> Walking around is easy for us.

Does it worth to get bicycles to explore the place?
> Walking around is like a breeze, using Google Map to explore. In fact, I find bicycle hassle to travel.

How about food? Would you recommend a good place? Not necessarily fancy/expensive, street food works fine too.
> Dyen Sabai Restaurant (3 pax - about 200,000kip), Khao Soi Noodle Shop (7.30 to 12pm) > Will eat again. There are also like mid-range cafes in town (3 pax - about 200,000kip). Enjoyed having soup in the morning.

Things I avoid (but does not mean others can avoid) - Pak Ou Caves, non-sunset cruises)

Bring some jackets if you are going for sunset cruise.

 

[invisible999]

Just came from out first visit at Luang Prabang and decided to share with the audience several observations. You might find them useful

Best time to go/visit:
During dry season which is roughly Dec-March. Average temp is +20/25C with only few rainy days.

Visas (if you need):
While Laos recently introduced eVisa, using this option is more expensive than VoA and actually does not cut wait time after arriving at LPQ. At our arrival (late Dec 2019) with eVisas we had to wait at the empty eVisa booth while the only other manned booth was dealing with VoA applicants. As a result, we both overpaid for our visas (on average $15-$25 depending on passport of the issuing country) and waited more.

Communication:
Thanks to French colonial history, in Laos with French you probably will have better option to communicate with locals than using English - most elder and educated people know French. English is choice of younger generation.

Where to stay:
Plenty of places are available to choose from backpackers/hostels to 5* hotels. At this moment (end of 2019) there is no Western international chain hotels at Luang Prabang except Sofitel. Other chain hotel representations are Rosewood (from Hong Kong) and Aman (Singapore).

Most hotels are concentrated between Khem Khong rd which borders to Mekong and main Sasavangvong Rd, however number of villas are available in the other parts of the town and across the Nam Khan River as well and if you decided to stay at that area you will definitely need to get a transport to get to the town center.
Another note: while there are many lodging options, Luang Prabang and Laos in general is much less developed than Thailand or Vietnam. Expect to pay more for less quality lodgings than in these two countries.

Money matters:
ATMs: All local ATMs impose fee on cash withdrawal. BCEL has lowest fee of 20K kip per withdrawal.

Cash exchange: Luang Prabang is one of few places where for USD cash (and some other currencies like THB) you can get more local currency (kip) than via ATM/Interbank exchange rate at ATMs. Last week (end of Dec 2019) ATM/interbank exchange rate was 8850 kip per USD. While at the main street at money exchange places exchange rate was 8850 kip for 1 USD for $1/$5 bills, 9100 kip for $10/$20 bills and 9120 for $50/$100 bills. Make sure that you bring new bills without marks or tears.

Most exchange booth are located at main Sisavangvong rd between Royal Palace and 3 Nagas hotel. They have rates displayed outside and if you don't find the rate favorable, just walk next 2-5 min to check other places as well.

Credit card fees:
The only supermarket and couple of cafes do impose 3% fee. The only place without fee was higher-end restaurant at 3 Nagas. As mentioned, you will get more money per buck if you exchange USD on street. This, combined with 3% credit card fee would make credit card usage counter-effective. Especially if your bank charges additional fee for foreign currency transactions - you might end up paying 3-6.5% more when paying with CC, while paying with kip exchanged on street you will pay 2% less.

Transport to/from the airport and locally:
If you have not arranged transport, once you are in the arrival hall there is a taxi booth close to the exit. Ride price is 50k kip for up to three people total going in the same place. You need to pay with kip, and if you don't have them, just step outside, there are number of ATMs and take your kips from there (suggest using BCEL which charges lowest fee per withdrawal). Get enough kips for ride and next day and for the rest of the spend exchange USD at the main street where night market is after 6PM.
Going back to the airport via tuktuk will cost 100k kip per ride

Local transport is via tuktuk. If you are going to stay at the main tourist area, next/around Royal Palace, then most likely you won't need any transport because the whole area is quite small. Stroll from Pasaniyom Coffee (see below) to Riverview Park at the other end won't take more than 15-20 min. However if you are going outside the town, like Kuang Si Waterfall, I suggest to arrange ride in a shared air-conditioned van for better comfort and make sure that you are seated in front - due to quite curved road and absence of shock absorbers on most local vans 30-40 min ride might turn into a pukedrom if you are seated at back. Also note - local drivers tend to do facetime calls while driving these stick-shift vans/tuktuks. Don't try to scold them because they - first won't speak English and second - they won't understand what they are doing wrong.

Riding apps:
Regional riding apps - Grab and Gojek do not cover this area - this also tells you about development level. There supposed to be a local riding app but it does not show any cars/tuktuk availability in the area.

Where to eat:
There are number of great local, as well upscale places. For local coffee go to Pasaniyom Coffee where you can mingle with locals seated at roadside stall and drink outstanding local coffee for price of 5k-10k kip. Try Egg Coffee, you won't be disappointed. For more upscale (and expensive) place with indoor seating go to Saffron Coffee.
For dining Bouang Asian Eatery and Café Toui are great. Go to 3 Nagas if you want more upscale environment. Khao Soi Noodle Shop is great for local noodles.

Activities:
Locally: you can see all the local Buddhist temples in the center of the town within one day. Note that you need to pay entrance fee which is 10-30k kip per person depending on temple, however if you go there after 6PM usually there is no one to collect fee payment. Local Ethnology Museum is small but good and has a lot of information about composition of ethnic groups (there are 26 of them), their lifestyles and history. The museum has gift shop as well, however most of times which are sold there you can get at night market at lower prices. Heuan Chan Heritage House is a good place to see to understand how local (wealthy) people lived. I have not seen Royal Palace due to lack of time, so can't comment.

Outdoor activities:
Strolling up Phousi Hill is a rewarding activity, but again, expect to pay to get to the very top. You can take a boat across the Mekong and stroll there. There is quite a good map from Hobo Maps showing places on other side. Kuang Si Waterfall, while very touristy place and bumpy ride (above) is worth to visit and do hike around the waterfall. Warning - hike around the waterfall is quite steep (iphone counted 60 flights going up) and you must wear good traction shoes/boots and well to be careful where you step, especially when coming down. Another warning - there were reports that there are leeches in the pools, so up to you to decide if you want swim there.

You can arrange transportation to/from the waterfalls using shared air-conditioned van from your hotel using Klook app. It costs USD $6 per person, which actually is cheaper than getting tuktuk which costs 200-300k kip (depending on your bargaining skillset) for the return trip.

Sunset Cruises:
Number of different options available. Your hotel can arrange them or you can walk Khem Khong rd bordering Mekong and on every step you will be offered these cruises. We paid 50k kip per person for 1h cruise arranged by out hotel which was just a long boat going out, watch sunset and come back, no food/drink during the cruise.

Massages:
Try local Lao massage which is quite different than massages done at other SEA countries. Khmu Spa & Massage and Jasmines Massage & Spa (across 3 Nagas) is where we went and had quite good experience. Don't expect high end facilities in local shops - it is usually just a mattress at the floor in common area separated by curtains. Also this experience comes with all the associated environmental sounds like dogs barking, croaking roosters and screaming kids at adjustment buildings. All this for the price of 60-100k kip per hour of massage. If you want private separate air conditioned room with nice relaxing music, sure, but expect to pay USD $75 per hour.


Bottom line:
Luang Prabang is quite laid back and interesting place to see and experience. I would suggest to see it before high speed train linking it to China will come to operations in 2021 which most likely will transform this place completely. If you have seen places in Vietnam and Thailand where mass packaged tours from China are coming, you will understand what I mean.