Luang Prabang was our first stop in Laos, and honestly I was very surprised with how different it was compared to what I saw on the way there.

It is a charming small village in the middle of the jungle, located next to the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Guest houses, hotels, restaurants, bars, small cafés and of course tourists: Luang Prabang is a bubble in the middle of the jungle where no real sustainable local economy exists, apart from tourism.

Walking dowm the Mount Phousi

Unlike the journey to Luang Prabang, wooden shacks and poverty weren't as visible, hidden now behind a westernized front. It' almost like there's a mask disguising the reality, making it convenient for tourists to ignore.

Besides that, Luang Prabang has a very relaxing atmosphere, everything is very slow, and after 2 months of non-stop work in Shanghai, it was exactly what I needed.


After a 25 hours bus trip, Pace and I were in desperate need of both a shower and food. We checked into our guest house, arranged beforehand on booking.com (Villa Luang Sokxay, 90 USD for 6 nights). After the well needed shower we went looking for food.

Pace and one of the many friends he made in Luang Prabang

Almost every restaurant there serves both western and Lao food, and reasonably priced considering the fact that everything is imported.

One of our favorite local restaurants (Café Croissant d'Or)

Our purpose over the six days was to find our balance again. With this in mind, we had absolutely no plans.

Crossing the Nam Khan river

By avoiding the touristic attractions, sights and tours, we provided ourselves the opportunity of time and freedom from over-thinking.

We filled our days by walking, observing, relaxing and the creation of arts and music.
One of the places where we spent many hours was the Utopia bar and restaurant, which is managed by a friendly Canadian guy called Rob, who Pace met 4 years ago.

During the day, it's one of the most relaxing places, with beautiful aspects over the Nam Khan river. A perfect place to, as Pace would say "spend horizontal time". At night Utopia attracts a younger generation of travelers, who meet up to have drinks and listen to a nice selection of music. It's for sure one of the hottest spots in town.

Relaxing at Utopia

Our next stop was Vang Vieng, a 5 to 8 hours bus journey, which can be arranged in any of the travel agencies spread all over Luang Prabang. We booked the VIP bus two days beforehand, and yet upon arriving at the bus station we found out the ticket attendant had given our seats to someone else. After some "careful negotiation" we annoyed the guy so much that he gave us our seats back. There were, however, no indications of what the VIP stood for.

On the way to the bus station by Tuk Tuk, the primary form of transport in Laos.