Luang Phaban

Luang Phaban feels like the setting of some ancient fairytale. A UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, it rests on a stubby penninsula tucked into a bend of the Mekong. Sleepy streets lined and old colonial buildings criss-cross the town.

Quiet street in Luang Phaban

While heavily populated by a daily influx of tourists, Luang Phaban somehow escapes the tacky monotony that characterizes so many other tourist towns. The people and way of life have managed to maintain their Laotian heritage, benefitting from the tourists without sacrificing too much in the process.

The Laotians observe a strict siesta from 12pm-2pm every day. During this time I observed a lot of men playing boulle or patong (the French version of bocce), a true testiment to the country's French colonial roots.

The colonial history here has left a legacy of charming architecture -- white picket fences draped in bright flowers, and cheerfully painted window shutters on balconies adorned with rocking chairs. And lest we forget the baguettes. After more than three months in Thailand with a steady daily intake of rice in lieu of scarcely available bread, baguettes were a welcome site. I will fondly remember my peaceful mornings spent enjoying a Laos coffee and baguette from my breezy guesthouse porch overlooking the Mekong River in Luang Phaban.

The quiet streets of Luang Phaban

I spent three days in Luang Phaban exploring the quiet streets, making new friends over iced coffee, bumping into my slow boat companions at the night craft market, and indulging in herbal massages ($3 an hour!). I climbed to the top of the mountain marking the center of town for a rewarding view and tour of the Wat and Buddhist relics there.

Buddha's footprint

Afterwards, some friends from the slow boat invited me to join them in hiring a tuk tuk to a local waterfall. I've seen a lot of waterfalls -- especially on this trip -- but the falls outside Luang Phaban top the list. This is the sort of place Disney could only attempt to recreate in vain. Fine pale sediments lend to the water a shocking blue color that is almost supernatural. We hiked through jungle to pool after pool of crystal blue water, separated by frothy cascades. The cool blue water and shade of the trees provided a welcome escape from the scorching heat.

Blue Lagoon

Bars close early in Luang Phaban, with the exception of an all-night bowling alley on the outskirts of town. There I encountered nearly all my travelling companions from the slow boat. It was like walking into a reunion with old friends, even though I had only gotten to know these people over a couple of days. This was perhaps the best part about Luang Phaban: although I was traveling alone, I couldn't sit down for an iced coffee or step onto my guesthouse balcony without recognizing a familiar face from the slow boat. In this way I discovered a place new and beautiful but simultaneously full of familiar faces. This only added to the already friendly atmosphere.

The Mekong at sunset

While searching for a place to eat dinner one evening I struck up a conversation with a fellow lone traveller -- an Australian named Barbara. We discussed our travel plans and over dinner she convinced me to pass up the tourist mecca Vang Vien for a place in southern Laos known as 4,000 islands (Si Phan Don). Though I easily could have spent more time in Luang Phaban, it was time to move on. Early the following morning, Barbara and I loaded our packs into a tuk tuk to catch a flight for the southern town of Paskke.