Mount Phou Si - The Sacred Mountain

Luang Prabang is built around a pagoda-topped hill called Phou Si, literally "Sacred Mountain".

Mount Phu Si

Early in the morning, we headed out to climb the steep steps to the top of the hill. Along the way we passed some dozen or so shrines, before reaching the main golden temple pagoda at the peak.

big tree on the mountain

It was early, but it was already hot, and the humidity in the dense forests on the slopes of the mountain made it feel even hotter. The moss-covered steps were slippery, and we climbed slowly up the sacred mountain.

steps leading up the mountain

Ancient legends tell of how the mountain was moved to Laos from India by Hanuman, the Monkey King from the Ramayana, the Hindu epic.

steep, mossy steps

I was sweaty, and a little out of breath. I hope the the views from the top will be worth it!

early morning on the mountain

Finally, we reached the top of the hill. Mount Phou Si is topped by a golden stupa, or pagoda, and is the site of a tiny Buddhist temple. During the Lao New Year (Songkran, in Thailand), local people climb the hill very early in the morning to offer alms to the monks, the only day of the year in which the alms-giving ceremony is held at the top of Mount Phou Si.

temple shrine on top of the mountain

The mountain is the highest point in the city, and looks down over Luang Prabang and its surrounding rivers and mountains. Mount Phou Si is especially popular at sunrise and sunset, though we didn't get the chance to visit at those times.

views over the river

Maybe that's for the best though, for we nearly had the whole mountain to ourselves! It had been so humid and muggy as we hiked up the side of the mountain, and the cool breezes were a very welcome relief.

the pagoda at the top of the hill

Heading back down the hill, we passed even more shrines. There are two paths to reach the top, so we took one way up and the other way back down. The way down was actually more interesting as there was much more to see along the way.

Buddha statues

As we headed down the side of the hill, we passed dozens of Buddha statues, including a standing Buddha...

tall standing Buddha

... a large reclining Buddha...

reclining Buddha

... and a statue of Buddha teaching his disciples.

Buddha with his disciples

Nearly back down in the town, we came to a small cave shrine, partially built into the natural rock of the hillside.

cave shrine

Ducking down into a very low opening, we came to a small shrine, the air thick with incense and candle smoke.

shrine underground

Utopia

Everyone who visits Luang Prabang eventually ends up at Utopia.

Utopia is a restaurant/cafe/bar/yoga studio/lounge/general hang out spot along the river in Luang Prabang. It's a small city, very laid-back, very peaceful, very quiet. There's no real nightlife to speak of (which is a good thing to me), so most tourists and expats will come to Utopia to hang out when they have some free time.

Utopia is an ope-air lounge area built along the river. Everyone sits on traditional Lao-style pillows on the wooden deck that extends over the muddy slow-moving waters. With the cool breeze blowing in from the surrounding mountains, it's the perfect place to relax.

It's a funky little place with lots of comfortable places to sit. It's the rainy season now, so it's not so hot outside. The weather has actually been really perfect - in the 80s F mostly, and a little bit breezy.

Utopia, like Smile Beach or Koh Rong Island, is the sort of place that makes you lose track of time. You can spend an hour or more just watching the birds flying over the river, or looking up at the clouds in the sky. A place like Luang Prabang kind of forces you to slow down and appreciate the little things.

this cloud looks like a rubber duck!

I'm glad we've got the chance to spend two weeks in Luang Prabang. The truth is, there isn't that much to do here. It's a really small town. Even though it's stuffed full of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it's compact enough that you can do most everything in a couple of days. Staying longer is a great way to really immerse yourself in the town and get to know it a bit better. And it gives us time to do things like spend an afternoon with an iced coffee at Utopia. Even though we've done nearly all of the touristy things, I don't feel bored. There's always something beautiful or interesting to see in Luang Prabang.

Temple Murals at Vat Pa Huak

On the slops of a hill just across from the Royal Palace in Luang Prabang, sits Vat Pa Huak, a tiny and unassuming wooden temple.

Vat Pa Huak

The temple, whose name means "Monastery of the Bamboo Forest", dates back to 1861. The temple, built in the traditional Lao style, doesn't look like much from the outside. It's small and relatively plain, supported by simple wooden pillars.

the front of the old temple

But it's not the outside that makes Vat Pa Huak so significant in Luang Prabang, but what's on the inside. The interior of the temple is painted with amazing 19th century murals.

murals on the temple walls

These richly colored murals are in remarkable condition, considering the long history they've gone through in Luang Prabang. The murals recently underwent a lengthy restoration, funded in part by support from neighboring Thailand.

The murals depict intricate scenes from the life of the Buddha, the Ramayana, and the history of Lunag Prabang.

depictions of royal epics

There is a lot of history and culture crammed onto just four small walls. One wall depicts the history of the city, showing Chinese, Persian, and European visitors being welcomed to the royal court in Luang Prabang.

depictions of meetings with the Chinese

For a time, the temple served as a library for the Laotian Ministry of Culture, but today, it's an exhibition hall for the exquisite murals. The front doors to the temple are generally locked up, but if you get lucky, you can visit for free to look inside.

inside the small temple

Sale of souvenirs (by the honor system) go directly to support the upkeep and preservation of the historic murals.

souvenirs for sale

The Morning Market

After watching the morning Sai Bat ceremony in Luang Prabang, I wanted to visit the morning market. After all, the market is only open from around 4am until 7 or 8, and we were already up quite early in the morning.

The market was alive with activity - the sounds of vendors selling their fresh vegetables, the clucking of chickens, and the constant chatter of tourists exploring the narrow market and locals doing their early morning shopping.

Walking along through the crowded narrow alley where local vendors had set up their produce on wide palm leaves or woven mats, we marveled at the incredibly colorful and super fresh veggies laid out before us. Everything looked perfect and delicious!

Presently, however, it was time for breakfast. It was still early, but the sun was well and truly up, and I could definitely use a bit to eat and a cup of tasty Lao coffee.

We sat along the river at Prachaniyom, an old and very traditional coffee shop and restaurant along the banks of the Mekong River. The shop is only open from 4am until 11, and it's very popular. The restaurant sells traditional breakfast food - noodles, fried dough, jok (rice porridge), and coffee, and it offers excellent views of the river. As we sat, we watched local people crossing back and forth on the  rickety wooden ferries that chug from bank to bank. There are no bridges along the Mekong in town, so everyone has to cross by boat. The road just ends at the river, picking up on the other side, and even cars have to be brought across by barge.

No joke though, the jok was amazing (that was a "jok" too). I really like Thai jok, but this bowl was especially good! The rice had been boiling all morning, and was served with pork, fried onions, lots of delicious herbs and veggies, and a fried egg. I just added a squeeze of fresh lime, and it was perfect!

The coffee was not only the cheapest (just 8,000 kip, or $1) in Luang Prabang, but also the best! I went to a lot of cafes - some really pretty trendy and upscale, but this tiny local shop by the river had the absolute best coffee. What a way to start the day!

Sai Bat: The Alms Giving Ceremony

It was 5 in the morning, and the sky was still dark, but Luang Prabang was far from asleep.

Minutes after we sleepily and groggily walked down the street from our guesthouse, the first group of monks, clad in saffron and carrying their metal alms bowls, appeared at the end of the street. The monks walked silently and somberly, barefooted, through the streets of Luang Prabang.

It was time for "sai bat", the daily alms giving ceremony.

monks on their morning alms round

A Buddhist monk has only two possessions; his robes and his alms bowl. Having vowed to live an ascetic life, monks may not even use money to purchase food, instead, they rely on food donations from the community.

Every morning, before the first light of the sun has even begun to glow in the sky, the monks set out on their daily procession. The devout, kneeling on mats alongside the path the monks will take, wait with packages of sticky rice and other foods that they will place into the monks bowls. It's an act of good karma, and a way for laymen to help support the monastics.

Upon returning to their home monastery, the monks will share a single meal of the food they have received for the day.

waiting for monks outside of a temple

Sai Bat is practiced throughout the Buddhist world, even in Bangkok, but perhaps the most meaningful spot to witness this quiet, somber, and reverential act of religious devotion is in Luang Prabang, a very small town with a disproportionate number of Buddhist monks and important historic temples.

the morning alms giving ceremony

We weren't the only visitors out there that morning. While non-Buddhists are certainly allowed to donate to the monks, it's requested that they only participate if it would be meaningful to them. Participants must be dressed conservatively, must remove their shoes as they kneel on the mats, must not touch, speak to, or make eye contact with the monks, and must not take photos of the ceremony. Signs in Luang Prabang ask that those wishing to take photos stand on the opposite side of the street.

Happily, the tourists that we saw that morning were all behaving very respectfully.

It's my first time witnessing the Sai Bat, and I appreciate its significance. It's an ancient ritual dating back hundreds of years that creates an important tie between the monastery and the community. It's a beautiful moment.

Kuang Si Falls

30 kilos south of Luang Prabang lie the Kuang Si Falls. This magnificent many-tiered waterfall is a sacred spot in Laos, tied to a local legend. We took a day trip to see the waterfall. It's the favorite side trip for tourists in Luang Prabang, and I was prepared to be a bit underwhelmed by a touristy photo spot. Instead, I was completely blown away by the majesty and power of this incredible waterfall.

the lowest tier at Kuang Si Falls

It took about half an hour to reach the falls from Luang Prabang and, after a brief but incredibly worthwhile visit to the Bear Rescue Center, we entered the forest park proper.

The legend of the falls tell of an old man who created the waterfall by digging into the side of the surrounding mountains. The water roars down the mountain to a series of pools considered blessed and sacred by local people.

an ancient jungle tree in the forest park

The entrance to the park led us first past a calmly-moving river fed by a few low waterfalls. At the bottom, a series of crystal-clear pools were the perfect place for tourists and locals alike to enjoy a brisk dip in the ice cold mountain water. There was also a very nice picnic spot! We are visiting Laos in September, in the heart of the rainy season. It's at this time that the waterfalls are at their most spectacular, and the river is perpetually flooded. We are in luck! In the winter, the falls wouldn't be nearly as impressive.

a perfect place for a picnic

As we trekked further up the falls, the water grew rougher and wilder. Though the waterfalls were still fairly short, the currents were growing much more powerful. These areas were certainly off-limits to swimmers!

wild and turbulent waters

And then finally, we arrived at the main Kuang Si Waterfall. Even from a far distance away, the cold,  damp air wet your hair and made you feel chilly. I've never been to Niagara or Victoria Falls, and Kuang Si is by far the most impressive waterfall I've ever seen. Wild icy waters tumble 200 feet down the sheer cliffs of the green Laotian mountains, cutting like a razor through the dense jungle.

visitors at the biggest fall

Here, you can truly feel the power of nature, and it's easy to see how the Kuang Si Falls are considered to be a sacred place. In Laos, a mountainous landlocked nation, the river is the source of life, but it's also the source of great dangers, especially during the rainy season. As we stood on the wooden bridge in front of the waterfalls, millions and millions of wild, turbulent water crashed down onto the boulders below, spraying everyone nearby with a constant icy mist.

Kuang Si Falls

The Kuang Si Falls were indeed something very special.

an amazing 200-foot waterfall

Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue, Laos

Aboutu 30 km south of Luang Prabang lie the magnificent Kuang Si Waterfalls. A visit to the falls is considered a highlight of the region, but there's something else special about the Kuang Si Nature Park: it's also the home to the Laos Bear Rescue Center.

entrance to the Bear Rescue Center

The Bear Rescue Center is a sanctuary for Asiatic black bears (including sun bears and moon bears) who have been rescued by the government from poachers. The thousand year-old traditional medicine industry has proven disastrous for the region's bear populations. Bear bile is believed to contain certain magical properties, and is believed by some to be a sort of wonder medicine. Bears are caught by poachers, kept in tiny cages, and milked for their bile. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

Asiatic Black Bears

The bear sanctuary is instrumental in rescuing, rehabilitating, protecting, and caring for bears that have been saved from this illegal trade. They have a huge natural habitat at Kuang Si, where they are given the best health care and protection to live out their lives in safety.

bears in their habitat

The sanctuary was the idea of an Australian grandmother who started the project in 1993 after watching a documentary about the terrible bear black market. The first sanctuary was constructed in Cambodia, and the sanctuary in Laos and one in Vietnam soon followed.

the bear habitat

When you visit the bear sanctuary, you get the chance to see these playful bears living their lives happily in their habitat. The sanctuary also provides lots of information about the bears and how people can help save them.

Sic'em!

It's not exactly a zoo, but they do rotate some of the bears from their huge habitat into a glass enclosure where visitors can watch them play. These were the most active bears that I've ever seen! They were really playing with all of their toys and swings and having fun.

bears playing

One bear was especially enjoying tumbling around on his swing.

so funny!

Even though a visit to the bear sanctuary was just a detour on the way to the Kuang Si Falls, it ended up being a highlight of the day.

Learn more at their official website:

https://freethebears.org/