It was cool when we landed, with low clouds and mist. Our first excursion was on a long boat on the Mekong River to see the sun set. Our departure was at the “Cross River Ferry” point on the map.

Here is one of the ferries.

Most of the riverboats we saw look like this one. And isn’t that a grand staircase?

The next morning we left for a tour of Kuang Si Waterfalls, 18 km/11miles from the city. Before we got there, we stopped at Vat Phonhphao, a new temple. This temple also is known as Santi Chedi.

Interior view with gold and red (look again at the Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore for a comparison).

Not far away, we came upon rice crackers drying in the sun on woven mats.

Pressing on, we stopped briefly at an organic produce farm.

Next up, a Hmong resettlement village. The crafts, such as these cotton scarves, are hand made.

The village’s laundry facility.

The clothing is typical, from what we saw.

Next stop, the waterfalls. After a short walk past numerous cascades and pools in a lovely turquoise color, we reached the main falls of 60 meters. We had a picnic lunch and only learned later we could have climbed to the top. Few people were swimming in the pools, as it was a very cool day. Near the falls, there is a 

sanctuary for rescued Asiatic black bears.

The arrow points to the approximate location of the waterfalls.

The next morning, we went to the National Museum (formerly, the Royal Palace, built in 1904) and other historic sites in the area near the Mekong River.

This is the museum. 

On the grounds of the museum is Wat Ho Pha Bang, which houses the ancient Buddha statue after which the city was named.

The exterior of Wat Ho Pha Bang is covered with beautiful relief.

Nearby is the highly decorated Wat Mai. The exterior is two photos down.

Next, we went to the nearby market. Leafy greens, cauliflower and beans were featured by many of the vendors.

Next, we walked over to Wat Nong Skihounmaung, which was built in 1729.

This is a close up of one of the windows.

Our next stop was Wat Xieng Thong, at the tip of the peninsula formed by the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. This temple was built in 1559, and is a gem., quite unique.

A few close ups:

The Tree of Life, with peacocks.

Door Detail.

Another fine building.

There is a lot to see in Luang Prabang. To be continued on the next page!

We flew out of Bangkok up north to Luang Prabang, Laos, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Next—More on Luang Prabang.