Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
images have crowded them out. In former times, before the caves became a tourist attraction,
the inhabitants of Luang Prabang didn't give much thought to the caves or their contents ex-
cept during
LaoNewYear
, when boatloads of townsfolk would make the pilgrimage upriver
and ritually bathe the semi-abandoned Buddhas to gain merit. The practice survives to this
day and is worth seeing if you happen to be around. If not, the caves still deserve an hour or
so, if only to gaze at the eerie scene of hundreds upon hundreds of serenely smiling images
covered in dust and cobwebs. Tham Ting, the lower cave, just above the water's surface, is
more of a large grotto and is light enough to explore without an artificial light source. The
upper cave, a steep five-minute climb up steps, is unlit, so bring a torch.
The Whisky Village
Most boat trips to Pak Ou include a stop at
BAN XANG HAI
, the so-called “
Whisky Vil-
lage
”, some 6km back downriver towards the city. It's a bit of a tourist trap, the village's
narrow lanes almost exclusively lined with identikit textile and souvenir shops interspersed
with a few stalls selling the locally made
lào-láo
for which it's now famous, but after you've
seen a cave-full of Buddhas you may be ready for a good, stiff drink.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: THE PAK OU CAVES AND AROUND
By boat
Boat trips (70,000K/person) can be arranged with the boatmen at the bottom of
Inthasone Road - most boats leave around 8.30am. Travel agents in town charge around
100,000K/person, including pick-up. Later in the day you'll probably need to charter one
yourself (300,000K per six-person boat, but be prepared to haggle).
Bybus
It's also possible to make the journey by road - the caves lie around 9km off Highway
13 - though it's a lot less scenic. Tuk-tuks charge 250,000K (for up to five people) to Ban
Pak Ou, though you'll still need to take a boat across the Mekong (25,000K/person) to reach
the caves.
Ban Phanom and around
Ban Phanom is easily reached by bike by heading south from Phousi past Wat Visoun, parallel to the Nam
Khan, and turning left at Highway 13 (after 1.5km); after 500m, turn right uphill off the Highway on to the Ban
Phanom Road - you pass
Santi Chedi
first, from where it's 1km (downhill) to Ban Phanom
About 4km east of the old city,
BANPHANOM
attracts its share of the tourist dollar through
its pedigree as a former royal weaving village. If you take the time to wander its quaint, red-
dirt streets you'll find a few independent textile shops, as well as women hard at work weav-
ing in the relatively cool space beneath their raised, traditional wooden homes.
Santi Chedi
Site open access 24hr;
sim
open daily 8-10am & 1.30-4.30pm ∙ Free ∙ The best way to get here is by
bike
-
though be prepared for a steep final slog up to the chedi
About 3km east of town, and 1km west of Ban Phanom, stands Luang Prabang's largest re-
ligious monument. Constructed in 1988 and christened
Santi Chedi
, or “Peace Stupa”, this
