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modern, concrete pagoda is best known for its mural-splashed interior, though its carved win-
dows are great works of art in themselves. However, the main reason to come up here is for
the impressive views of Phousi and the Nam Khan River, which needless to say are especially
attractive at sunset, as is Santi Chedi itself when its golden surface catches the glow of the
setting sun - most impressive from a distance.
Henri Mouhot's tomb
Leaving Ban Phanom, take the right fork and follow the Nam Khan road for 3.5km, eventually joining the High-
way 13 bypass; the memorial is a 5min walk from the road and clearly signposted
Four kilometres up the Nam Khan from Ban Phanom is the final resting place of Henri
Mouhot , the Anglophile French naturalist and explorer best known as the “discoverer” of
Angkor Wat. A simple whitewashed memorial, made from stone donated by the Lao king Ti-
antha and erected by the Mekong Commission in 1867, marks the spot, about 20m from the
river's edge in a dried-up tributary.
THE LIVING LAND
If you've ever wondered how sticky rice, the ubiquitous Laos staple, ends up on your plate,
then book a trip to The Living Land ( 020 5519 9208, livinglandlao.com ) , a twenty-
acre rice and vegetable farm around 5km south of the centre of Luang Prabang on the edge
of town. Visitors are given a fun, hands-on demo of the fourteen-stage process of rice cul-
tivation, including how to guide a water buffalo-drawn plough - muddy work in wet season
- culminating in a “rice dégustation ”. The community farm supports seven families, and
proceeds go towards helping local kids through college. Half-day trips (8.30am-noon) cost
around $45, including transfer, and should be booked a day in advance.
Tad Se
Daily 8am-5.30pm ∙ 15,000K ∙ 030 923 0236 ∙ zip line 020 5429 0848, flightofthenature.com ; half-
day trips from $45 (including transfer); book in advance and check for deals with the travel agents in town ∙
Tuk-tuks charge a flat-rate of 150,000K for 1-5 people to Ban Aen, from where it's 10min by boat to the falls
(10,000K each for 2 people or 20,000K for 1)
Around 18km east of Luang Prabang, the wide Tad Se waterfall wanders down a gradual
slope, serenely cascading through trees and easing through a dozen clear-blue pools like some
elaborate Zen meditation, until it finally flows into the Nam Khan river. Although it doesn't
quite possess the drama of Kuang Si , it's still a beautiful place, made all the more enchanting
by the short approach by boat along a tranquil section of the river from the village of Ban
Aen. The pools here aren't as good for swimming as those at Kuang Si, but they're fine for a
refreshing dip. There are a couple of simple restaurants and snack outlets on site.
Though you can climb to the upper falls up a steep (and occasionally slippery) trail, the
most exhilarating way to experience them, best booked in advance, is via zip line through
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