In the 14th century, this city was established as the royal capital by Fa Ngoum, the first monarch of Lan Xang, the Land of a Million Elephants. By this time, the city had already been the seat of local kingdoms for 600 years. According to legend, the site of the town was chosen by two resident hermits and was originally known as Xieng Thong , Copper Tree City. Today this charming town, with its one main street lined with colonial era buildings housing shops and cafes.
We get up at 6 am to provide offering to monks that pass the hotel then a nice breakfast in the courtyard of our hotel. We then departure today takes to the Mekong River for a boat journey to visit the Pak Ou Caves. The boat is long and quite large, covered, with comfortable seat cushions, life jackets and even a WC.
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| Inside our boat |
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| Inside cave |
The Pak Ou Caves are two clefts in the side of a mountain stuffed with thousands of old Buddha images. The site has long been sacred for the Lao, even prior to Buddhism, when they worshipped spirits. The lower cave has over 4,000 images, ranging from 3 inches to 9 feet tall, stuck into nooks and crannies. The upper cave's Buddha images are placed far back into the cliff. There are breathtaking view of the mountains, villages, and fishermen during the 2-hour boat ride.
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| Inside Pak Ou Caves |
We return to Luang Prabang and visit the Royal Palace, a museum containing a collection of 15th-17th century Buddha statues including the significant Golden Buddha. The last member of the Lao royalty to live here was Sisavang Vong's son, Crown Prince Sisavang Vatthana.
We finish with a tour of the 16th-century Wat Xieng Thong with its richly decorated wooden interior. Wat Mai is another old temple of classic Luang Prabang design with gracefully curved roofs. We see many 400 year old wooden Buddha statues at Wat Wisunalat.
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