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Aug 07, 2024 12:00 AM Street Food Vendors In & Around the Luang Prabang Night Market
Luang Prabang’s de facto ‘main drag’ for visiting tourists (a much more laidback, historic and photogenic version of Bangkok’s Khaosan Road) is Sisavangvong Road, which runs from Soukkhaseum Road at its northeast end near the foot of Mount Phousi Hill, and Inthasome Road at its southwest end. In the evening hours, much of Sisavangvong Road is occupied by the famous Luang Prabang Night Market, during which canopied vendor stalls with hanging lights are setup along the sidewalks that extend beyond the curbs and turn the two-land road into a narrow walking street lined with clothing, jewelry, artwork & ethnic handicrafts, souvenirs and other goods offered for sale. A number of curbside food vendor stalls line the street east of the rows of canopied vendor stall, particularly along the T-intersecting Ounheuan Road that flanks the grounds of the Royal Palace, National Museum and photogenic Haw Phra Bang Temple. An ST Bank office is conveniently located on Sisavangvong Road east of Ounheuan Road which was open in the evening for changing currency into Kips. The night market’s main food vendor area is at the west end near the Inthasome Road intersection, which features both pop-up canopied & ‘brick and mortar’ food, drink and sweets vendor stalls, in addition to tables & chairs and public restrooms (for a 3,000 Kip fee). Across the street and parallel to Inthasome Road is a narrow alley that also features a number of street food vendor stalls, with additional street food vendor stalls along Inthasome Road, one near the entrance of the Wat Phonxay Xayxana Song Kham Temple with its twin seven-headed protective Naga serpents.
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Aug 06, 2024 12:00 AM Hmong Massage & Spa - Luang Prabang, Laos
A very thorough and relaxing Hmong-style body massage. I opted for the #2 Oil Massage from the VIP Room services menu (170,000 Lao Kips/US 7.69 for 1 hour excluding tip) which was administered upstairs in a private room, though the unoccupied dim room was fair large with a total of six thin padded mats covered with sheets laid out on the floor. The female staff member that took me upstairs was a younger Hmong woman, as was another female staff I had seen downstairs, though my actual provider was a petite & somewhat portly Hmong woman in her mid 40’s who introduced herself as Ai (“My name Ai. Just like, ‘I love you, I love you…”). She instructed me to take my clothes off and lie on the corner mat where she placed a pillow. For being so short in statue, her hands were surprisingly strong and the body massage very good though at times a bit painful.
Address: Chao Fa Ngum Road (southeast of Inthasome Road, past the Luang Prabang Post Office), Luang Prabang Laos.
Phone: +856 305205716
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Aug 06, 2024 12:00 AM Lattanavongsa Guesthouse & Bungalows, Muang Ngoi Laos
I stay a night at one of Lattanavongsa’s bungalows located near the intersection of the village’s unpaved Main Street with the inclined dirt road that, heading in the direction of the Nam Ou River, ends at the long flight of concrete steps leading down to the anchored pontoon boat dock, and in the opposite direction leads out of the village, past a cave that was used by the villagers as a bomb shelter during the Indochina War, and continues on to the ethnic minority Tai Deng village of Ban Na. Additional guesthouse rooms are available closer to the river near the Lattanavongsa Restaurant, where my guide and I ate lunch, dinner and breakfast in the morning. I was awakened in the morning by the sound of the large wooden gong at the Wat Okad Sayaram temple being struck at the near end of Main Street to announce the start of the monks’s alms begging procession, which passed outside my bungalow’s compound wall. Muang Ngoi was a very laidback and peaceful village amid picturesque surroundings.
Address: Main Street (at the road to the boat dock), Muang Ngoi Laos
Phone: +856 20 23 863 640
Web: https://www.booking.com/hotel/la/lattanavongsa-guesthouse.html
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Aug 04, 2024 12:00 AM Phongpadith Guesthouse - Muang Khua, Northern Laos
A good guesthouse for my single night’s stay located on Harbor Road not far off of Road #2E, with the anchored pontoon dock for departing/arriving boats on the Nam Ou River about a moderately-sloped 700 foot walk from the hotel. Given the long drive from Phongsali along Roads #1B & #2E, we arrived a bit late to walk around town, and ended up eating both dinner and breakfast at Sabaidee Restaurant and Cafe conveniently located across the street (their sai oua Lao sausages were quite good). Apparently the Muang Khua market is not far from the hotel, but as we had to board the boat for the two-day cruise down the Nam Ou River to Muang Ngoi & Nong Khiaw right after breakfast, I didn’t get to check it out.
Address: (GPS 21.08212° N, 102.50492° E) Harbor Road, Muang Khua Laos
(Exit Road #2E left at the T-intersection before the bus station and continue right at the curve.)
Phone: +856 20 58 040 552
Web: https://www.booking.com/hotel/la/phongpadith.html
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Aug 04, 2024 12:00 AM Temple Blessing Ceremony - Luang Prabang, Laos
Short video clips of a blessing ceremony performed by the senior monk (Abbot or “Ajahn”) at one of the Theravada Buddhist temples in Luang Prabang, Laos. Video clips taken with permission by the daughter being blessed and her mother as conveyed by my guide/translator.
https://youtu.be/Y07u3qviI6o?si=Qtfu9fgvzfMvjY8u
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Aug 03, 2024 12:00 AM Viphaphone Hotel - Phongsali, Northern Laos
My one-night accommodation in Phongsali after a long and rough drive up Road #1B from Bountai. The hotel was busy as it was hosting a delegation from Vietnam on a State visit (hence the Vietnamese and ‘Hammer & Sickle’ Communist flags seen flying in every town and village along Road #1B). My second floor hotel room afforded a decent view of the hilltop city, surrounding mountains and a cloudy sunset, and the sounds of a lively delegation welcome party from the basement level hall in the evening. Viphaphone Hotel was within walking distance of both Phongsali’s Old Town by taking a right at the corner 4-way intersection, and the city’s interesting old Central Market building by heading left down Road #1B towards Boun Neua (41 km). The woman who owns the hotel sells the famous 400 year old Phongsali deep-root tea from her plantation, and makes her own potent 60% ABV lao-lao sticky rice whiskey that she had me sample during the complimentary breakfast.
Address: Road #1B, Phongsali Laos (GPS: Lat 21.6818 Lon.102.1056)
Phone: +85688210999
Web: https://www.facebook.com/viphaphonehotelphongsaly?mibextid=LQQJ4d
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Aug 01, 2024 12:00 AM Phoxai Guesthouse - Boun Tai (Boontay), Phongsali Province Laos
Despite the guesthouse being the most rustic of those I stayed in during 13 days in northern Laos, it more than met my needs, and I really enjoyed the surrounding village-like environs particularly when exploring the neighborhood on foot near sunset. Admittedly I hadn’t assumed the bend-knee position on an Asian squatty-potty since Kyoto back in the summer of 1987, but my knees held up just fine (the addition of an Asian bum gun versus a handled water pot would have been nice). My second story room balcony offered a view of the river and the surrounding countryside, plus a high-voltage electrical cable within arm’s reach.
Address: 9XRC+2V8 Road #1B
(500 m NW of the Nam Leng River bridge)
Boun Tai (Boontay), Laos
Phone: +856 20 54 400 016
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Jul 31, 2024 12:00 AM Westminster Little Saigon Night Market - 7/28/24
A recent visit to Westminster, California’s Little Saigon Night Market, held in the front of the Asian Garden Mall on Bolsa Avenue. The night market’s vibe is similar to that of night markets I’ve been to in Southeast Asia, particularly with the variety of food vendor stalls selling mainly Vietnamese street food items, but some stalls also selling Japanese, Taiwanese and Lao cuisine. The foods and snacks I ate appear in the photos at the end of the video, which were the banh trang nuong ‘Vietnamese pizza’, thit nuong grilled pork skewers, the nem nuong sa skewered and grilled minced pork with lemongrass, stir fried corn with spring onions, dried shrimp and crispy fried shallots, sugar cane juice and banh kep dua sau rieng durian, coconut and pandan waffle.
https://youtu.be/557FSvD-9Pc?si=uc-dmBzZO4RypH_h
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Jul 30, 2024 12:00 AM Charming Lao Hotel - Oudomxay (Muang Xai), Northern Laos
Located on Road #2E near the junction with Road #13, Charming Lao Hotel was my overnight accommodation in Oudomxay (Muang Xai) after arriving by train from Luang Prabang and prior to the drive up Road 2E and Road #1B up into Phongsali province. The hotel was decent, with the complimentary breakfast (Western or Asian) served in the attached Charming Lao Cafe Garden coffee shop. Near the hotel are two restaurants (Souphailin’s, serving northern Lao cuisine, and a Chinese restaurant whose name was only displayed in Chinese & Lao characters, with both restaurants tried and both good), plus an outdoor Chinese barbecue vendor stall.
Address: Road #2E (near Road #13 junction)
Oudomxay (Muang Xai) Laos
Phone: +856 81 212 881
https://www.booking.com/hotel/la/charming-lao-oudomxai.html
https://www.facebook.com/charminglaohotel?mibextid=LQQJ4d
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Jul 29, 2024 12:00 AM Villa Chitdara Hotel - Luang Prabang, Laos
Location on a peaceful street in Luang Prabang’s Old Town section on the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, Villa Chitdara Hotel is conveniently located within walking distance of many of the historic city’s main attractions and noteworthy Wats. Given its proximity to several Wats, the stretch of Khounxoa Road in front of the hotel provides the guests with views of multiple early morning processions of barefoot monks with begging bowls collecting their morning alms. The hotel’s open air dining pavilion features a complimentary breakfast of both Lao and Western cuisine, including Lao-grown coffee and the famous deep-root tea grown in Laos’ northern Phongsali province. The hotel is a short walk from the Mekong River waterfront and a reasonable walk from the east end of the Sisavangvong Road ‘main drag’ that hosts the Luang Prabang Night Market and has one of the entrances to Mount Phousi Hill, from which sunset over the Mekong River can be viewed.
Address: Khounxoa Road, Ban Vat Nong, Luang Prabang Laos
Phone: +856 71 254 949
https://www.booking.com/hotel/la/villa-chitdara.html
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