Luang Prabang and... well, still Laarb

After our short and very comfortable flight with Laos Airlines, we arrived in the UNESCO heritage city of Luang Prabang in time for Laarb lunch. Which was Laarb (at least for me) with pork and and banana flower for 20,000 kip.

Then we headed off to explore Luang Prabang.

Luang Prabang! How many ways shall I sing the praise of Luang Prabang?

Beautiful, mountainous Luang Prabang along the river Mekong and its tributary, the Nam Khan river and centred around Mt Phousi. It epitomises everything we've come to love about Laos - the relaxed, laid back feel, the friendly people, the great food, the picturesque scenery and... just the general 'Laosnes'. If I'm going to retire to Vientiane, I'll have a holiday home in Luang Prabang.

After Laarb lunch, we headed off to do the museum thing at TEAC (The Traditional Arts and Ethnography Centre) to learn about Laos' tribes from the Akha to the Hmong.

I realise now that many of these groups are also in the hills of Thailand and I visited some of them during my hilltribe trek almost fifteen years ago. I even own an Akha bag, which is still stored at home.

After a horribly violent massage that left me battered and bruised (75,000 kip) we headed through Luang Prabang's extensive and impressive night market of local handmade goods to the Tamarind restaurant for a traditional dinner of everything from Mekhong seawood and buffalo meat to fish in coconut frond and bamboo soup.

But no Laarb.

Photos: Perspectives on Luang Prabang during the day