Luang Prabang – in 5 photos

Bombs and Buddhism in Laos's old royal capital

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Dear NE-One

Have you ever travelled somewhere you’ve bypassed often and then thought, why on earth have I not been here before? That was me this past week – over and over – as I wandered the streets of Luang Prabang. For the past 11 years I’ve regularly travelled within a stone’s throw of Laos, and I’m astounded – and hugely disappointed – that it’s taken me this long to eventually get there.

It was the buildings of Laos’s old royal capital that charmed me at first – I have a thing for aging, characterful spaces – but there is so much more to this historic town and while I left only 48 hours ago I’m longing to return and invest time in learning to understand it better; to connect with this place – and its people – on a deeper level.

These here are five photos taken from my wanderings over the past few days in Luang Prabang:

Laos’s ancient capital has long been a spiritual and religious centre, and as I wandered around town it often seemed as though every little lane led to a different gilded temple. Some are intimate and quiet, others expansive and some, of course, are more grand than others. Wat Haw Pha Bang is the temple in the grounds of the National Museum (which, before the monarchy was overthrown in 1975, was the royal palace) and it holds the Phra Bang, the most sacred Buddha image in Laos and the one after which the town is named. I took this photo as evening fell, but enjoyed exploring temple grounds just after dawn. There are 34 temples around town, many of which open at 6am – and at this time of year, when the heat and humidity are stifling, it is by far the loveliest time of day to wander.

This photo is bittersweet for me.