Activities in Luang Prabang
We visited Luang Prabang in December 2023, after a Slow Boat ride down the Mekong River from Thailand. We shared our time between trying out the bars and restaurants, strolling through the picturesque streets and participating in the activities I’ve written about below.
Garden of Eden
What is the Garden of Eden?
The Garden of Eden is a craft shop in Luang Prabang. It sells homemade jewellery, and also offers jewellery making classes.
Where is the Garden of Eden in Luang Prabang?
What to expect from Garden of Eden
After walking through the main shop, you come to the balcony area overlooking the Nam Khan River. The shop is set quite high up the riverbank, so you can look out over the foliage, and down to the river itself, while you’re making your jewellery.
First, you decide what you want to make, and let the staff know, then they allow you to choose the colour of the band - gold or silver wire, and the beads/stones to decorate your piece.
My experience
Once I’d chosen my materials and what I wanted to make, the lady came over and started the design off. This wasn’t really what I was expecting, as the lady didn’t speak any English and she did the majority of the work for me… Just leaving me to finish off bits she’d started.
The cost of jewellery making
For the beginners course, you only have to pay for the materials. For me, this was around £3, so I felt it was great value for the enjoyable time I had there, and for the end result.
Getting to and from Garden of Eden
To get to Garden of Eden, I walked all the way to the Old French Bridge, then took a left, walked past a few resorts, took another couple of left turns then found it. However, the way back was much easier (and quicker). As I was working on the ring, I noticed a small boat that was ferrying people back and forth over the river. Once I’d finished making the ring, I walked down some sketchy steps and the man on the boat spotted me, came back across the river and picked me up. It was only 10,000 Kip for this (around 40p), and saved me the mundane walk past the resorts and the crossing of the Old French Bridge.
Kuang Si Waterfall
Is Kuang Si Waterfall Worth Visiting?
Yes! Kuang Si Waterfall is more than just the Instagrammable image you see on this post. You can swim in the pools to cool off on an inevitably hot day, walk around the trail to the other streams and waterfalls and visit the gorgeous bears at the bear sanctuary.
Where is Kuang Si Waterfall?
How to reach Kuang Si Waterfall
There are a few options to choose from - you can either go with a tour, or on your own via Tuk-Tuk or by renting a scooter.
We went on a Tuk-Tuk and the driver waited two hours then drove us back into town.
Personally, I would recommend this method as it is safer than a scooter, and you can get there before the majority of tourists who go via a tour operator on packed mini-buses.
How long does it take to get to Kuang Si Waterfall from Luang Prabang?
In a TukTuk, it takes around 40 minutes. It isn’t very far, but the road is filled with potholes, so the drive is quite slow for the majority of the way.
What is the best time of the day to visit Kuang Si Waterfall?
Early morning between 9 and 11:30. This is due to both the heat, and the fact that the majority of tours arrive around 11 o’clock.
What makes the water at Kuang Si Waterfall so blue?
The water contains many limestone particles from the rocks it passes over from the spring to the main falls. Limestone contains high levels of calcium carbonate which reflect light, thus making the water look turquoise.
How long should I spend at Kuang Si Waterfall?
We stayed for 2 hours, which we felt was enough. However, there is a bear sanctuary there, too, which I would have enjoyed volunteering at. To read more on this, visit the charity’s website.
Do you have to pay to get into Kuang Si Waterfall?
Yes, you can buy your ticket upon arrival.
How much does it cost to enter Kuang Si Waterfall?
20,000 Kip per person.
Phousi Hill
What is Phousi Hill?
The word ‘phousi’ means sacred, and that’s exactly what Phousi Hill is - a sacred hill. It stands around 100m high, and you can climb up, taking in the views of the city below while marvelling at the artistry of the sculptures you pass on the climb.
Where is Phousi Hill?
Do you have to pay to climb Phousi Hill?
Yes. Tickets are purchased upon arrival.
How much does it cost to climb Phousi Hill?
20,000 Kip per person.
What is the difficulty of the climb up Phousi Hill?
It isn’t too hard. There are quite a lot of steps involved, but they’re nicely spaced out, so it doesn’t feel like too much effort. The climate is hot in Luang Prabang, so as long as you take plenty of water and wear sunscreen, you should be fine walking it with a “normal” level of fitness.
How long does it take to get to the top of Phousi Hill?
Depending on your fitness level, I’d say it will take anywhere from 10 - 25 minutes to get to the top. It took us around 15 minutes, which included stops to take some pictures of the views from various points on the way up.
Where does the climb up Phousi Hill start and finish?
There are a couple of ways to walk up Phousi Hill. We walked up there from a side street that is between the main street in Luang Prabang (Sisavangvong Road) and the road that runs along the river (Kingkitsarath Road) - if you find “Icon Klub'' on Google Maps, it’s just by that. We came out along the Namkhan River on Kingkitsarath Road itself. We were pleased we’d done it this way, because it was steeper coming down and there wasn’t a great lot to see. Whereas the way up, was a lot more of a gradual climb, and there was more to see.
When is the best time to climb Phousi Hill?
We went at around 3pm and it was not too crowded. We heard that a lot of people walk up there just before sunset - so I guess this is a good and a bad time to walk it - personally, I’d rather watch the sun setting over the river from one of the many bars/restaurants that line it, but if you want to catch the sun setting over the city, then this would be a good view point. However, if you don’t like crowds, then I would probably give this a miss at sunset.
