hi, i am tossing up whether to go to Luang Prabang or Ubud in December for Xmas period. I haven%26#39;t been to either. I can only be away for 10 days and want a peaceful holiday with a cultural aspect - both seem to fit the bill. Has anyone been to both and if so could you recommend 1 over the other for a short trip? Thank you!
advice needed Luang Prabang or Ubud?
I have been to both - very different yet similar in many ways. Ubud maybe has more to see in the sorrounding areas.
advice needed Luang Prabang or Ubud?
I have been to both. Both are good choices for your criteria. Laos is a little more off the beaten track than very well known Bali so I would say spend your holidays in Luang Prabang this year and go to Ubud next year.
From what I have read, many places in Luang Prabang tend to book up fast during that time of year. If you have a strong preference for where you want to stay, reserve now.
luang prabang is a treasure yet still after having been ';discovered';! the locals enjoy the tourists and the tourists enjoy being there. the tourist crowd is young as there are really only two hotels that are expensive and cater to the older traveler who picks their way down the street like a tourist rather that walk around like they live there....night there is teaming with more activity that one could ever expect...the shops come aglow with lantern light and transform even the most rudimentary shop into a boutique. the night market fills blocks from dusk on for hours. the days are spent hopping around little adjacent towns via bikes or boats up the mekong. elephant rides are cool but exhausting on your rump....the ';drivers'; of the elephants LOVE them to bits. there is silk everywhere and if you are of the type who might do something with it.....by the fabric by the bolt....measure for pillows of duvets before you go. there are several places in town or the next town up the river that sell stunning hand woven silk in patterns that would satissfy any designer. there is also the tourist silk pieces which have elephants and the like on them.....but the bolt stuff is not touristy at all....don%26#39;t expect it to be wider that 36'; though....the size of the looms.
there is a tangible french influece here....from architecture to a few bakeries. plenty of tourists but they are from ALL over the world and everyone is kind, tourists and locals...actually the most magical place I have ever been. the caves up the river are a dissapointment....they are tall and in a cool cliff but are shallow and visited in 15 minutes. lots of the statues have been put there recently and still have price tags on them. the falls are great! they appear durring the wet season out of the forest and have pools galore. the water is rich in calcium and makes the water a whitish blue and it coats everything with calcium so the falls and pools are smooth like a pool in your back yard.
at the edge of the night market that is closest to the town center, look down the alley and there is one where the locals have stands and grills a fire where you can eat amid the smoke of food....have some chicken....or noodles for cheap!
make sure you money is in good repair! a torn or mashed up US dollar is worthless to them...they hold them up and scan them for damage and will refuse them quickly.
bring something for the kids you see....we brought balloons and they went wild....they just don%26#39;t have them there. just don%26#39;t blow them up to give them away....then the fun is over...we gave them deflated balloons and days later they were still inflating and deflating them. show them how to fill them and let the air out in a squeeky fart. bring as many as you wish...you will be able to give out 200 and be the hit of the party....getting to see these kids so happy was one of the greatest kicks of the trip, wish I had brought more balloons.
have money when you land...3 years ago when we were there there was a cost to enter the country. lots of shops take credit cards....if not there are a couple of places to draw cash out with your card...no ATMs though when we were there. enjoy!
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