Living the Life in Laos! (Part 6): A Bit of Laos, A Bit of Thailand

- November 27-28, 2025, Thursday to Friday.

- I had roughly half a day to see more of Luang Prabang before heading back to Bangkok. I knew Luang Prabang had endless things to see and do, but at the same time, the main ones I already did in the past few days. Contrary to what I usually do, I just decided to take it easy.

- That dawn I once again participated in "sai bat" or "tak bat", which is the daily giving of alms to the Buddhist monks. This time, I just took photos of the ceremony, and not as one of the people giving alms (I did that the day prior already). As before, I found it more touristy than spiritual, unlike in the past, or unlike in less-touristy areas of the city. But at least, the tourists were given a general understanding of what was happening and why it was happening.

The monks have arrived.

The dogs probably wanted some treats too.

Novice monks.

- I later had breakfast at the hotel and took another morning stroll at the main street. I decided to visit two temples that I saw yesterday but didn't get to see. The first is Wat Sibounheuang. It was built in tthe 1700s with roof horns representing the upper body is a naga or snake. It is a simpler yet still ornate Buddhist temple.     

I like the splashes or color in this photo.

Wat Sibounheuang.

I love the details of the temple.

No temple is spared for extremely ornate designs!

- Just next door is Wat Syrimoungkoun Xaiyaram. Perhaps also built in the 1700s, it is also a quiet temple, and a smaller one compared to its more prominent neighboring temples.

Wat Syrimoungkoun Xaiyaram.

The temple might need a bit of restoration.

- I also had a brief visit to Wat Sensoukharam's Buddhist museum, which I wasn't able to visit the day prior. It was on the way back to the hotel anyway. Its most important collections are related to Sathu Nyai Khamchan. He is revered for his tireless efforts in preserving Lao-style Buddhism (including Lao-style temple architecture), collecting valuable Buddhist manuscripts, and setting up archives for Buddhist documents including photography. He was, of course, affiliated with Wat Sensoukharam. 

Wat Sensoukharam's Buddhist museum.

A life-sized model of Sathu Nyai Khamchan, commissioned in 2010 by his pupil. This was three years after the passing of Sathu Nyai Khamchan.

The museum exterior.

- Finally, I had a quick lunch, and off I headed to the airport for my flight to Bangkok. Despite the delayed flight, the flight itself was comfortable and gave me awesome views of Luang Prabang, the Mekong River, and the infinite mountains of Laos. 

Luang Prabang, Mekong, Mountains.

About to land in Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok.

- Back in Bangkok, I was immediately welcome with much noise and heavy traffic. I don't miss the heavy traffic, but maybe I did miss a bit of noise after my quiet stay in Laos. After checking in at Diff Hostel (my current go-to hostel in Bangkok!), I went to The Street Ratchada Mall (Thailand Cultural Centre Metro Station). It is supposedly a mall that opens 24/7, but I later realized that even though the mall is open 24/7, not all stores are. I did have a quick dinner there.

The Street Ratchada Mall.

I craved for hotpot huhu. (Well this was the dry version.)

- I wasn't too happy with my visit to the mall, so I hopped over next door to Jodd Fairs. I later found out that Jodd Fairs was a new-ish night market opened in 2021 in a different location. It opened its Ratchada location (where I visited) in late 2024 until it fully moved by 2025. Yes, I know it's a tourist trap but there are times when I'm a sucker for these kinds of places. It does look happy and fun, with plenty of food and souvenir stalls and an overall cleaner, less overwhelming look compared to some bigger markets.

This was the first thing I saw at Jodd Fairs and I seriously had no idea what was going on. HAHA.

This is what I sort of missed while in quiet Laos.

I saw my exchange student there hahahaha. Of all the places to bump into your student!

The many paved aisles of Jodd Fairs.

I wanted to spend more time here but I was too tired from my trip and it was getting late. I also had to fix my things before flying home.

- The next morning, I had nothing else to do but to go to the airport and say a momentary farewell to mainland Southeast Asia as I fly back to the maritime side of the region. I had a full heart and an even fuller luggage (had to buy extra luggage days before my flight back home HAHA).

Taking a photo of the Churning of the Ocean sculpture at Suvarnabhumi Airport has now become a ritual for me whenever I'm leaving Thailand haha.

OMG I WON AGAIN HAHA.

- Thailand and Laos are interesting opposites. Loud and quiet, modern and not-as-much, with a sea and landlocked, you name it. Even though both countries are "same same but different", they both speak to my in different ways. Thailand energizes me as I like being around people a lot, but Laos reminds me to breathe a bit and take things slowly at times. However, my wallet tells me that both countries are also enablers of my love for shopping HAHAHAHA. I love both these countries so much and I'm hope to visit them both again some time soon!!

** Check out my other adventures in Thailand and Laos here!

THAILAND:

Part 1: Wat Saket and Dog Cafe - here

Part 2: Kanchanaburi - here

Part 3: Maeklong Railway Market, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market - here

Part 4: Phetchaburi and Hua Hin - here

Part 5: Wat Paknam, Capybara Cafe, B Story Cafe, Madame Tussauds - here

Part 6: Chulalongkorn University - here

LAOS:   

Part 1 (Vientiane): Patuxai, Buddha Park, and Vientiane's Temples - here

Part 2 (Vientiane): Pha That Luang, Lao Art Museum - here

Part 3 (Luang Prabang): Royal Palace, Phousi Hill, Night Market - here 

Part 4 (Luang Prabang): Kuang Si Waterfalls, Pak Ou caves - here 

Part 5 (Luang Prabang): Sai Bat, Wat Xieng Thong, and Other Temples - here

Living the Life in Laos! (Part 5): Chasing Spirituality in Luang Prabang

- November 26, 2025, Wednesday.

- Luang Prabang is one of the places I've visited that has a high density of temples in a single area. Almost every block had a temple, big and small. Each one has its own character, its own history, and own community of monks. I guess this is what adds to the calming "vibe" of Luang Prabang.

- I woke up really early in the morning to participate in what is called "sai bat" or "tak bat". Happening every morning from 5:30 to 6:30, monks go out of their temples to collect alms, often in the form of food like sticky rice. This takes place along the main street, and I suppose this happens in almost every block. In the past, only locals would do this. These days, it has become a highly commercialized tourist activity, while locals giving alms to the monks now happen outside the city center where they reside. Tourists need not worry about what to do. Once they are on the main street, there will be ladies standing near their designated spots on the street, and will sell a ready-made offering bucket, complete with a traditional scarf lent to tourists (worn as a sign of modesty). Prices are not high too, so the only thing to do is to go, pay, sit down, and wait for the monks to come.    

The monks are here!

I'm pretty sure I had some cultural faux pas here and there, but it was my first time and I just did what the lady who sold me the bucket of offerings told me.

It was quite the experience.

More monks!

- I honestly felt it was a chaotic was to show spirituality, or respect. The sai bat is supposed to be a sacred practice, not a tourist activity, so people tend to be very quiet and will observe proper distance and other customs related to the ritual. Now, tourists often chatter too much, and some don't even follow guidelines like not approaching the monks if not participating in the almsgiving. Of course I tried to be as respectful as possible. 

- I took a nap at the hotel after participating in sai bat, before talking a rather peaceful early morning stroll. I walked the whole main street all the way to Wat Xieng Thong. Built in the 1500s, the temple is one of Laos' most important temples. Not only was its land donated by the Lao royalty, but it was also where coronations were held apart from other significant Buddhist rituals. The details of the temple are well-preserved too, despite all the wars and invasions Laos has gone through.

Wat Xieng Thong.

Details of the roof.

Entrance to the prayer hall.

Everything is ornate!

Red chapel.

Mosaic at the back of the main prayer hall.

From afar.

Carriage room.

This whole structure is a royal hearse omg.

- Nearby is the Wat Sensoukharam. It was built in the 1700s and is one of the biggest monasteries in Luang Prabang. The main prayer hall was closed when I went there, but there was lots to see around the temple grounds! 

Wat Sensoukharam.

Side view of the main sim/prayer hall.

A variety of structures.

It also has a big standing Buddha chapel.

Royal funeral carriage.

A boat used during the Indochina War in the 60s and 70s.

More boats.

- Before continuing my day's adventures, I skipped the hotel breakfast and had a really traditional Lao breakfast. I found a simple local restaurant along the main road and ordered myself a bowl of khao soi. Khaoi soi is a noodle soup dish that has variations across Laos, Myanmar, and Northern Thailand. The Lao version, which I had, was a bit spicy, rich in vegetables and pork bits, and had a side plate with more vegetables and herbs to go with the soup. It was OK for me, not because it was bad but only because I'm not too much of a fan of clear-soup noodle dishes in general (it's either a rich broth noodle soup dish like ramen or laksa, or without soup at all like stir-fry noodles). But over all, I liked it for what it was.

Khao soi!! - With plenty of vegetables (yay!!) and a big cup of iced coffee. 

This was the restaurant I went to for khao soi. I saw some other locals eat there too, so it must be good albeit not fancy looking.

- I later rode a tuktuk to Wat Manorom, which is a few blocks away from the city center. It is a major Buddhist temple that houses the oldest Buddha statue in the city, a center for Buddhist primary education. Although it is said that the Buddha in the main hall was made in the 14th century, the temple may or may not have been built at the same time. The temple's exact date of construction is still something people debate about.

Wat Manorom.

Look at the child monks.

At the sim.

I wanted to take a photo of this cat with the Buddha at the back, and a novice monk passed by. So much depth (spatial, not metaphoric) in this photo I like it haha.

Entrance to the sim.

Thank you Buddhist monk for opening the sim for me, I feel special huhu. (And see the big ancient Buddha in the middle.)

- A few blocks closer to the city are two temples found side by side. Enter one temple and you can also access the other temple without needing to go out. These are Wat Wisunarat and Wat Aham - very memorable for me because my accident on my first day in Luang Prabang happened right outside wat Wisunarat (literally so, because the accident happened outside one of the temple's main entrances.)   

- Wat Wisunarat was built in the 1500s and is one of the oldest still-operating temples in the city. The temple is recognizable for it's stupa outside the prayer hall. Officially called That Pathoum (Great Lotus Stupa), it's more fondly called the "Watermelon Stupa" because of its round shape. It is unusual for the Southeast-Asian stupas to appear this way, and may have been influenced by South-Asian stupas (perhaps, Sri Lankan).

Watermelon stupa.

Inside the sim.

More Buddhas behind the big Buddha.

- Neighboring Wat Aham was constructed much later, probably in the 1800s, and is known for its two stupas outside the main sim. These two stupas are said to hold the two guardian spirits of the city. 

Wat Aham.

Two chedis in front of the sim.

Inside the sim of Wat Aham.

- On the way back to the main street, I passed by the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC). TAEC was founded in 2006 not just as a museum, but also as a social enterprise. The museum has a small but rich exhibit on the various ethno-linguistic peoples of Laos.

Hmong clothes.

The exhibit was arranged by group.

FANCY SEEING A TBOLI ATTIRE HERE!!!!

There was a special exhibit on cultural appropriation vis-a-vis how local designers are properly modernizing traditional looks. It was a project in collaboration with many designers around the world such as Philippines, Mexico, and Laos.

- That afternoon I visited the Heuan Chan Heritage House. Heuan Chan means "House of Chan", owing to the original owner of the house back in the early 1900s. The original owner was a former officer of the palace so he was able to have a large house. Today, the house functions as a museum, a restaurant, and a venue for Lao culture classes (cooking classes, crafts). 

Ritual hall.

Lao traditional attires for formal occasions or rituals.

Kitchen.

Traditional musical instruments.

Crown, often used for Lao ballets.

I look like I'm part of the exhibit,

Cats feeling too comfy.

Magazine cover photo material hahahaha.

If I could only be this chill all the time.

It is a pretty huge house!

- I took some time to take a short nap at the hotel because it was too hot, and because I was up really early for the day. That night, of course I had to back to the night market for one final stroll before I leave Luang Prabang the next day. As usual, I went to Phan Boun for dinner to try another Lao platter.

I realized I didn't get to take a photo of this part of the night market, which is the food court. It had too many people and it was so loud so I went back to Phan Boun.

This time, in Phan Boun, I had bamboo shoot soup, fried pork belly, papaya salad (som tam), steamed pork, and banana slices in coconut milk for dessert.

- Luang Prabang was a gift that just kept giving. There were just so many things to do, see, and learn. It is a good blend of nature and culture, shopping and relaxing, and all the elements combined. I'm very happy that I got to finally visit Luang Prabang!

** Check out my other adventures in Thailand and Laos here!

THAILAND:

Part 1: Wat Saket and Dog Cafe - here

Part 2: Kanchanaburi - here

Part 3: Maeklong Railway Market, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market - here

Part 4: Phetchaburi and Hua Hin - here

Part 5: Wat Paknam, Capybara Cafe, B Story Cafe, Madame Tussauds - here

Part 6: Chulalongkorn University - here

LAOS:   

Part 1 (Vientiane): Patuxai, Buddha Park, and Vientiane's Temples - here

Part 2 (Vientiane): Pha That Luang, Lao Art Museum - here

Part 3 (Luang Prabang): Royal Palace, Phousi Hill, Night Market - here 

Part 4 (Luang Prabang): Kuang Si Waterfalls, Pak Ou caves - here 

Part 6 (Luang Prabang / Bangkok): Sai Bat Again, Some Temples, Bangkok Jodd Fairs - here