Tiger Trails in Luang Prabang and beautiful temples

A short but exciting trip to Luang Prabang, Laos. We explored the stunning Buddhist monasteries and the Royal Ballet Theatre in the Palace. Furthermore, we went on a wonderful Tiger Trails hike in the hills to see the ethnic Khmu and Hmong minority groups.

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is a stunning city in northern Laos, famous for its magnificent temples and monasteries, as well as the Alms Giving Ceremony. The village is lined with French colonial buildings, which have been converted into boutique hotels, cafes, and shops. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the natural setting is breathtaking.

We climbed Mount Phou Si and took this photo of the town.

The view is from Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang. The city is the former royal capital of Laos and is known for its Buddhist temples and monasteries.

During our time in Luang Prabang, we stayed in a small guest house on the Nam Khan River. It was peaceful and quiet compared to Hanoi’s hustle and bustle.

Magnificent view of the Mekong River joining the the Nam Khan River at Luang Prabang.

Breakfast on the Nam Khan River—no traffic, just beautiful.

The streets, with their beautiful flowers in front of the houses, look more European than Asian. The pastries from the French bakery were as delicious as those in Paris.

The streets, with beautiful flowers in front of the houses, look more European than Asian. The pastries from the French bakery were as delicious as those in Paris.

The tuk-tuk is Thailand's most popular mode of transportation. It's fun, and you can haggle over the price before moving on.

The tuk-tuk is Laos’ most popular mode of transportation. It’s fun; you can haggle over the price before moving on. But please do it nicely.

The long bamboo bridge spanning the Nam Khan River is repaired yearly during the dry season.

Riding slow boats along the Mekong River is very popular. It is the cheapest way to travel from Northern Thailand to Luang Prabang.

Haw Pha Bang, the Royal Temple, lies in the Royal Palace complex on the Mekong River.

The stunning Wat Xieng Thong, built in 1560, is a must-see when visiting Luang Prabang.

Wat Aham is a simple temple, but its interior is bright and colourful. Later, the temple was rebuilt many times. People believed that the spirits had moved into the two large banyan trees in front of it.

Then, we went to the Royal Ballet Theatre for an incredible show in the Royal Palace. We had a great time this evening. While the ballet was stunning, the atmosphere was perfect.

Later, at around 5 p.m., the night market with a few hundred stalls opens. The products range from beautiful silk products to artwork, including Buddhas in all shapes and sizes and Hmong crafts.

Tiger Trails hike

Tiger Trails is known for its commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism. It supports the rural villages. Tiger Trails takes part in Elephant conservation program riding the animals without harm. It offers fantastic trekking, biking and kayaking tours.

To sum up, the Tiger Trails- Laos Adventure hiking tour to the local Khmu hill tribe village of Ban Houay Fai and the Tad Sae waterfall was the highlight of our visit to Luang Prabang, Laos. We had a private tour guide for the 12-kilometre, 5-hour tour. Before climbing the gorgeous hills, we had to cross the Nam Khan River by boat.

The weather was humid and hot, but the scenery was breathtaking.

During our Tiger Trails hike, the guide kept an eye out for scorpions and snakes.

Some parts of the trek were challenging, but we made it.

After a long hike, we arrived at Ban Houay Fai, an idyllic Khmu village. The Khmu ethnic minority group lives in the highlands of North Laos. Tiger Trails provided a nice lunch.

Lunch organised by Tiger Trails. Crispy roasted crickets

For lunch, we had some tasty fried rice on banana leaves and a nice cold beer. Then, as a real treat, we got a plate of roasted crickets, which were tasty and crunchy. Crickets are healthy. They have more protein, vitamins, minerals, and fibre than other animal meats like chicken, pork, and beef. Tiger Trails should run restaurants and hiking tours.

This little boy was constantly watching us, as it was a substitute for TV.

Tiger Trails organised our hike. They run the Fair Trail scheme. It involves local villagers in the growth of tourism. Of course, we were encouraged to buy textbooks and pencils for the village children. This happened after they performed some lovely songs for us.

After our long hike with tiger trails , we finally arrived at Tat Sae Waterfalls. It's one of the most beautiful in Luang Prabang. Our long hike concluded with a refreshing dip in the pool.

After our long hike, we finally arrived at Tat Sae Waterfalls. It’s one of the most beautiful in Luang Prabang. Our long hike concluded with a refreshing dip in the pool.

Finally, we took an elephant ride at the “Tat Sae Waterfalls” elephant sanctuary.

After the ride, the elephant was rewarded with sugar cane. It was a very nice hiking tour. Thanks, Tiger Trails.