Luang Prabang's Quiet Soul: The Solo Traveler’s Guide to Vibe, History, and slow life. (Laos)
- Nov 30, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 14, 2025
Laos is a country with beautiful nature, interesting culture, and a sad history. The country was under the French kingdom and later, after gaining independence, was a battlefield between communists and the US during the Vietnam War. There is a visitor center in Luang Prabang that you can visit to see the consequences of this conflict. Now Laos is the country with developing infrastructure and tourism. Still raw, with plenty of untouched places. Must visit in SEA trip.
Visa to Laos
You can get a visa on board for Lao PDR. I applied online because it's less stressful and you don't need to wait in the queue. The only thing is, I waited for two weeks before I received my visa, so plan in advance. For a Kazakhstani passport, it costs around $52. Check requirements and prices on the official website.
Which cities visit in Laos. Luang Prabang, Vientiane or Vang Vieng?
I think if you are going to Laos and don't have much time, you can go only to LP. It's such a cozy place with Lao-French architecture and a chill vibe. I’m very sensitive to the energies and frequencies, and Laos had a very depressive vibe in general, but LP was nice and soulful. If you have time, I recommend you stay longer there and just explore the city, small streets, and enjoy the temples.
If you prefer more nature and rural types of rest, you can go to Nong Khiaw. It's such an amazing place for hiking and meeting people from rural villages.
If you prefer adventures, go to Vang Vieng and have paragliding, parachuting, and waterfall adventures. For me personally, Vang Vieng was not that pleasant. A very low vibrational place because of the tourism; I would skip that place if I knew about that.
If you do not cross the border to Thailand, there's also no need to go to Vientiane as a specific destination. Mostly a touristic hub located in LP, and during my visit, Vientiane looked a bit “under construction”.
Here, in this article, I want to share more about LP. What to do, which places to visit. I hope this article will be helpful for you.
How to get there to Luang Prabang
It was a sunny December day in Chiang Mai when I decided to go to Laos. The trip was planned for the beginning of January. I decided to fly to Luang Prabang from Bangkok, even though I was in Chiang Mai. There are several ways you can go to Luang Prabang from Thailand. First, a 2-day slow boat trip starts with a bus ride from Chiang Mai. You are on the Mekong River for two days, enjoying slow traveling and observing simple riverside life. Second, take a two-hour flight from Bangkok. It's also a good chance to spend some days in Bangkok and see the city. After landing in Luang Prabang, take a shared taxi to your place. LP is quite small, so it will not take much time.
Many travelers I met preferred to go by boat and have this experience. I thought that as a solo traveler it would be boring, and to be honest, I’m afraid to be on the water for a long time. So a flight was the best and least stressful way for me.
Weather in Luang Prabang in January
If you are from another part of the world, you may have the perception that a tropical country must always be hot and humid. Only the second is true. Because of the humidity, a slight change in degrees feels different and more freezing. If you are planning your trip to Laos in winter, check the weather. January was cold. At night, only 15-16 degrees, with cool mornings and hot lunchtimes. Many travelers didn’t expect this, which caused additional costs to buy shoes and jackets. So pack some warm clothes for Laos, especially if you are planning to go to the mountain area.
Where to saty in Luang Prabang (low budget)
Laos is blooming because of tourism, especially in LP and VV. There are different kinds of accommodations, from luxury hotels to simple hostels. I'm a budget traveler, so I stayed in hostels only. I will recomme
nd only one that is located in LP, since it was a very nice hostel with a warm family approach. The owner had a beautiful and inspiring story of opening these places. If you are interested, I recommend watching his short video on my YT channel.
La Casa Hostels. For now, they have three hostels run by a Filipino family. It's not an expensive place, very clean, and the people are very hospitable. They provide breakfast, which changes every day, and have family dinners every week. If you stay in any La Casa, you can meet people (it's for free).
The place was established by Jaypee Botero, who had a dream to run a hostel. One day his dream came true, and now he has three hostels. You can explore about Jaypee's story from my project 'THE ART OF BEING" on youtube.
Must see in Luang Prabang
If you are staying for a short term, these places must be visited. If you stay longer, just relax and walk around the streets as I did. Laos was a French colony. The architecture is an authentic blend of Lao-French culture. I liked their wooden traditional and colonial small houses. Luang Prabang is also rich in Buddhist temples, which made my trip even more beautiful. I really appreciate Buddhist teachings and have been exploring them for many years and practicing Vipassana. I liked exploring Buddhism in places where it's more common and practiced, like Sri Lanka and Thailand. So, Laos created an even more complete image of Buddhism spreading across Asia. The temples of Laos look more like Thai temples but still have their own unique signature. Most of Thailand's temples are renovated, and you cannot see this old-style authenticity. In Laos, on the other side of the Mekong River, you can still see a few.
To be honest, I had a more "rose-colored glasses" perception about Buddhism. Now Buddhist culture is also declining like any religion in the world. Many young students go to serve as monks because they don't have money for a "normal" life. So I saw many young monks just doing nothing and scrolling through their phones. It was a bit disappointing for me, but it also showed the reality of globalization.
Anyway, Luang Prabang has a very smooth and cozy vibe. I liked just to go for a walk and to be lost around old houses and little streets. Enter a random temple or listen to chanting in the evenings.
The place has good energy and an amazing view. This place is very crowded with tourists because it's one of the main points of the city. Tourists usually prefer to go there for sunset, but I recommend you go as early as possible so there will not be many people. You can enjoy the view, explore around, and feel the vibe. For sunsets, it's better to go to the Mekong River and sit at any cafe or just enjoy a walk.
The waterfall is totally worth visiting. The water is so clean and pure. The nicest thing is that you can swim there; it's allowed. The place is very popular and crowded, so go early in the morning. The only thing is that it's a bit cool. I swam there, but no one else was. Even though the water was not as cold as I expected, the air temperature was low, and it was cold after swimming. Just take additional clothes if you are planning to swim. There is also a small hike that leads to the top of the waterfall, where you can see the waterfall itself and the mountain top river. It looks very mysterious and fairytale-like. I really recommend going. It was fun that we didn't know there is a normal, easy road with steps to go up, so we had a little hike. It's not too much, but still, the inclination in some areas was very high, but very adventurous. Just go to the right at the end of the waterfall, and you will find the mountain hike road.
To get there, you can join the tour, but usually it's pricey, noisy, and doesn't offer much freedom. Two other people and I arranged a transfer from our hostel. It was cheaper and easier to manage with time. We were there for around 3 hours with the road, but I recommend arranging for a longer time; otherwise, you don't have time to enjoy and need to rush. Time runs very fast when you are on an adventure :)
Do you want to see how people are living in Luang Prabang? Go to the other side and see their houses, farming, and just walk on the streets. The farther you go from the touristic area, the more you see how people live simple lives. Some areas closer to the temples don't even have houses, as we are used to seeing. Just some woods and tents, and they are just enjoying their lives.
That area is very calm and authentic. I walked until the last temple, and it was quite a long journey. I recommend you have some vehicle like a bike or at least a bicycle, take some water and snacks also. Not many people, you can see some temples that have not yet been renovated, which is very nice to see.
Located in the city center is a true tresure. Just come for a walk, to take pictures, drink your coffee and eat breakfast. I used to come there to eat fish grilled on a charcoal. Very fresh and tasty.
Do you want to see more locals and their houses? Just cross the river by bridge and walk around. That area of the city is not big and you can enjoy with beutiful view of the river from the bridge.
This market is more autnetic than morning market. A lot of varieties of fruits, vegetables and fish. They do not speak english
FOOD & CHILL
Library - small local library. Not many people, but very quiet if you want to work and read a book there. They have some English books too.
Le Banneton Café & French Bakery - my favorite bakery. Food and bakery are always fresh and delicious. Coffee is good too. This is a heritage left from Laos being a colony of France. Always busy, recommend coming in the early morning.
Garavek Storytelling - a good way to explore the culture and traditions in Laos.
Big Brother Mouse - it is a very nice initiative created for cultural and language exchange. You can meet locals, help them practice their English, and maybe even have local friends.
Khmu Spa & Massage - after Thailand, I didn't have much experience in Laos, only in this spa place. The spa is located in an old building. They give you complimentary tea before and after. It was not the best massage of my life, but after a tiring day, it was suitable.
Heuan Chan Heritage House - if you want to experience local culture, crafts, and attend workshops.
Rosetta cafe - one of the cafes located in old heritage houses. Cozy atmosphere, outdoor area and not so busy as La Banneton.
M&M RESTAURANT INDIAN HALAL FOOD - It was kind of nice to eat Indian food in Laos. The food was very fresh and delicious. Portions are decent, and prices are fair. Run by a cute and welcoming Indian family.
From Vientiane, I crossed the border to Thailand, which was the fastest and easiest border crossing in my life. There are two cities on the road to Bangkok, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen. I recommend you stay at Khon Kaen for a few days if you would like to be in a less touristy place. See how locals are living, how they are organizing their life. I was surprised how much life they have compared with very touristic areas of Thailand.
Hope you enjoyed reading, and this article will help you to plan your trip. Read more articles about traveling and tips in Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Malaysia on my website.
Thank you for your time and energy, and have a safe travel!
Watch my vlog from Laos and feel the vibe
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