When I first heard of Luang Prabang, I was too intrigued by its exotic name that I had to look it up straight away.
As I scanned through my Google search results, the images that appeared on my screen caught my attention.
It was impossible not to be captivated by photos of stunning multi-tiered waterfalls, monks collecting alms and gorgeous sunsets by the river. I immediately felt like I had to visit this place.
The Luang Prabang that I got to experience, however, wasn’t as pleasant as I anticipated. At least, not initially. Sure, Kuang Si waterfalls’ beauty took my breath away, but it was also too crowded to my liking.
The alms-giving ceremony that I witnessed was flocked with disrespectful tourists who almost ruined the sacred ritual. Was there more to Luang Prabang than the must-sees? I was certainly more than eager to find out.
TREKKING DETOUR
After a brief stay in the heart of the ancient town, I decided to take a slight detour from the popular tourist trails. By that, I meant heading about 100km northward to the trailhead of my 3-day trek.
The plan was to spend some time in the mountains, going from one remote village to another. Unquestionably, I was going to walk the course. What better way to explore a place than on foot, right?
Apart from checking out Laos’s rural landscape, I was hoping to get a glimpse of life in the countryside. I looked forward to my homestays with the Hmong tribe and visiting the Khmu, two of the largest minority ethnic groups in Laos. It would be interesting to see how they managed their day to day lives, far away from modern civilisation.
In case you’re wondering — yes, I hired a guide. His name was Xii.
The trek took us around a partial loop which started and ended at Nam Xuang River.
For three days, we walked a distance of about 20km in roughly 16 hours. The rest of the time was spent relaxing and exploring the villages. We went up and down some jungle-clad mountains, through rice fields, water streams and bamboo forests. I later learned that these were the only routes the locals used to move about.
On the first night, we stayed in Ban Long Ngath, a White Hmong village consisting of about 40 families who were mostly farmers. We were hosted by the village’s chief and his welcoming family.
Our second stay was with a White Hmong lady in a slightly larger settlement called Ban Long Keng. On both nights, I had simple vegetarian meals with my hosts which were prepared in their very traditional kitchens using firewood.
BASIC STRUCTURES
The houses I stayed in were basic structures made out of flattened bamboos and built on bare earth. There was no electricity, no running water and, of course, no internet.
Showers were taken in communal facilities — a task which proved to be an ordeal on its own! As there wasn’t much to do at night, people went to bed early.
I didn’t mind the extra sleeping hours as I was physically exhausted from all the walking.
Language was a barrier but thankfully I had Xii as my translator. It turned out that the locals were just as curious about me as
I was them. With Xii’s help, we exchanged stories about each other.
The kids, however, were too shy to come close even though they couldn’t hide their nosiness.
Some resorted to peeking at me through the small openings of my bedroom walls. I eventually got used to the awkwardness!
Of all the things that I observed, what hit me the hardest was seeing two little girls collecting dry wood with big machetes in their hands.
This was when it struck me of how different their childhood was compared to what I was used to.
I was humbled upon seeing how the people here got by with so little and yet appeared so contented with their lives. This reminded me to always count my own blessings.
So there, my question was answered. There was indeed more to Luang Prabang than its main attractions. As the saying goes, first impressions are often wrong.
I guess sometimes we just need to stray slightly off the beaten path to truly appreciate a place.
Who knows? Perhaps by doing so, we would not only bring back photographs of famous waterfalls and ancient temples, but also a widened horizon, memories to cherish and a greater appreciation towards life.
Shanaz Shamsuddin is a drilling engineer who finds work-life balance by exploring the outdoors. Reach her at shanaz.shamsuddin@gmail.com.