The Shebang in Luang Prabang!

In December 1995. the entire town of Luang Prabang was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ranking it alongside architectural treasures like Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal

Luang Prabang's natural and cultural beauty is well preserved due to the town's isolation. Even though it flourished as a trading outpost amongst the people of Thailand, Vietnam, southern China and Burma, there was little contact with non-Asian countries until the French arrived in the mid 19th century.

Described as the best preserved city in Asia, the town of Luang Prabang does not fail to disappoint! It combines the ruggedly beautiful Mekong River setting with superb historic architecture and a sedate, friendly atmosphere. Luang Prabang has retained a sense of tradition and culture unrivalled in any other contemporary South East Asian city.

 Luang Prabang is small and compact (about the size of North Bondi). ou can get around on foot or hiring a bicycle for USD$1 / day (try to avoid the pot-holes!).

Of a population of 15,000 residents, there  are over 500 monks in Luang Prabang. The oldest part of the city is where royalty and nobility once resided, who were the patrons of temple building in centuries past. Luang Prabang is Laos' spiritual capital, a place of serene gold-painted Theravada Buddhist temples, giant devotional drums and saffron-robed monks, who reiterate their commitment to spiritual enlightenment by living simply and relying for basic necessities on the kindness of others

In case you're wondering what the weather is like, refer to the charts below. February is the end of the cool, dry season. The days will be warm and the evenings quite cool. In February, it is the end of the dry season, so it may get a bid dusty.