Part of Dyen Sabai’s appeal is it’s open sided hill side setting across the Nam Kham River. Easy to get to when the seasonal bridge is operating, but requires a boat ride across when the bridge is not available (due to high water levels).

Well priced and offering happy hour two for one cocktails until 12-7pm, it has some great food that showcases local specialities. It’s an essential addition to your dinner itinerary and a well chosen Lonely planet top pick.

Entree platter 2 very good for trying a range of Luang Prabang specialties

The grilled lemon fish is a stand out dish but everything is excellent.

Grilled lemon fish with chilli sauce                Fried eggplant with pork

Stir fried chicken with basil                             Minced mushrooms with mint and herbs (also surprisingly very good!)

Best to book in the busy season, but this is easy to do ahead by emailing.

The Luang Prabang Tat Kuang Si waterfalls are amazing and a great half day trip.

The water is beautifully coloured and get for swimming, the forest cool and peaceful, and there’s good cafe (average price, good food) for lunch that overlooks the falls.You can also take your own picnic or buy food from the food stalls at the entrance to the falls.

The chicken in red curry with sticky rice is wonderful (and better than the fish in red curry).

For around $8 AUS (50,000 kip), you can book a seat in a minivan to travel by road ( around 40 mins each way). But the trip may well be best by boat (2hrs  one way+ 1hr  the other (due to river flow) 40,000 kip including 10 min tuk tuk ride each end) because the minivan is commonly full (even overbooked) making it pretty unpleasant if you end up in the back seat.

Once there, take the path that winds along the falls up to see the long drop at the top (a short, cool walk), then come back down to the picnic tables/cafe and swimming spots. Chnging rooms are provided.

(If you are keen on being the river by boat it is popular to travel from Luang Prabang to Northern Thailand (approx 250,000 kip per person including overnight at Pak Beng, bookable in Luang Prabang through travel agents like Green Discovery)).

The Riverside Barbecue Restuarant, along the Mekong, is a fun spot to try cooking your own meal, Lao style.

It’s good value, good fun and there’s a lovely river view. Go early to get a good table (book if you can) as it’s popular and fills fast.

For 60,000 kip adults 30,000 kip children, you can select from a huge range of meats and seafood, vegetables and noodles to cook at your table, by either barbecuing or cooking in broth.   

A wide range of cooked entrees and some icecream and coconut desserts are also available in the price.

Clearly marked on the Lonely Planet map, follow the road from the baguette and fruit shake stalls/post office corner down to the Mekong. Turn right along the Mekong river road and look for the Riverside BBQ Restaurant sign.

Coconut Garden Restaurant is very centrally located near the start of the night market and the other restaurants and travel agents, has a lovely garden setting at the front and back, indoor  seating upstairs with a great view, good bathroom and good food. It’s a great choice for lunch or dinner when you’re out and about town.

The Laap are the best choices on the menu and the steamed fish in banana leaf is also good and better than the chicken in banana leaf.

Chicken Laap                                                       Tofu Laap

Steamed Chicken in Banana leaf                   ……and fish

It is also a sister restaurant to L’Elephant and Cafe Ban Vat Sene.

Climbing to the top of Mt Pho Si in the centre of Luang Prabang is well worth the small effort for the great view from the top.

The Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers slice the landscape bordered by hills and there’s a small but interesting temple at the top to see as well.

It takes about 20 minutes to walk up and 15 mins to walk down, costs about 20,000 kip per person ($2.50 US) and is accessed by steps across the road from the entrance to the Royal Palace on Sisavanthong Street.

While it’s not a big effort to get to the top, it’s a good activity to do in the cooler part of the day.

The morning fresh food market in Luang Prabang is colourful, interesting and an essential visit at least once. It’s also great for photos. Go early as it winds up around 11am.

It’s in the street parallel with and in-between the night market and Mekong riverside streets, between the palace and then post office. The most colourful part however, can be found in a lane through from the night market street (Sisavangvong Street) that starts opposite, but in-between the Luang Prabang Library and the fruit and baguette stands (on the corner of Sisavangvong and Kitsalat streets diagonally opposite the post office). A Hobo map is available around town (try Coconut Garden) for 20,000 – 30, 000 kip ($3-4) and well worth buying.

One of the highlights of a visit to Luang Prabang is to get up at dawn and watch the monks make their way down Sisavangvong Street from the main temple collecting alms (balls of sticky rice) from townsfolk , in their bowls. (Check with your accommodation hosts for the best time).
 

Villa Santi Hotel has a great location for this, as many monks pass by the front gate at dawn and then slowly making their way back to the temple in ones and twos all morning. (So if you are not able to get ups so early, it’s still possible to share a bit of the experience later in the day).

It’s peaceful and interesting but also a wonderful opportunity for some great photos. Just remember to keep a respectful distance.

Tamnak Lao Restaurant, across the road from Villa Santi has a lovely balcony setting and delicious, well priced food.

The top pick is the chicken in red curry but Larp is also good.

Other local dishes include the Orlam stew and Luang Prabang sausage , also good.

Tamnak Lao also runs cooking classes.