Travel Photos of Laos via Instagram: Luang Prabang and Vientiane!

I just finished a 2 week trip through Laos but before I start writing about it, I wanted to share a few of my favourite snaps from my time there. While I’m sometimes bad at bringing my camera along when I go out for a walk in a new place, ever since I got Instagram I’ve been documenting more of my daily life wherever I may be. Here’s a little sneak peek at Laos through photos of temples, frangipanis and food!

Ahh, travelling down the Mekong River by slow boat proved to be quite the adventure. While the views on the last day of the trip were amazing, this journey also involved sleeping in a pink jail, going three days without a shower, and a whole series of scams. Let that be a lesson for me to not always opt for the most economical option…in this case a mid-range to high-end boat journey would have made a world of a difference.

Misty mornings over the jungle. I was reading The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux on this trip, and I couldn’t have asked for a better setting. “Under the bam, under the boo, under the bamboo tree…”

Luang Prabang’s Royal Palace Museum as seen from the steps that lead up to Mount Phousi. Rising 100 meters in the centre of town, Mount Phousi was a really easy climb that graced us with scenic views of the little colonial-era settlements below.

Sampling Lao food at one of my new favourite restaurants Tamarind. These two sampler plates included buffalo jerky, sticky rice in a bamboo basket, seaweed chips with sesame seeds, pork sausage, pickled greens, chilli paste with buffalo skin, pork and banana flower salad, aubergine dip and more. Add a tamarind cooler to that and I was a very happy girl!

On our first morning in Luang Prabang, Sam and I ended up going for a walk in the outskirts of town. We crossed this rickety bamboo bridge and followed a dirt path that led us to a small community. We also found a friendly stray dog who joined us for the walk.

The rooftop of one of the many temples we visited in the city. My personal favourite was Wat Xieng Thong, also known as the Temple of the Golden City. The temple grounds are home to 20 various shrines, pavilions and residences, and the structures were incredibly ornate. From the hand-painted scenes depicting stories in gold, to the bright glass mosaics on the walls, it was entrancing all around.

A lone fisherman on the banks of the Nam Khan. In the early mornings I would spot men quietly fishing on the shores, and in the afternoons the river became a playground for children looking to cool down by splashing around in the water.

After a relaxed week in Luang Prabang, I made it over to Vientiane where I had a couple of days to explore the capital. Unlike any capital city I have ever visited, Vientiane was really easy going without the rat race mentality you find in big cities. One of the places I was most looking forward to visiting here was the Arc de Triomphe monument, also known as Patuxai. A little tip, if you want to climb to the very top, make sure you visit before 4 PM! I got there a little too late, so I had to settle for a view at ground level.

A little sightseeing around Vientiane with frangipanis in my hair. I have to admit, I enjoyed the capital a lot more than I thought I would. While there isn’t a whole lot to do here, it’s the kind of place that you could “grow fond of over time” – that’s the way one of the expats I met put it.

And one last shot of the frangipani to wrap up my travels in Laos. I think I can say I found myself a new favourite flower!

To keep up with my current travels, you can find me on Instagram at thatbackpacker.