Things to know when travelling in Luang Prabang- A brief guide for the tourist

Obtaining a flight here is relatively very easy and there are many direct flights from Bangkok and Hanoi.
Alternatively, you can also opt a much more interesting way to get here; the Luang Prabang cruise which goes back and forth from northern Thailand along the spellbinding Mekong river. A notable cruise is the Mekong Kingdoms.

The peak season is from November to March when the rain is rather minimal, but the weather is cooler and there is not too much humidity. You can also choose to travel between April and August if you don't mind a little more humidity than usual.

While you can choose to carry a combination of Thai Baht, US dollars or the local currency Lao Kip, in Laos, US dollars seems to be the most preferred currency among locals. Thai Baht is also effective. An average meal, if bought from a street food stall, would cost around 10,000 to 20,000 Laotian Kip. Don't panic, that's only $1 or 2! It is safe to say that Laos is quite an affordable country.

For a small town, there are enough and more things to do and keep you busy for a few days. Here are some of the things you shouldn't miss.

These falls are quite impressive and serene at the same time. Located only about 20 kilometres away from the city centre, it can be easily reached by a tuk-tuk or a motorbike in less than an hour and not more than $5 per person. It is advised to get here as early as possible to avoid the crowds later and be able to explore the area in peace. Trek to the very back of the falls and up the stairs to reach the top from which you can view the falls below and also come across secluded pools where you can swim in.

This cruise will only take up half your day and is another great tourist attraction. The Pak Ou caves are limestone caves that are filled with more than 1000 statues of Lord Buddha in varying styles and sizes. Laos is a predominantly Buddhist country and this is a great place to indulge in their customs and traditions.

This whisky, which is made by distillation of hulls of sticky rice and yeast, contains about 40% of alcohol and claims to be the cheapest in the world! It may not be appealing to everyone's palate, but it definitely should be tried at least once just for the sake of experience. Who knows, you might even find it very much delicious. If you never try, you'll never know!

Street markets are popular in all Asian countries and Laos is no exception. They open as early as 6 am and go on till late in the night. It is a great place to try out some truly interesting local street food and delicacies (they even have maggots for breakfast!) and also scour for souvenirs.