See the rich spiritual and cultural traditions of Laos

There’s a reason Laos’s Louangphrabang (sometimes spelled Luang Prabang) has drawn a growing stream of visitors in recent years. This once-sleepy hamlet has it all: A rare combination of natural and manmade splendor with rich spiritual and cultural traditions that appeals equally to the pilgrim, the backpacker, and the ecotourist.

The village’s setting on a peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, encircled by verdant mountains, offers a natural beauty that is complemented by the craftsmanship of Louangphrabang’s palaces, temples, and traditional houses.

Louangphrabang, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its unique blending of traditional Lao and European colonial influences in its architecture and culture, was the capital of the Lane Xang kingdom from the 14th to 16th centuries, as well as the center of Buddhist worship in the region.

The village takes its name from the Prabang Buddha, a solid gold statue of Buddha measuring nearly 33 inches (83 centimeters), which is now on display in the town’s Royal Palace Museum.

The area is also dotted with dozens of Buddhist temples. Wat Xiengthong, with its steeply sloping pagoda-style roof and walls richly embellished with carvings and mosaics, is arguably the most impressive of these. Built in the 16th century, the temple was one of the only sites to be largely spared from destruction when the bandits of the Black Flag army sacked Louangphrabang in 1887—the group’s leader in Laos had once studied as a novice at the temple and decided to make it his headquarters. The site remains one of the most striking and best-preserved examples of temple architecture in the region.

Ancient as it is, the area’s Buddhist tradition is very much alive. Visitors, along with locals, rise before dawn to watch the daily procession of monks through the streets and participate in the giving of alms, in which devotees proffer sustenance in the form of sticky rice and other goods to the monks.

Louangphrabang is also home to a vibrant culture apart from its religious traditions, from the night market where vendors hawk handicrafts and early morning fruit and vegetable market to traditional dance performances, storytelling, and puppet shows. The village offers a growing range of culinary options, from Lao street food to French dining.

For some, the main attraction is the nature that surrounds the village. Towering over the center of town, Mount Phousi offers a breathtaking 360-degree of the Louangphrabang and its temples as well as the Mekong River and surrounding mountain ranges. For those interested in venturing into those more distant landscapes, the options for outdoor recreation include trekking and kayaking.

One of the most popular destinations for nature lovers, the Kuang Si Waterfall, about 28 miles south of Louangphrabang, is a majestic, triple-tiered cascade with a 164-foot drop into a series of pools that are popular as swimming holes. Just outside the entrance to the waterfall is the Kuang Si Butterfly Park, a tranquil sanctuary full of vibrant flowers and fluttering wings.

Upstream 15 miles from Louangphrabang, the Pak Ou caves represent a unique combination of the natural and the sacred. The two caverns set into a limestone cliff at the point where the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers meet, are populated by thousands of Buddha figurines brought by pilgrims over hundreds of years.