Drifting down the Mekong

A quiet nation of temples, rivers and laughter, Laos reveals its charm not through spectacle but serenity—a country best understood when you stop trying to rush through it; writes Vinod K

- Vinod K

The plane touched down in Luang Prabang with the kind of softness that makes you exhale without realising you were holding your breath.

Even the airport felt unhurried, almost reluctant to interrupt the silence around it. Outside, a driver holding a paper sign with my name smiled as if he had all the time in the world. “Sabaidee,” he said, and it was the gentlest welcome I had ever received.

If you are new to Laos, start here—in Luang Prabang. It not just a town; it’s an initiation into a slower way of living. The streets are lined with frangipani trees, their scent drifting through lanes of French-style villas and teakwood homes. Every morning, before sunrise, hundreds of monks walk barefoot through town to receive alms from locals. The scene isn’t staged for visitors; it’s part of everyday life. You don't need to join—just stand quietly, like I did, and watch. The humility in that ritual will stay with you long after the golden light fades.

Later that morning, I walked to a café near the Nam Khan River, run by a man named Somchai who once worked as a mechanic in Thailand. “I came back’ he said, “because Luang Prabang doesn't change too much” He served me a thick Lao coffee—strong, sweet, and heavy with condensed milk—and pointed to the slow-moving Mekong beyond the street. “You drink this, and you don't rush,’ he said with a grin. “Everything in Laos is the same speed as coffee”

If you rent a bicycle or a small scooter, you can see most of Luang Prabang in a day, but take two or three. Cycle past the Royal Palace, stop at Wat Xieng Thong where mosaics shimmer like tiny jewels, and ride along the Mekong at sunset. Locals gather at small riverside shacks, drinking Beerlao and roasting skewers of chicken or river fish. Pull up a plastic chair; no one will mind. They'll likely ask where you're from and pour you a drink before you answer.