Examining the rock art of the pak ou caves in luang prabang province contributes to the. As i said, the caves are an important religious site in luang prabang. The pak ou caves are limestone caves filled with thousands of buddha images in varying sizes and styles. Occurring in a wide variety of rock types and caused by widely differing geological proc esses, caves range in size from single small. An introduction to caves and cave exploring in georgia by barry f. Khong xieng ko m k vi eng phukh a v ieng phoukha huay xa i hoksay hat sa. Pak ou caves are one of luang prabangs most famous sites, and these limestone caves overlooking the mekong have been a place of worship for more than a thousand years. Trying to figure out how to get to pak ou caves on our own or with shared people. Follow your friendly local guide through the streets of luang prabang, then make your way along the mekong river to the buddhafilled caves of pak ou. We recommend booking pak ou caves tours ahead of time to secure your spot. During this cruise, the nava stops at the pak ou caves for adventuring among the 4,000 sacred buddhist statues and images scattered about the two limestone grottoes. Painted and engraved rock art appear at the pak ou caves, a complex of caverns containing buddhist offerings and shrines located at the confluence of two rivers in luang prabang province, lao pdr.
The town is a mix of traditional architecture and one or two storey french colonial houses. Tanner, commissioner environmental protection division j. Morgan a cave is a natural opening in the ground extending beyond the zone of light and large enough to permit the entry of man. Where the nam ou ou river and mekong river meet at ban pak ou, two famous caves in the limestone cliff are crammed with myriad buddha images. Luang prabang elephant village pak ou caves 365 travel asia. Packed with over 4000 buddha icons, the caves are set in a. On assignment to laos for the first time since the 1970s, tony wheeler heads up the mekong to investigate the thousands of buddhist sculptures found in.
Check out the best tours and activities to experience pak ou caves. The cultural and natural heritage of caves in the lao pdr. With two hours of river travel there and one hour back, you will spend a leisurely morning watching fisherman tie up their boats, monks float by serenely, and buffalo wandering down the riverbanks. A great way to discover the culture, history and traditions of timeless luang prabang is through exploring its iconic temples and surrounding villages. The stairs, even though they are steep, are well looked after and equipped for many visitors. Vieng, and the pak ou caves were identified as sites with potential for cavebased. Pak ou caves are located 25km from the downtown of luang prabang. Thousands of effigies of buddha watch from caves set high above a legendary river, plus whiskey. Pak ou caves have a history dating back thousands of years.
These legends were inserted with the view of making the cave of treasures a sort of religious wonderbook which would appeal. We arrive at luang prabang, the countrys former capital, in the afternoon. Spend halfday to experience elephant ride before visit the pak ou caves, two. Muang ngoi neua ban ngoi kao pak xeng huamuang xam neua na meo ou muang ta i mengla boten na maw. The rock art of pak ou caves, luang prabang province, lao pdr. There are also restaurants very good snack bars if you walk a couple of hundred metres towards the river nam ou, and a beautiful and authentic temple. Download trip notes enter your email to get a pdf file containing all the trip information for. Situated among the rolling hills of the upper mekong river. The buddha images in the pak ou caves assume a variety of positions, from meditation to peace and nirvana the reclining buddha.
It is said that the caves are associated with a river spirit. The position of the caves allows indirect light to enter as it bounces off of the rivers muddy brown waters. Our list of things to do in luang prabang highlights the unescolisted towns natural and manmade attractions. Travel from chiang mai to laos on this amazing 4day tour. Near pak ou mouth of the ou river the tham ting lower cave and the tham theung upper cave are caves overlooking the mekong river, 25 km to the north of luang prabang, laos. Media in category statues of the buddha in laos the following 80 files are in this category, out of 80 total. Visiting the pak ou caves is a popular halfday tour from luang prabang. Pak ou buddha caves waterfall meditation experience the unique cultures and landscapes of thailand and laos, and discover their rich spiritual heritage.
Caves have been used by humans for a long time and for a number of reasons. They are a group of caves on the right side of the mekong river. The town is named after the phra bang buddha image, the most highly revered image in the country. Near pak ou the tham ting lower cave and the tham theung upper cave are caves overlooking the mekong river, 25 km to the north of luang prabang. They are a group of two caves on the west side of the mekong river, about two hours upstream from the centre of luang prabang, and have become well known by tourists. Pak ou caves near luang prabang luang prabang attractions. The entrance to the caves is a masterpiece, being as it is situated in a vertical cliff which confirmed climbers will thoroughly enjoy in the middle of a luxuriant jungle. Laos pak ou caves sit above the mekong river as just a dark blip in the rock as we approached by boat. Packed with over 4,000 buddha icons, the caves are set in a dramatic limestone cliff at the point where the mekong joins the nam ou river. Justgola your smart travel assistant create a trip itinerary to asia with a click. The descent by jeff long, still life with crows by douglas preston, the clan of the cave bear by jean m. Our earliest documentation is that jack simms was out hunting one cold snowy day 18191820 when he spotted what he believed to be panther tracks. Explore the history, architecture and sacred buddhist sites of the region. You should also visit the village, opposite, which is full of curiosities and unusual objects.
The caves are opposite of the ou river and pak ou village, where the ou river joins the mekong river. And the tour guide is nice and helpful and he gave us many information about luang prabang. Brought by devotees far and wide, it has made the caves an especially holy place for pilgrims and a favorite dayouting for sofitel luang prabang guests. On the way to the sacred caves filled with golden wonders, pass traditional rural communities and hear about their specialized microeconomies from your local guide. Should you visit the pak ou caves near luang prabang. Book your tickets online for pak ou caves, ban pakou. The album is an lp release only and is a black friday exclusive, limited to 2,000 copies. The first mentions of karst landscape date back to the ancient assyrian king salmanassar iii. Pdf the rock art of pak ou caves, luang prabang province, lao. Widened at the beam to accommodate 10 fourtop tables, the traditional lao river boat also embarks every morning at 10. Pak ou mouth of the ou river includes the tham ting lower cave and the tham theung upper cave are caves overlooking the founder name mekong river. There are 2 caves to visit with one a short climb up some stairs. The curious case of the steamship on the mekong scholarspace. The first us of the caves for religious purposes was at the time when the local population worshiped phi, or the spirits of nature.
Spend halfday to experience elephant ride before visit the pak ou caves, two famous caves cut into the limestone cliff overlooking the mekong river. All about caves 59 books share book recommendations. Often described as the jewel in laos crown, luang prabang has managed to preserve its longstanding tradition and charm, exuding a missedoutonmodernization vibe. Pak ou caves are a group of two caves on the west side of the mekong river, 25 km to the north of luang prabang in laos. Pak ou caves, luang prabang 2019 images, timings holidify. And the pak ou cave is full of history, it is a must go to know more about this country. Float down the vast mekong river and see beautiful countryside as you head to the statuefilled buddhist pak ou caves. Pak ou caves laos tham ting and tham theung caves laos. Colorful umbrellas for sale in luang prabang laos pdf travel guidedownload the ebook version of lonely planets pdf. The history of caves is a soundtrack by american folk musician josh tillman and was released under his own name via sub pop. Luang prabang city tour and pak ou caves by boat diethelm travel. Pak ou cave is also known as the thousand buddha cave because of the thousands of statues, large and small, found in the cave. Best visited by boat, pak ou caves are one of luang prabangs most famous sites, and these limestone caves overlooking the mekong have been a place of worship for more than a thousand years. The caves are noted for their miniature buddha sculptures.
Buddha images of every shape, size, and style line the pak ou caves near luang prabang, laos. Youll visit a rural village where locals make rice wine and see how indigenous people live. Umbrellas for sale in luang prabang lonely planet laos pdf. Visit inspiring temples housing skillfully crafted buddha statues, royal palaces and lush and beautiful terrain.
Take a trip to the cope visitor centre to learn about the history of unexploded ordnances in laos. I thou gh t you might lik e a brief synopsis on the cave and how it got to be in our family. They are a group of two caves on the west side of the mekong river, about two hours upstream from the centre of luang prabang, and are frequently visited by tourists. The history of laos peoples within the larger south east asian. Pak ou caves mouth of the ou river or tham ting lower cave and the tham theung upper cave are caves overlooking the mekong river, 25 km to the north of luang prabang, laos. The history actually dates back thousands of years and they have been used as a place of worship for centuries. The majority of luang prabangs sights including 33 buddhist temples can be reached on foot, so. Pak ou translates to mouth of the ou river with the first cave entrance of tham ting being very visible from the water. Leonard ledbetter, director georgia geologic survey william h. Pak ou caves caves in the cliffs on the mekong filled with s of buddha images. Or take just a oneday boat trip to pak beng and then leave the river behind to head to sainyabuli and the superb elephant conservation center on the nam tien lake. Our story a beatup old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of. Pak ou caves with river cruise halfday tour luang prabang.
The pak ou caves houses hundreds of buddha statues and are held as a holy site that is very important to the local religious beliefs and thus, is often visited by monks. The upper cave is a fiveminute climb up steps youll need a torch, 50m into the rock face. Some of the locations are recognizable to anyone who has traveled in asia, but many remote, littleknown shrines are included such as kakku, po win daung caves and kyaiktiyo in myanmar, pak ou caves in laos, and beng mealea in cambodia. For many they provided shelter, for others they were a source for minerals and economic prosperity. From 54 until 1563 luang prabang was the capital of the lan xang kingdom, a powerful laotian kingdom that finally split up in three kingdoms in 1707. Make sure you take a powerful torch with you so as to visit the second cave. All about caves aboveground caves, underground caves, underwater caves, sea caves, caving, cave diving, exploration, nature, natural history, travelogues, survival, animals, adventures, memoirs, cave paintings, human prehistory in caves, eyeless fish and salamanders, bats, swiftlets, biology, zoology, ecology, environment, cave geology. Morgan a cave is a natural opening in the ground extending beyond the zone of light and. A group of buddha poses perfectly as silhouettes against the grand riverine backdrop. Despite their history and potential, the cultural and historical heritage value of caves and. Pak ou caves, 25 km north of luang prabang, have a history dating back thousands of years.
One is by hiring a boat trip, which can be booked via tour operators, your hotelguesthouse, or you could directly walk to the central pier and book a boat on the spot. Both are crammed with buddha images of various styles and sizes. There are two caves, tham ting and the tham theung both of them are natural caves, they can be reached by a steep path which winds up the solid rock. Jul 17, 2012 visiting the pak ou caves is a popular halfday tour from luang prabang. To be honest, the caves were a little bit underwhelming but we enjoyed the boat ride on the mekong river. Pak ou cave things to do luang prabang sofitel luang prabang. It is then only a short distance from the caves to the village of ban xang hai. Mar 10, 2018 near pak ou mouth of the ou river the tham ting lower cave and the tham theung upper cave are caves overlooking the mekong river, 25 km to the north of luang prabang, laos. Painted and engraved rock art appear at the pak ou caves, a complex of caverns containing buddhist offerings and shrines located at the confluence of.
Tour guide will explain the history and culture of pak ou caves. An introduction to laos by wayfairer travel bookmundi. On assignment to laos for the first time since the 1970s, tony wheeler heads up the mekong to investigate. In the lower cave a photogenic group of buddhas is silhouetted against the stunning riverine backdrop. The town of luang prabang was made a unesco world heritage site in 1995.
It was too late in the day to follow where they might lead. The pak ou caves houses hundreds of buddha statues and are held as a holy site that is very important to the local religious beliefs and thus. Laostravel highlights of laos tour package updated. Project muse the curious case of the steamship on the mekong. Humans appear to have been drawn to the area by its caves, wet vlei areas, fertile river valleys and rich land. Hundreds of very small and mostly damaged wooden buddhist figures are laid out over the wall shelves. Along the way, visit the famous wat rong khun white temple, experience a homestay in an authentic lao village, and visit the sacred pak ou caves before reaching the picturesque and romantic town of luang prabang.
A few steps from the river, the lower cave is actually more of an overhang. The pak ou caves is located at 25 km to the north of luang prabang laos. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. These legends were inserted with the view of making the cave of treasures a sort of religious wonder book which would appeal. Visit pak ou caves buddhist statues lao river boat. See the sacred pak ou caves on the banks of the mekong river. They take many different positions, including meditation, teaching, peace, rain, and reclining nirvana. Department of earth science georgia southwestern college americus, georgia department of natural resources joe d. This trip definitely falls under the whole the journey is the destination category. No doubt one of the easiest ways to get to the caves is definitely booking a tour.
202 907 1286 1079 497 1418 944 381 1232 1437 1048 161 297 631 1198 1484 1123 1410 310 503 1101 933 1035 1173 1018 669 660 881 453 1339 748 1457 1387 1408 575 1358 863 888 392 813 408 466 1415