Guides · Luang Prabang
Our Luang Prabang guides
What we tell our friends when they come to visit: where to go, when to go, what to eat. Written on the spot by the NK Seeds team.
All our guides
Lao culture
Meet our guides: Luang Prabang's tourism students
Who shows you the night market and sindad? Young Lao students from NK Seeds, training in French for tourism. Their story, and why travelling with them matters.
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Lao culture
Responsible travel in Laos: elephants, volunteering, local guides
Good intentions are not enough: how to travel in Laos without causing harm, choose activities with animals, and really help.
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Lao culture
More than 50 ethnic groups: the peoples of Laos
Lao, Khmu, Hmong, Akha and many more: a country small in size, huge in cultural diversity. The peoples of Laos, and how to meet them respectfully.
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Beyond Luang Prabang
Laos's far north: Luang Namtha, Phongsali and Nam Et-Phou Louey
Treks and homestays, almost Himalayan mountains, historic caves: northern Laos far from the tourist trail.
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Beyond Luang Prabang
Vang Vieng, Vientiane and the Thakhek Loop
Karst mountains and lagoons in Vang Vieng, a human-sized capital in Vientiane, a road trip in Thakhek: the three stops of central Laos.
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Beyond Luang Prabang
Southern Laos: the 4000 Islands, Don Daeng and Wat Phou
A pre-Angkorian temple, an island to explore by bike, hammocks facing the Mekong: the three stops of southern Laos, and how long to spend there.
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Beyond Luang Prabang
Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoy from Luang Prabang
Mountains, the Nam Ou river, villages reached by boat: how to get to Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoy, how long to stay, and what to do.
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Itineraries
2 weeks in Laos: a north-to-south itinerary
Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw, Vang Vieng, Vientiane, then the south down to the 4000 Islands: a two-week itinerary to discover Laos without rushing.
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Lao culture
Laos and the bombs: understanding UXO before you go
The most bombed country in history per person, Laos still lives with unexploded ordnance. What you need to know, and the precautions to take when travelling.
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Lao culture
Laos etiquette: temples, clothes and bo pen nyang
How to greet people, how to dress at temples, what never to do with your feet or head: the simple rules that matter in Laos.
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Itineraries
Best time to visit Luang Prabang, month by month
Dry season, hot season, rainy season: what Luang Prabang is like month by month, and which period to choose for your trip.
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Lao culture
The Baci ceremony explained
White cotton threads tied around the wrist to wish health and happiness: what the Baci is, when it happens, and how to take part.
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Lao culture
Boun Ok Phansa: the festival of light boats
The end of Buddhist Lent, processions of light and light boats on the Mekong: what Ok Phansa is and how to experience it in Luang Prabang.
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Lao culture
Lao New Year (Boun Pi Mai) in Luang Prabang
In mid-April, Luang Prabang turns into a giant water fight. What Pi Mai means, how it is celebrated, and how to enjoy it as a traveller.
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Food
Sticky rice: how to eat khao niao like a Lao
A small ball rolled between your fingers, dipped in a sauce: how sticky rice is eaten in Laos, and why it is at the heart of Lao culture.
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Lao culture
Is Laos safe? 5 myths about travelling in Laos
Dangerous, very poor, nothing to do, nobody speaks English: five myths about Laos, and what you actually find there.
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Lao culture
7 things you probably don't know about Laos
A landlocked country crossed by the Mekong, the kingdom of a million elephants, more than 50 ethnic groups: seven facts about Laos before you go.
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Lao culture
Hmong villages and Lao weaving around Luang Prabang
The Hmong, their beliefs and villages, and Lao weaving at the Ock Pop Tok workshop: how to discover them from Luang Prabang, with respect.
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Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang like a local: cafés, markets and riverside walks
Coffee by the Mekong, the morning market, evening prayers, a picnic by the Nam Khan: Mélissa's everyday places in Luang Prabang.
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Luang Prabang
A sunset cruise on the Mekong in Luang Prabang
The Mekong turning gold at the end of the day, seen from a boat: how to choose your sunset cruise, and when to go.
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With us
Rather go with a guide?
Our private day tours start from your hotel, with our guides trained on the spot.
See our tours