Sisavangvong Road. which Main Street or Night Market Street (Main Street) or Night Market Street is much more often called, divides the fingelly plot of sushi between Mekong and to us Khan, and goes through the city center - it is here that the main tourist area is here, and it is here that you find everything you need . Please note that this street changes its name is not even two, but three times in its go. The tip of "finger" - Sakkarin, to the southwest of the center, the street is already becoming Chao Fa Ngum. Many streets in Luang Prabang have such navigation chips, but fortunately, the city is quite small, so it's quite difficult to get lost and confused.
River, next along Mekong, Manthatoulat Road. , wounded with coastal restaurants on one side and hotels to another. The general rule: the closer you are in the water, the higher the room rate at the hotel / guest house. But, ate you can afford to spend a little more, choose accommodation here it is here - species are very cute!
Another trick of the city: Luang Prabang is divided into villages, or "Bans" which tourist considers for the quarters. Each "Ban" often has a Vat (temple) with the same name as the village, for example: Wat Aphay in the Ban Aphay. Most addresses are kind of "ban + something else" for considerable accuracy. Thus, even if you do not have an exact address - and it happens often - you can find the nearest wat (most of which are clearly indicated on the city maps): the desired place should be close to the temple. And the Tuk-Tuk will be able to deliver you to the right place if you can tell them the name of the village.
ATMs Bcel. Charge a service charge about 20,000 boiled boiled with international cards, while the maximum output amount is 10,000,300 kip (about $ 120). Bank Joint Development Bank. Located on the main street (where the night market is broken) - here you can remove about 1,000,000 boiled, but without any commissions.
Banque Franco-Lao On the main street near Tao Fa allows you to withdraw a militant boiled boiled militarily with a commission at 30,000. ATMs today are quite reliable, at least, more reliable than before, but it is wiser to go to Laos with a reserve source of finance - with cash. Travel agencies Luang Prabanga offer cash advances from your card for a small fee, and you can pay dollars in the ciphes. But this is not always a reasonable solution.
As for the Internet, many "Western" cafes and restaurants in Luang Prabang are currently offering free WiFi. for their customers, but in the city there is still a lot Internet cafe (Standard price is about 100 boiled per minute). You can perform international phone calls, although this can be broken, especially since local SIM cards More than affordable (from 30000 instrumentation and higher). Main telecommunications companies in Laos - Lao Telecom, Unitel and Etl. "Popilla" cards are available in most city stores.
Post Office - La Poste - Located in the city center and provides ordinary services in addition to the Western Union monetary translation, although for these services will have to pay decent. EMS provides international transport: land transportation tariffs are reasonable, but delivery can take a lot of time - about three months. The air passage is more expensive, but the parcel will reach at times faster.
Medical Services in Luang Prabang , of course, are provided, but the conditions and level are far from to Western standards. If something more serious (pah-pah) happened, it is better to get to Thailand. It's not as scary: a 90-minute flight in Bangkok, with several daily flights for relatively small money. Life insurance for a trip to Laos is a mandatory thing, and see if the insurance covers emergency evacuation cases, which is especially important if you are going to make hikes to remote areas. It is also recommended to take the necessary medicines with you (that usually tourists are made). Well, the pharmacies can be found throughout the city: there you can buy "saviors" from light ailments, such as itching from insect bites, digestion disorders and anneasia. If anything, then you can contact Chinese hospital. (on SETTHATHIRAT RD, after southern bus station, Ban Phu Mok; T: (071) 254 026 or in Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital (on SETTHATHIRAT RD; T: (071) 252 049; 24 hours a day works).
What else? Books, for example. In many places in the city sell or exchange books . Clearly, with books in Russian strained. And if English is for you - almost native, and if you know how to read in the original, then Velcom! For example, you can go to "Monument Books" That on the alley of the coastal street of Mekong in Ban Vat Nong. In addition to a small amount of fiction, this store specializes in regional books in English, covering all themes, from cooking to geography.
The largest selection of used books belongs "L'Etranger" Behind Phousi Guesthouse and next to Hive Bar. Here you can buy, sell and rent books, and also snack and drink. Another worthy place for book exchange is on the street from Tamnak Lao Restaurant's culinary school.
Well, the last. One of the questions that tourist can ask: "How many days should be held in Luang Prabander?". I would say at least one week to quietly walk around the local restaurants, enjoy the culture, swim in Mekong to get into the unhurried rhythm of the lives of local residents. You can say, Luang Prabang is a place for tourists with lots of money than a regular tourist, and therefore the city offers more cultural events. A typical amateur of the cultural component of rest can easily spend a week in Luang Praband without boredom. Beckpeckers, on the other hand, often complain and call Luang Prabang boring and fresh, and these comrades are leaving from here in a couple of days. This generalization, of course, is actually a lot of "budget" travelers and the truth claim that Luang Prabang is simply not particularly cozy for them. And in many ways it is true, since Luang Prabang is not "rural Laos". So, it depends only from you.
