Pak Ou Travel Guide

Being one of the must-visit tourist destinations in Luang Prabang, Laos, the Pak Ou Cave is attracting more and more visitors nowadays, both historical and adventure lovers. Check out the following article for essential information about this place.

General Information

When traveling to Laos, one of the most mentioned attractions must be Pak Ou Cave, a well-known Buddhist site and a place of pilgrimage, has thousands of statues and statuettes (more than 4000), mainly of the Buddha (unfortunately the site is exposed to looting). The cave is located on a cliff overlooking the Mekong River. The cave is actually a combination of 2 smaller caves, the Lower Cave (Tham Ting) and the Higher Cave (Tham Theung).

This is a site that you shouldn’t miss when visiting Luang Prabang. Most of the artifacts here are carved of wood or molded from tree resin and then covered with red or black lacquer, and finally covered with gold leaf. There are also a few made from animal horns, bronze, or ceramic.

Best Time to Visit Pak Ou Cave

Laos New Year is in April, which means the cave will be packed. This is when the locals bring new Buddha Statues to the cave and also clean and worship the old ones. Even when it is very busy at the time of the year, it would still be worth coming since you will see how the cave is being used authentically.

You should avoid coming after lunch because this is when the cave will receive lots of tourists. If possible, you should come by in the late afternoon and see the sunset on the river on your way back.

The Caves open daily from 8 am to 5 pm, and the entrance fee is 20,000 kips ($2.60 USD) per person.

Pak Ou Cave’s Highlights

It was said that after hundreds of years of royal patronage by the Luang Prabang monarchy, they used to commission artists to make statues and placed them here. Lots of the statues here are donations from pilgrims and locals over the centuries.

Tham Ting

This cave is lower and near the river level, reaching it just by some short climbs, it gets enough daylight for good visibility. The cave is where the people burn their offerings. There is also an altar and most of the ceremonies are held here.

Tham Theung

This one is more dangerous, but it also held more statues than under Tham Ting Cave, some travelers may not want to come up there, but if you want some adventures, you should try and explore the cave. At 60 meters above the river level, the cave has fewer steps and it is much darker, you should bring a flashlight or rent one at the cave entrance. The journey to the cave will take you about 10 minutes.

Getting to Pak Ou Caves

The caves are located 25 km from Luang Prabang on the banks of the Mekong and the mouth of the Nam-Ou. The slow boat takes at least one hour, but it is a superb trip in contrast to the quicker boats which are risky and more suited to the adventurous type.

By Tuk-tuk

From Luang Prabang, you can take a tuk-tuk to reach the nearest village and then take a ferry to cross the river to reach the cave. This can be a quick way to reach the cave, but the road can be very dusty, and you won’t be able to enjoy the beauty along the banks of the Mekong River. This will take you about 200,000 kips and the ferry to cross the river takes 10,000 kips ($ 1.30 USD)/per person.

By Boat

This will be more popular than a tuk-tuk, if you are traveling alone, come to the dock and join with existing groups to minimize your payment. You should spend half a day visiting the cave as the journey upstream will take you about 2 hours, the scenery along the banks will be worth it. The boat leaves at 8.30 am and the fare is 75,000 kips (about $10 USD).

If you are traveling in groups, you can rent a boat for as well, from 300,000 to 350,000 kips (about 39 – $ 45 USD), depending on your bargaining skill and the season.

Nearby Attractions of Pak Ou Cave

Luang Prabang Town

The town of Luang Prabang is a famous destination when it comes to visiting Laos, here you should come to the Royal Temple Museum, and Wat Xieng Thong. There are lots of places you can drop by when coming to Luang Prabang.

The Whiskey Village

The village of Ban Xieng Hai is on the way to the cave, here they make homemade whiskey, which the locals call “Lao Lao”. The liquor is made of rice and then distilled in an earthen jar. The boats traveling to the cave usually make a stop here, so you can have a taste of the local’s strong liquor.

What to Eat When Visiting Pak Ou Cave

Laap

Lap is a traditional Lao dish made of minced meat (pork, beef, or chicken) mixed with lime juice, chili, and herbs like mint and coriander. People often eat it with sticky rice. Drop by a nearby restaurant and try out this specialty, it sure will give you lots of energy for your upcoming journey.

Mok Pa

Mok Pa is the name for fish wrapped in banana leaves and then cooked on the grill. They marinated the fish with herbs and spices like lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. You can find it in any local restaurant in the area.

Tam Mak Hoong

It is the most popular dish in Laos for tourists because you can find it everywhere, it is also very cheap and delicious, a delicacy of Laos in general! Tam Mak Hoong means papaya salad in the Lao language. The papayas are chopped and stabbed lightly in a small mortar. When you taste this dish, you can feel the spiciness, the acidity of the condiments, and the taste of papaya.

Beerlao

A popular local beer in Laos, it’s refreshing drinks after a long day discovering the caves and its surroundings. You can find it in any convenience store nearby.

Tips When Visiting Pak Ou Caves

• There are small, basic bathrooms at the cave, make sure to bring some small change in case you need to use them.
• Dress appropriately when you come, as at many religious places in Asia, you need to cover your shoulder and knees.
• Prepare a sunhat, sun cream, mosquito repellent, and grippe shoes.

With thousands of statues inside the caves, there are equal amounts of stories behind them. A visit to the cave will surely be worth your time as it can be an opportunity to fully explore the culture and the religious history in one of Laos’ top tourist attraction city. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.