My first day in Laos began at the bustling main dining table of Downtown Backpacker Hostel. It was raining when I arrived in Luang Prabang, and braving the downpour to find my dorm was unavoidable. Since the hostel was fully booked, I had to wait until around noon for someone to check out. As I sat browsing on my Mac, a few travelers joined me at the table for breakfast. I later discovered that they would be my roommates in Dorm Number Two.
Dorm 2 of Downtown Backpacker Hostel was a six-bed mixed dorm. During my stay, my roommates were two American guys, a Korean guy, a Russian lass, and a German lady. We instantly clicked, and our first long night in Luang Prabang began with a sunset hike up Mount Phousi. Each of us arrived at the viewpoint separately but decided to have dinner together afterward. That evening marked one of the most memorable nights of my 100-day Southeast Asian journey.
Failed Sunset
Like most of my sunset viewings, the one in Luang Prabang was another failed attempt. A dark cloud blocked the setting sun. Still, the crowd at the Mount Phousi viewpoint made the late afternoon experience more entertaining. At one point, an elderly Chinese man stood in front of everyone while his friend tried to take his photo. A Western guy suddenly shouted, “Hey man, you’re blocking the view! Everyone’s here for the sunset, not you!” It was a bit mean—but also the funniest moment of the afternoon.
Vegetarian Buffet
If you’ve been to Luang Prabang and visited the night market, you might recall a narrow alley beside a famous rooftop café. The lane feels even tighter because of the food vendors lining both sides. Some of them offer a vegetarian buffet for just LAK 15,000 (around USD 2). For that price, you can fill your bowl with noodles, rice, spring rolls, pasta, sautéed vegetables, fruits, and even an egg. Once you’ve piled on your choices, you join the queue where vendors reheat your food and add seasoning and chili to taste.
Our Dorm 2 group occupied one table as we munched on our carb-filled bowls. The heat in the narrow alley was intense, so we grabbed fruit shakes for LAK 10,000 to cool down. A German guy joined us and shared a tip about the best spot to get a fruit shake in Luang Prabang. Keep reading—I’ll reveal it in the next part of the story.
Luang Prabang Night Market
Every night, Sisavangvong Road closes to make way for the bustling night market. You can find almost everything here—and yes, you can bargain with the vendors, just avoid making stingy offers. What I love about this market is its variety; it’s far more diverse than most I visited during my trip. One stall sells metal keychains and accessories crafted from bomb casings, while others offer locally made coffee and tea in hand-painted pouches. You’ll also find drawstring bags, shirts, elephant pants, and countless other treasures.
Whiskey Fruitshake
At one end of the night market, lined with bright red and blue-roofed booths, are the fruit shake stands. Some even offer a twist—a fruit shake with whiskey. The German guy, who had already been in Luang Prabang for two weeks, led us to what he claimed was the best one. And he was right. The vendor asked how much whiskey we wanted added to our shakes—and she was incredibly generous. Each order came in two glasses! Did I mention how generous she was? That moment marked the start of our fun night in Luang Prabang.
Utopia Bar
We continued on to Utopia, a famous riverside bar in Luang Prabang. At first, I thought it was just a café perfect for laid-back afternoons in town. But to my surprise, it transforms into a cozy, lively bar in the evening. Getting there was part of the fun—the bar is tucked about a hundred meters from the main road, down narrow alleys that cut through local residential houses.
When we arrived at the bar, the staff tried to take our fruit shakes. I decided to stay outside, still halfway through mine, wanting to savor a bit more of the local whiskey. The place quickly got busy, and as the staff attended to other customers—it was our cue to sneak in. We found a spot in the open area, where stars began to brighten the horizon. Our conversations flowed from culture to a bit of politics. It was refreshing to see everyone respecting each other’s views despite our differences. We instantly clicked!
We returned to our hostel around one in the morning, with no worries about waking anyone up—because everyone was out together that night. It truly was a great evening for all of us. A few days later, we went our separate ways. The Americans and the Russian lass took a bus to Vang Vieng, while the Korean guy headed to Vientiane. The German lady hopped on a slow boat bound for Pakbeng and Huay Xai. As for me, I spent one more night in Luang Prabang before continuing on to Vang Vieng.
We eventually went our separate ways, but we added each other on Facebook and even created a group chat. Experiences like this are the reason I prefer staying in hostels—you meet people you can truly connect and hang out with. The bond you build feels as if you’ve known each other for a long time, and the friendship tends to last. After all, we share a common ground: the love for traveling.
