Lost in Luang Prabang 2

In Luang Prabang, it’s easy to get lost in its rich culture and religion. There are no less than 30 temples and 50 monasteries there. Because there are hardly any nightlife (you get the sense that its people are very wholesome), the hedonists would find Luang Prabang a bore, but if you love peace and quiet, it’s a haven!

Luang Prabang is best explored by foot or bicycle. In fact, the town is so tiny, you can cover all corners of it in half a day (it’d take longer if you linger at the temples and popular tourist sites like Mount Phou Si). And because it gets scorching hot in the afternoon, it’s a good idea to shield yourself with an umbrella just like what the monks do.

Lost in Luang Prabang 1

This is my second time in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Listed town in Laos. I’m glad that nothing has changed, except for a gorgeous new Aman resort (I will be posting pics of Amantaka here soon).

Luang Prabang is still as magical as my first trip there in 2006. It’s one of South East Asia’s best kept secrets and best preserved destinations – no skyscrapers and shopping malls, instead lots of temples, original French colonial and Laotian architecture and monks.

“Where are you from?” a local lady asked.

“Singapore,” I replied.

“We have very few visitors from Singapore. Most are from Europe. I think Singaporeans have no taste in culture,” she said. I was quite surprised by her candid albeit sweeping statement. But I have to say she’s right.

To me, the best part of any trip is chatting up with the locals – you can really learn a thing or two from them.

Three Monks

Enchanting

Wat Chedi Luang

This is Wat Chedi Luang, built in 1391 during the reign of King Saen Muang Ma, eighth ruler of the Mengrai dynasty.

This picture is framed by a massive tree to the left of the temple with a burst of late afternoon light creating a spectacular glow. It is said that should this same tree ever fall, a great catastrophe will occur…

Lost in Chiang Mai

I recently travelled to Chiang Mai for some soul searching… I’ve been overwhelmed with my marcom work which explains my long absence from the blog. Anyway, I had a wonderful time in Chiang Mai, met a few nice people and learned many things along the way… all thanks to a book I brought along – Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. This classic which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide is about pursuing one’s dream/personal legend. One of my personal legends is of course photography. About a year ago, I launched my website limchih.com. It was one of my proudest moments… I want to thank all my friends and fans for their continuous support. Without your encouragement, I wouldn’t have fulfilled my dream…

Anyway back to Chiang Mai. The weather there was capricious. One day it’s raining, the next it’s sunny – what to expect, it’s the monsoon season! I was lucky to capture the following pictures on a gorgeous sunny afternoon. I decided to take these pictures in black and white to show a side of Chiang Mai (in the old city) that tourists do not usually see.