Luang Prabang has such a relaxed and lazy feel that I just love.

In the area nestled along the confluence of the mighty Mekong and Nam Khan River lie sleepy streets and cobblestone laneways lined with gorgeous lush vegetation mixed with stunning restored French colonial and traditional Lao architecture.   Outdoor cafes, restaurants and bars are interspersed along the banks of both waterways making an excellent place to chill-out in the late afternoons and evenings.   Colourful tuk tuks whiz along the streets providing a vibrant contrast to the brilliant saffron robes of the monks.

I’d read alot about this world heritage hamlet now being over run with tourists and virtually destroyed but I certainly didn’t experience this.  Sure it has definitely developed in the 10 years since my last visit but I found plenty of character and sheer awesomeness, with not that many other tourists.   The only time I wondered about the future of Luang Prabang was at the Tak Bat (monks receiving alms) procession in the early morning, where the poor behaviour was far more alarming than the numbers of people present – even this is actually quite easy to avoid if you pick your time and place.

This set of images is a glimpse into the streets of Luang Prabang’s World Heritage, old town area.

The beautiful Wat Sene, also known as the Temple of 100,000 Treasures or Wat Sene Souk Haram, may be similar in overall design to Wat Xieng Thong and Haw Pha Bang, which are two of Luang Prabang’s most well known temples.  On closer inspection though it reveals its own distinct character.

This collection of images is just a small selection of the features of these magnificent buildings.

I love the colour of Asia’s ethnic minorities and the number one contributing factor is the beautiful detail and often vibrant hues traditional clothing often features.

This set of images contains a close-up glimpse of the stunning embroidery and intricate patterns which form an intrinsic part of the culture and dress for just a few of Lao’s ethnic minorities.

Lacking the time to get out into the villages and more remote areas of Laos on my recent whirlwind visit, I found that the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre in Luang Prabang had a small but fabulous display of ethnic minority clothing, textiles and trinkets.

I have always found fresh produce markets to be a hotbed of photographic opportunities and the Luang Prabang morning market was certainly no exception.

This selection of images represents my morning walk through the market which if you are interested in getting an insight into the people and local life is an absolute must.

Enjoy!

There are I think a few unmissable sights in Luang Prabang, Wat Xieng Thong is one of them!

I am definitely a fan of architecture – Wat Xieng Thong is both beautiful and different with its spectacular coloured glass and tile mosaics.

On the main, magnificent Sim building is the Flame Tree of the Forest (also often referred to as the tree of life).  Late afternoon is definitely the best time to visit as the sun shimmers on the coloured tiles injecting vibrancy into this stunning picture.

The Red Chapel is also adorned with coloured glass mosaics telling stories of typical Lao life.

Enjoy these images taken in the Wat Xieng Thong temple complex in Luang Prabang, Laos. Most are in black and white as I love the way it brings out the intricate details of the structure, however I just could not help myself and did put a couple of coloured images of the mosaics which I think really conveys their splendour.

I simply love this building in Luang Prabang, Laos.

The architecture is fabulous with the Naga dragon heads and intricate ornate detail just adding to overall appeal.

Last week I spent a few fantastic days chilling out in the ever charming World Heritage town of Luang Prabang in Laos.

Blessed with more than 30 temples this ancient royal capital nestled on the banks of the Mekong River retains an aura of days gone by through its sleepy streets and exotic mix of traditional Lao and French colonial architecture.

One of the so called “must-do” activities in Luang Prabang is to witness the monk’s morning alms procession, a Buddhist tradition where monks receive their food for the day from the faithful who line on the streets with offerings of rice.

While this is an incredibly photogenic practice in gorgeous surroundings the whole process stirred quite strong and conflicting emotions which i will write about further over the next few days.

The images here are a selection of my favourites from the morning alms procession.

Fresh from the archives!!!

Decided to delve back into the past and my many thousands of images to compile this collection of images taken from the city walls in gorgeous old Pingyao.

I absolutely love these views of the ancient city as they provide a whole new aspect of this popular tourist draw-card, giving us a wonderful glimpse into normal daily life.

One of the things I have enjoyed most about living back in Melbourne is being so close to a gorgeous stretch of bushland along the banks of the Yarra River.    This bush corridor winds its way through Melbourne’s suburbs to the city centre and is an absolute haven filled with walking and bike trails.

I need a touch a nature to refresh my soul, so this for me is near perfect – to be in the bush with nothing but the sounds of nature around you just 6klms from the cbd.

While a winters day in Beijing can be kind of grim at times, there are occasions mid afternoon when the sky is blue, air is chilly and the light turns simply sublime – bathing stunning sites such as the ancient Forbidden City in gorgeous tones of rose gold.

These images are the result of one such afternoon – the stunning view from Jingshan Park.