Alms Ceremony a Show for Tourists?

One of the often listed tourist attractions in Laos is the daily alms ceremony. In the morning, monks from various Buddhist temples walk around to collect alms.

According to the teaching of Buddhism, the alms are in the form of food. In Laos, it’s cooked plain glutinous rice. There are notices advising tourists to NOT offer money as part of the alms ceremony.

A man can choose to offer the alms in a standing or kneeling position but a woman must kneel. I don’t like this inequality but this is how the locals practice this tradition as is common in many other religions.

After the alms ceremony, the monks return to the temple, meditate, and perform daily chores before they prepare a meal with the alms.

Besides being a discipline and faith of the monks, the original intention of this ceremony is also for the general public to personally prepare the alms as a sign of devotion to Buddhism. The effort of preparing the alms from scratch is an important message of this ritual for the devotees while the message of acceptance is important to the monks.

The availability of pre-packed alms for sale by vendors draws criticism due to the economic nature of the transaction. As the pre-packed alms are mainly for the benefit of tourists who often participate in the ceremony for the novelty and not the belief in the religion.

I read articles on incidents of unscrupulous vendors who use stale or inappropriate ingredients to prepare the offerings in order to dispose their unsold or expired ingredients and/or to maximize profit.

There are also articles about ignorant tourists not showing courtesy and respect for the alms ceremony as the ceremony has become a show.

This is a blog post from a Western tourist who learned the do’s/don’ts and the meaning when she participated in the ceremony:

~ Giving Alms to the Monks in Luang Prabang, Laos

These are some interesting articles on the effect of tourism development in Luang Prabang:

~ Balancing Heritage and Development in Luang Prabang

~ Tourism Threatens Historic City Known As ‘Soul’ of Laos

Since most of us, as tourists, can’t personally prepare the alms or ensure the reliability and safety of the alms, I agree with most travel sites that we just quietly observe the ceremony from a distant. This also helps to not dilute the true meaning of the alms ceremony.

 

I took this at 5:30 a.m. as inconspicuously as possible by standing in the dark behind a fence and shrubs, while setting the camera without flash and without the image snapping sound effect.

Lao Vats = Profit Centers?

As a frequent traveler in Southeast Asia, I was quite surprised to learn that one has to pay an admission fee to enter almost every Buddhist temples in Laos.

The admission fees range from 5,000 to 25,000 Kip (approximately US$1 = 8,000 Kip.)

Some charge the fee upon entering the temple compound while others charge upon entering the temple.

This transaction goes against the philosophy of Buddhism that I thought I understood.

Buddhism often instills the teaching of stripping one’s worldly possessions, including any desire of needs or wants. Instead, one learns to understand to become part of the surrounding environment and accepts all that is bestowed by nature.

Traditionally, when a monk does the alms collection, he is to collect only food, not money, and is to eat whatever is offered, even if the food consists of garlic or meat. Of course, in most cases, the general public will offer the appropriate vegetarian food.

I understand that the temples require money to maintain the structures and compound. However, the acquisition of money is normally done using donation boxes, and the general public chooses if or the amount to donate.

In my humble opinion, a ticket counter for the collection of admission fee just commercializes a supposedly spiritual venue and contradicts the teaching of Buddhism.

Maybe the form of Buddhism in Laos is more entrepreneurial.

Seeing Laos on Foot or on 2 Wheels

I thought Thais in northern Thailand was a relax bunch until I visited Laos.

You will naturally slow to a pace where you can actually lounge on a cup of coffee for 2-3 hours without feeling the rush to go anywhere, even in the capital city of Vientiane. I know one can do this anywhere but in Laos, you don’t even have to make an effort to relax.

There are no cycling lanes in Vientiane but the traffic is relatively light even during the day. Combined with the less frantic pace of life in Laos, one has plenty of opportunity and routes to wonder around with minimal effort.

 

Luang Prabang prohibits large vehicles within the town vicinity under the UNESCO guidelines which makes the walking or cycling experience even more appealing.

 

Moreover, this is a good way to promote environment-friendly tourism and to stay healthy at the same time.

You can easily rent one for 25,000 Kip (about US$3/RM10.) Some guest houses or hotels provide complimentary bicycles for their guests.

Sure, the rental is more expensive than places like Chiang Mai or Siem Reap which is US$1-1.50. However, the air quality, road surface condition, and traffic flow are much better in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.

An Ancient Town Trapped in Time

 

For most Malaysians, the mention of a UNESCO World Heritage Site normally brings up Kinabalu Park, Melaka, or Penang. Although less well-known than its associates, the Mulu National Park is also part of the 4 venues in Malaysia awarded this designation.

Laos has 2 such sites: Champasak Cultural Landscape in the south and Luang Prabang in the center.

Although armed with numerous boutique hotels, fine French restaurants and bakeries, and wi-fi broadband services, Luang Prabang exudes a sense of charm of an ancient land.

One of the main reasons for this unique feel is the various restrictions put in place by UNESCO to prevent over or inappropriate development relating to new or existing structural changes.

I especially like the fact that medium to large vehicles are prohibited to enter the town vicinity. For this reason, you don’t see any vehicles larger than a passenger van or a pickup truck in the town center.

This is the perfect location to enjoy:

• Getting out of bed at 5am to offer alms to the monks
• Waking up to a cup of aromatic Lao coffee and an excellent baguette or a bowl of Khao Soi
• Cycling around town to visit the museum and temples
• Visiting waterfalls and caves outside of town
• Watching the sun set on Phu Si Hill
• Feasting on the many unique and tasty local dishes along the Mekong River
• Picking up local handicrafts and souvenirs in the night market
• Having a late night snack of grilled fresh water fish
• Winding down with a chilled bottle of Beer Lao

Sure, city folks who are looking to experience life in a village without cellular or media services may find Luang Prabang a little commercialized. However, those who are looking for a reasonable amount of modern comfort in a relatively vintage town will learn to appreciate this heritage site.

Luang Prabang Travel

Town/City	:	Luang Prabang (琅勃拉邦)
Country	:	Lao P. D. R. or Laos (老挝人民民主共和国 / 寮國)
Other names	:	Luang Prabang, Luang Phrabang, Luang Phrabang
Province / District	:	Luang Prabang Province
Nearest local airport	:	Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ) *
Nearest international airport	:	Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ) *
Airport tax	:	Included in airfare
Geographical orientation	:	Central Laos, Southeast Asia
Surrounding tour venues	:
Currency for payment	:	Kip, US$ ( approx. 1US$ = 8,200 Kip)
Currency for exchange	:	All major currencies, including MYR & SGD
		(bring US$ and exchange into Kip in Laos)
Entry Permit / Visa	:	Not required for MY & SG passport holders
Electricity	:	220 volts / 2-prong plugs

* There is no direct flights to Luang Prabang from either Malaysia or Singapore. There are flights from Vientiane, Laos / Siem Reap, Cambodia / Bangkok or Chiang Mai, Thailand

SEASONS

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Peak

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High

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Low

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Cool

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Hot

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Wet

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TRANSPORTATION

Type	Rental Cost (Kip)	Duration (hour)
Bicycle	25,000	24
Mountain Bike	Not available	Not available
Scooter (auto)	Not available	Not available
Sedan Car (auto)	Not available	Not available

 

Luang Prabang	From Airport* (Kip)	To Airport* (Kip)
Tuk-Tuk / Truck Taxi	Not available	Not available
Taxi	Not available	Not available
Van	Not available	Not available

* Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ)

 

THINGS TO DO/SEE

• Mekong River

• Temples

• Museum / Palace

• Rivers and waterfalls

• Trekking

• Caving

• Cycling

• Alms ceremony

• Dining on French cuisine

• Drinking Lao coffee

• Lao / Thai massage

• Lao cooking class

• Night markets

 

PLACES TO VISIT

(City attractions)

• Royal Palace Museum – admission 20,000 kip

• Temples on Phu Si Hill – admission 10,000 kip

• Vat Xieng Thong – admission 10,000 kip

• Vat Visoun – admission 5,000 kip

• Phousy Market

• Hmong Market

(Out-of-city attractions)

• Pak Ou Caves – 20+km away from Luang Prabang

• Tat Kuang Si – waterfall 30+km away from Luang Prabang

 

 

ITEMS TO BUY

• Items made of Lao silk

• Pillow covers, bed sheets, etc.

• Local handicrafts

• Glutinous or sticky rice

• Seaweed with sesame seeds and sliced garlic

 

 

FOOD TO EAT / DRINK

• Fried seaweed with chili paste and buffalo skin

• Khao Soi – unlike Chiang Mai’s version, this is more like Szechuan Char Jiang noodle with broth

• Grilled fresh water fish

• Grilled buffalo sausages, steaks, etc.

• Lao coffee

• French baguettes

From Vientiane to Luang Prabang, and back

(November 2009)

There are 2 options for the direct route: the less scenic route by plane or the more scenic route by bus.

Other differences: 35 minutes and approximately US$85 by plane vs. 8 – 10 hours and approximately US$15 by bus.

Obviously, the plane option is a straight-forward affair on a Fokker from Wattay International Airport in Vientiane to Luang Prabang International Airport serviced by Laos Airlines.

For the bus option, you journey starts at the Kiew Lot Sai Nuan bus station.

The first 2 hours of the bus ride from Vientiane to Vang Vieng is uneventful along a relatively straight stretch of paved road. The subsequent 6.5 hours of ride is challenging to say the least. The picturesque mountainous region coupled with the poorly paved road at times made for a bumpy and windy ride.

This is why you are provided with a bottle of drinking water and a small plastic bag before the bus departs the station. The plastic bag serves both as a trash bag and a sickness bag.

The bus configuration is not standard as some buses are with 2 + 2 seats in a row (2 on the left of the center aisle and 2 on the right), some with 2 + 1 seats in a row, and some with a combination of the two. The 2 + 1 seat configuration is logically the most comfortable as the seats are wider.

Most of the buses have a tiny toilet with just enough room for a medium-sized person to fit in.

If and when the toilet is not in a usable state for various reasons, the bus driver normally makes a quick stop in the middle of a deserted stretch of the road The frequent travelers automatically get off the bus to find a convenient location to relief themselves. It’s actually quite a sight :-)

The bus does stop for a half-an-hour lunch break 5.5 hours into the journey at a rather spacious and clean restaurant in the highland area.

 

The lunch, provided as part of the bus fare, is a choice of either a bowl of rice noodle in broth or a plate of steamed rice with your choice of 2 of the 5 – 6 available vegetables and meat dishes displayed on the serving counter. Note that some Laotians do not practice lining up in a queue.

  

Take the opportunity to enjoy the view of the mountain range behind the restaurant. It takes about 3 hours to reach Luang Prabang from here.

 

For the bus journey from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, the lunch stop is in a village restaurant about an hour before Vang Vieng.

 

The VIP bus fare from Vientiane to Luang Prabang is 115,000 Kip. If you book from a guest house or hotel, the cost is around 160,000 Kip which includes a tuk-tuk ride to the bus station. (US$1 is approximately 8,000 Kip.)

The VIP bus fare from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, however, is slightly less at 95,000 Kip.

The standard bus is air-conditioned but is less plush and is slower. The luggage compartment is ON the bus.

Note 1: The bus makes some stops to drop off or pickup passengers along the journey.

Note 2: Prepare something with a strong but soothing aroma, such as an ointment or an aromatherapy oil, to mask the contagious air in when a sickness bag is in use.

Note 3: When you get off the bus in Luang Prabang, there are tuk-tuk to take you to your intended destination. If you are looking for accommodation, there are numerous guest house staff ready for your patronage.