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Howard Banwell | profile | all galleries >> Laos >> Pak Ou Caves tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Luang Prabang | Khouang Xi Falls | Pak Ou Caves | Vientiane | The Bolovens Plateau | Champassak and Wat Phou | Wat Preah Vihear -- Cambodia | Faces of Laos

Pak Ou Caves

If you would like to read my full Laos travel blog click
on this link
and start at "Our Introduction to Luang Prabang"

Pak Ou consists of two sacred caves in a limestone cliff on the west bank of the Mekong, 25 km upriver from Luang Prabang and opposite the mouth of the Nam Ou tributary. By the time it reaches here, the Mekong has completed about two-thirds of its 4,500km journey from its source 5,200m up in Tibet to its delta south of Saigon, and has already passed through China, Burma and Thailand. It still has most of Laos to cover, as well as Cambodia and Vietnam. Purportedly discovered in the 16th century by King Setthathirat, the Pak Ou caves were probably associated with animistic practices long before the advent of Buddhism. Today they contain several thousand Buddha images some of which are said to be more than 300 years old.
Covered Longtail Boats
Covered Longtail Boats
The muddy Mekong
The muddy Mekong
Water buffalo by the Mekong
Water buffalo by the Mekong
Proud grandmother
Proud grandmother
Local hooch
Local hooch
Sarongs
Sarongs
Jars
Jars
Drum making
Drum making
Entrance to the Caves
Entrance to the Caves
Buddha images
Buddha images
Buddha images
Buddha images
Guarding the entrance
Guarding the entrance
Ban Pak Ou from the cave entrance
Ban Pak Ou from the cave entrance
Buddha images
Buddha images
Buddha images
Buddha images
Buddha images
Buddha images
Buddha images
Buddha images
Buddhas with a view
Buddhas with a view
Buddha images
Buddha images
Ban Pak Ou village temple
Ban Pak Ou village temple
Village girl
Village girl