Hustled By a Ten Year Old in Chomphet

Across the Mekong River from the relatively touristic Luang Prabang is a quiet, rural district called Chomphet.

Chomphet has a string of old temples, an impressive cave, and a modest ridge that can be hiked for a nice view of Luang Prabang. We decided this sounded like an easy and worthwhile venture from our resort and it certainly was.

We walked the road towards the Luang Prabang peninsula until we reached the ferry port, which as far as we could tell was just random fisherman with small motorized canoes trying to upcharge tourists looking to cross the river. One guy said $3 and I offered $2 and he said ‘deal.’ It was only 2 minutes to cross the river but being on a private boat so low to the water was serene.

Chomphet consists of one recently paved road and several dirt roads branching from it. There wasn’t much greenery, but there were plenty of cats, dogs, farm animals, happy children, and peaceful monks. There was one small tour group we came across and a handful of independent travelers like ourselves. Overall, it was very quiet and remote.

NOTE: Images below are in slideshow format.

The first temple we visited was Wat Chomphet, which was on the top of a hill and had a nice view of Luang Prabang. The inside walls were adorned with intricate murals which I assume depict various stories of Buddhism. Just over $1 per person.

Next was Wat Long-kuone, which again, was a simple temple adorned with old intricate Buddhist murals. Same price as Wat Chomphet, but this also included entry to Sakkarin Caves. At the cave entrance, a guard handed us a dim flashlight and we headed in. It smelled like bat poop and it wasn't long until some low flying bats startled us. Sakkarin Caves were the deepest caves we’ve seen so far. Half way in, Deana decided it wasn’t worth exploring given the bats, and she was probably right. I kept going and climbed up some eroded stairs, and began to feel uncomfortable when I started seeing bats fly below me. I bailed, but I’m glad I explored it.

On the way to Wat Had Siaw, a local boy about 10 years old tried to sell us bracelets (we think). We smiled and continued walking but he followed us about 10 paces behind, making unsettling barking sounds for several minutes. No one else was in sight as we entered a wooded section of the trail with this strange boy tailing us. I asked his name and introduced ourselves, and I deduced that this boy decided that he was going to be our guide whether we wanted help or not. The second we looked confused he said “Wat Had Siaw” and pointed the way to the temple and continued following us. The weird antics ceased and his guidance became endearing. This continued to the final temple, Wat Khok Pab. This temple looked like a 5 star resort for monks. Beautifully manicured gardens, modern buildings overlooking the river, and mosaic walking paths made it feel like a secluded paradise. A very aggressive dog rushed us growling and baring its teeth, and this is where our guide earned his keep - he casually stepped between the dog and us and talked to it until we reached a safe distance. In hindsight, the parallel with this dog and our guide’s earlier animal noises may not be coincidental.

At this point we could either hike to the ridge or turn back. It was hot, and the nature was not particularly beautiful, so we decided it wasn’t worth it. We three walked back to where we first saw the boy at which time he said “money tip?", and we of course obliged. While walking back towards the ferry, a fishing family offered to bring us back across the river for a fair enough price, wrapping our Chomphet experience up with a final private boat ride.