Pak Ou Caves

Near Pak Ou (mouth of the Ou River) the Tham Ting (lower cave) and the Tham Theung (upper cave) are caves overlooking the Mekong River, 25 km to the north of Luang Prabang, Laos. They are a group of two caves on the west side of the Mekong River, about two hours upstream from the centre of Luang Prabang, and have become well known by tourists.

The caves are noted for their miniature Buddha sculptures. Hundreds of very small and mostly damaged wooden Buddhist figures are laid out over the wall shelves. They take many different positions, including meditation, teaching, peace, rain, and reclining (nirvana).

One of the most respected holy sites in Lao; Pak Ou Caves have a history dating back thousands of years. Packed with over 4,000 Buddha icons, the caves, a shrine to the river spirit and Lord Buddha, are set in a dramatic limestone cliff at the point where the Mekong joins the Nam Ou River.

Positioned about 50 feet above the river, Tham Ting filters in some light but a torch is required for the absolutely pitch black Tham Theung. The upper cave is home to the majority of the Buddha statues and you will need to find your way in darkness to the thousands of hidden icons. The statues are believed to have been left in the caves by local people for hundreds of years.

Pak Ou translates to ‘mouth of the Ou River’ with the first cave entrance of Tham Ting being very visible from the water; the higher cave is accessed by stairs.

The smaller cave is the more peaceful, with glimpses of the Mekong providing a breathtaking backdrop.

The caves are a very popular pilgrim site for locals and get very busy during April when the Lao New Year is in full swing with locals washing and attending to the images. The caves are not far from Ban Xang Hai village, famous for its wine production and for the making of Lao wine earthen jars; it is a great side trip where you will get the chance to try locally produced whisky and wine.

Location: Pak Ou Caves are situated two hours upstream or 25km from Luang Prabang.

Whisky Village: The small village located close by has attractive wooden homes and affable villagers and is a wonderful experience in itself as you will get to see river life and meet some real locals. Don’t forget to bring a hat, sun cream and a torch; you might also want to include some mosquito repellent as well. Most tour operators include lunch at a local restaurant in the trip which will usually last all day and include a river cruise in addition to the visit to the caves.

As it’s logical to see the Pak Ou Caves and the Whisky Village on the same trip, most boatmen hired in Luang Prabang are happy to treat it as a package, assuming that after you’ve seen a cave-full of Buddha’s you’ll be ready for a good, stiff drink.

Boatmen congregate throughout the day near the slow boat landing and at the tip of the peninsula near Wat Xieng Thong.

Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak_Ou_Caves

http://www.visit-laos.com/luang-prabang/pak-ou-caves.htm