Pak Ou Caves: Explore the Sacred Buddha Caves of Laos

One of the top things that I just had to see when traveling to Laos was the Pak Ou Caves.

I had seen an episode on Don’t Forget Your Passport years earlier, and I had wanted to go there ever since. The image of thousands of Buddha Statues hidden in a cave on the Mekong River was etched in my brain.

So when we arrived in Luang Prabang, it was the first.

The Pak Ou Caves, Sacred Caves of Laos

The Pak Ou Caves are a sacred Buddhist site located on the Mekong River. The name Pak Ou means Mouth of the Ou, as the caves are located where the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers meet.

Located just 25 km outside of Luang Prabang, they have become a popular day tour.

You can hire a boat to take you along the Mekong River, or you can hire a Songthaew, which is what Dave and I did.

Alternatively, guided tours are a fantastic option, offering insider information and deeper engagement with the area’s culture.

From Luang Prabang, you can find various tours that include village visits and waterfall excursions. Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Pak Ou Caves, Whiskey Village, Kuang Si Falls and Bear Rescue Centre – an all-inclusive day trip by air-conditioned van. Enjoy these three experiences, including local wine tastings at Ban Xianghai Village and a visit to an Asian sun and moon bear rescue center to learn about their safety.
• Pak Ou Caves, Ban Xianghai Village, and textiles at Ban Phanom by Boat – A tour featuring the local traditional method of making lao-lao, the local rice wine.

The Pak Ou Caves are a site worth seeing!

The Pak Ou Caves are loaded with thousands of Buddha statues and continue to be a place of worship today.

For hundreds of years, local people have been making a pilgrimage to the caves during New Year, and this tradition persists.

Within the Pak Ou Caves, it’s estimated there are between 4,000 to 6,000 Buddha statues of various sizes and forms.

These include large statues, small ones, standing figures, sitting Buddha, and reclining statues. Some are crafted from bronze or copper, while others are wooden, each displaying a unique state of disrepair.

The majority are the “Standing Tall Luang Prabang Buddha Statues,” as we’ve been informed.

Approaching the Caves by River

As you approach the caves from the opposite side of the Mekong River, you’ll be greeted with stunning views.

The caves are nestled into high limestone cliffs where the Mekong converges with the Nam Ou River, creating a perfect spiritual setting.

The white stairs leading into the dark entrance of the limestone cliff hint at the extraordinary experience that awaits.

The second, higher cave is slightly less visible, yet equally captivating.

Two Levels of the Pak Ou Caves

The Pak Ou Caves consist of two levels.

Tham Ting is the lower cave, while Tham Theung (Tam Pum) is the upper cave.

Tham Theung is notably darker, yet it is filled with an impressive array of statues that evoke a sense of stepping back in time. It’s advisable to bring a flashlight for further exploration of the statues.

We were fortunate to visit when the caves weren’t crowded, allowing us to take our time admiring the numerous statues.

About the Pak Ou Caves

Numerous stories surround the reason for the abundance of Buddhas in the Pak Ou Caves:

• The Pak Ou Caves date back thousands of years, and people have revered it since the early worship of the God of Nature.
• With the advent of Buddhism, it transformed into a significant Buddhist shrine frequented by the Kings of Luang Prabang.
• Many worshippers have traditionally left Buddhas as offerings to request safe passage along the Mekong River.
• Others donate broken or used Buddha statues as gifts to the caves instead of discarding them.
• Many simply stop by to pay their respects when passing through.

Regardless of the reason, the collection of Buddhas in the Pak Ou Caves has played a role in bolstering the local economy and attracting tourists internationally.

After the Caves Visit

Following our exploration of the Pak Ou Caves, we had our driver take us back to Luang Prabang to explore the temples situated in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This excursion perfectly complements the experience at the caves, allowing for a complete immersion in Buddhism.

We opted for bicycle rentals, which proved to be a wonderful way to explore Luang Prabang, offering freedom to glide by the Mekong River and travel swiftly between temples.

Luang Prabang – A UNESCO World Heritage Site

As a world heritage site, Luang Prabang is abundant in temples. Most notably, Haw Kham, the former Royal Palace, stands out.

Each temple is a masterpiece, adorned with ornate tapestries, intricate carvings, and multiple Buddha images.

We thoroughly enjoyed discovering each temple at our own pace, cycling from place to place.

There are coffee and pastry shops available for lunch breaks, allowing for a civilized experience as we sipped on café lattes while devouring croissants.

With Laos’s colonial history, notably French influence is prevalent, where one can relish a baguette while observing monks in red robes walking the streets.

During our explorations, we were lucky to stumble upon a temple where monks were energetically playing their drums, and we paused to listen and observe for several moments.

Mount Phousi

While in Luang Prabang, you must conquer the steep hill to Mount Phou Si.

The panoramic views from the summit are spectacular, with the sunset being one of the most breathtaking I have ever witnessed.

Although we found the night market to be overpriced and excessively busy, we still managed to buy a memento that now adorns our mantel.

How to Get to the Pak Ou Caves

Travelers can hire a tuk-tuk or Songthaew from Luang Prabang, which is exactly what we did. This mode of transport takes you to a town across the river, where you can then hire a boat to take you the rest of the way to the caves.

Alternatively, it is possible to catch a direct boat from Luang Prabang along the Mekong River to the caves.