1 of the most amazing experiences, provided you avoid the touristy streets, instead go to a more remote local street. Was simply mesmerized by it’s charm & enduring tradition. View it where all the tourists are and you’ll feel sick in the stomach from the sheet disrespect, commercialization & rude behavior.

Ok this is going to be a bit controversial. Yes this is a bit touristy and yes some people are disrespectful and turn in into a bit of s circus. However you can't really come to Luang Prabang without experiencing it once. You can't knock what you haven't tried. We got here super early as our body clocks had us awake at 3am. It was so peaceful and interesting talking to the vendor ladies before the tourists arrived and to see the area set up before the chaos started. Its pretty quiet in LP with fewer tourists at the moment so maybe that's why it wasnt as bad as some of the reviews i had read.

I got to the alms ceremony early - I was outside the temple by 5 AM – so I got to see everyone set up, and I was there when the monks and novices started their procession. It was a fascinating ceremony. I had chosen to participate in it rather than just observe. I was instructed on what to wear, and my guide provided the necessary scarf which is part of the proceedings. He also provided a stool to sit on and a rug and the steamed rice that I distributed. Getting there early gave me a chance to really get a sense of how things would work. And the whole experience was very fascinating. However, when the monks filed past, each of them would open their basket for me to put my offering in, and not one of them smiled or thanked me. One of them did speak to me and tell me that I was offering too much rice to each monk. But that was the only interaction I had. It kind of felt like being back in the states and distributing candy on Halloween trick-or-treaters, who just wanted to collect as much candy as they could in the shortest possible amount of time. In the long run, I think it’s a really interesting thing to understand and see. However, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was just photographing the monks in their procession, rather than handing out offerings of steamed rice.