Breakfast overlooking the Mekong River
The Mekong River
You can not visit Laos and not romance the Mekong River. From the moment you step into the city of Luang Prabang, it feels like entering a completely different world, stuck back in time. You are surrounded by Buddhist temples, French colonial houses, monks walking around the streets, and cafés facing the scenic Mekong River.
The Mekong River is the longest in South East Asia with a length of 4,350 km (2,700 miles). It crosses Luang Prabang and it adds a romantic touch to the UNESCO city.
Lao-french café culture
The beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site of Luang Prabang has a wide variety of awesome cafés and restaurants to suit any tourist. For the sweet tooth, you’ll be pleased to know that the French left their mark in carbohydrates on Laos as well, since it used to be a French colony in the past. French café culture, has become a mainstay in Luang Prabang, where you’ll find pain au chocolat with Parisian-quality baked goods at Southeast Asian prices. Khao jee — is Lao for bread and it’s common to see vendors selling sandwiches filled with egg, pate, tomatoes, veggies, mayo and ketchup by the roadside.
Breakfast with a view at Saffron Coffee
The perfect place for breakfast in Luang Prabang is Saffron Coffee — my favourite café along Khem Khong Road — with chill vibes and great food, making an overall excellent experience for travellers. The people here are amazing, always with a smile and able to assist with any requests. I used to stop by after joining the buddhist morning alm, and enjoy a delicious French inspired breakfast, facing the Mekong River. They have a small bakery with good internet connection for digital nomads, and a terrace outside to enjoy the stunning view. The bakery selection is outstanding, not to speak about the quality of the coffee, for sure the best I had in South East Asia.
Opening Hours:
April - November (from Monday to Sunday) — 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
November - March (from Monday to Sunday) — 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location:
Khem Khong Road, Luang Prabang
These are my favourite breakfast choices:
Mango Coconut French Toast (the best!)
Tortilla Breakfast Wrap
Gingerbread pancakes
— with a delicious organic cappuccino
Coffee in Laos
The first coffee plants were brought to Laos in the early 1900s by French colonialists. They experimented with growing coffee in the cooler northern region of the country. About a third of Lao coffee production is the sweeter and higher-value Arabica, while the rest is the cheaper and easier to cultivate Robusta. The coffee is grown by villagers and today, more organic coffee can be found in Laos, that is either sold to larger distributors in Thailand and Vietnam, or to smaller coffee collectives.
@saffroncoffee
Saffron Coffee in Luang Prabang, partners with over 800 Lao coffee growers. Lao women transport coffee arabica cherries for the coffee shop, whose goals are to produce organic coffee, and to improve the local farmer's life. The coffee is delicious, with a pleasant aroma, that satisfies even the most critic coffee lovers.