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 from Luang Prabang, Laos. They are a magnificent group of caves that are only accessible by boat, about two hours upstream from the center of Luang Prabang, and have recently become more well known and frequented by tourists. The caves are noted for their impressive Lao style Buddha sculptures assembled over the centuries by local people and pilgrims. Hundreds of mostly wooden Buddhist figures are laid out over the floors and wall shelves. They take many different positions, including meditation, teaching, peace, rain, and reclining (nirvana). Tham Ting contains approximately 2,500 Buddhas, while Tham Theung contains approximately 1,500 Buddhas.

The hundreds of Buddha statues in these caves are the results of centuries of local townsfolk depositing their old or damaged Buddhas in these caves.

If you are traveling to the Pak Ou caves with a guide, he should take care of the entrance fee. If you travel up to the caves on a do-it-yourself trip, you will have to pay the $1 fee.

For those do-it-yourselves out there, you can easily arrange a boat ride up the Mekong with one of the locals at the docks along the river in Luang Prabang. A boat which seats 4-5 people should cost around $10 for the 45 minute trip up the river and back. You can also take a tuk-tuk to the village opposite the Pak Ou caves, and then pay for a ferry ride across the Mekong. Nevertheless, I highly recommend taking the boat ride as it is far more scenic.