The Mekong riverfront on the west side of the old town peninsula is Luang Prabang's most atmospheric strip at dusk. A line of bars and restaurants with wooden terraces over the river fills up as the sun drops behind the mountains across the water, which here are already inside Myanmar. The river is wide and powerful — coffee-brown in the wet season, lower and clearer in the dry months.
The best bars for sunset are along the northern end of the riverfront, near the Royal Palace and the boat landing. Long-tail boats can be rented for private trips on the river, or you can join a public sunset cruise. The riverfront is also where you catch the slow boats up to the Pak Ou Caves or the two-day journey to Huay Xai on the Thai border.