A fabulous hotel, one of our favourites in town, which will test your determination to be a good tourist. Extensive manicured gardens encircle you - palms, banana trees, frangipani, the trimmest lawns - while airy interiors flow gracefully from one room to another, past ornamental ponds and out to a sun-trapping terrace. At night thousands of lanterns burn in the grounds (four men take 2 hours to light them all) and dinner on the terrace gazing across the pool is very easy on the eye.
Whether the pool and its terrace is more beautiful than your room is an impossible question to answer - and, quite frankly, you will be far too busy enjoying yourself to care. But, for the record, the view from your sun lounger on the terrace leaps across the treetops to Mount Phu Si, while your exceptional bedroom is airy and elegant and opens onto a private balcony where opium beds takes the strain. In case these don’t do the trick, there’s a spa to pamper you into submission (including a free 30-minute massage for i-escape guests).
Highs
- Serene airy rooms with their exquisite balconies for tea in the shade
- The view from the pool across treetops to Mount Phu Si
- Perfect service makes the difference: nothing here is too much trouble
- There’s French and Laotian flair in the kitchen, too, expect delicious food
- Interesting trips and activities with which to fill you days, if you can tear yourself away from the pool that is
Lows
- You’re on the flight path, close to the airport, but it’s far from busy, more like a country airfield, and the sound of propeller planes overhead is actually quite quaint
- The hotel is away from the old town - and all the more tranquil for it. A free tuk-tuk service will whisk you down from 10.30am-10pm
- Excursions and spa treatments are quite expensive
- We've had reports that some rooms are looking a little tired
Best time to go
The rainy season is May to late October; hot, humid and wet. November to mid February is the cool season – but still hot, making this a great time to come. Mid February to May is the hot season and out in the rice fields the lushness disappears, but 85% of Laos is forested mountain, so expect the place to be green. Luang Prabang gets much less rain than Vientiane.
Our top tips
Luang Prabang is one of the loveliest towns in Asia. Its two-story streets give the feel of a village on the banks of a big river. Locals don’t hassle you, tuk-tuk drivers wait for you to approach them, a unique experience in Indochina! So don’t come for a couple of days. Come for a week. To do what? you ask. Well, nothing much, but that’s really the pleasure here, this is simply a great little town to chill out in with enough culture to keep you busy and plenty of time to do nothing at all.
Location
La Residence Phou Vao is in the town of Luang Prabang in Laos (also called Lao PDR). It's on the Phou Vao hill (Hill of Kites) about 1 mile/2km outside the centre - there's a free transfer service by tuk-tuk (taxi).
By Air:
There are no long-haul flights into Luang Prabang, but there are connections from neighbouring countries including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap and Hanoi, as well as Laos' capital, Vientiane. Follow the links below for more info. In rainy season dense cloud can cause delays, so leave time for connections, especially if moving on to an expensive long-haul flight.
From the airport
The hotel can arrange an airport transfer to pick you up, or tuk-tuks will take you for a few dollars.
Overland from Thailand
From Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, you can travel by bus or car to Chiang Khong on the Mekong river (the border), and then take a boat across to Houei Xai in Laos. From Houei Xai there are boats down river to Luang Prabang (1-2 days), but there are no schedules or safety enforcements, so you should be prepared for an adventure.
Overland from Vientiane
This is a bus journey of 8-9 hours, and not to be underestimated.
More on getting to Laos and getting around
Airports:
- Luang Prabang 4.0 km LPQ
- Vientiane Wattay 220.0 km VTE
Other:
- Beach 700.0 km
- Shops 0.0 km
- Restaurant 0.0 km