The Unspoiled Destination

The Pansea Hotel is the epitome of luxury. On top of a hill about a mile from downtown, it is a beautiful place to stay. Rooms are large and very comfortable. There is a lovely infinity pool overlooking the jungle. We did not eat meals other than breakfast there, but that meal was just fine. We found the staff to be a bit stuffy and felt that they looked down on us. Considering the type of hotel, it is very inexpensive by U.S. standards. We plan to return to Luang Prabang in March, but will not stay there. We plan to stay at the 3 Nagas, which gets great reviews. We will report on that upon our return.

The Indochine restaurant is one of the best restaurants in a city with many good places to eat. Not far from the night market, it is an easy place to find. You can choose to eat indoors or outside in the garden terrace. We opted to eat outside as the November evening was comfortable. The tables are candlelit so it is quite romantic. Service is excellent and the food is phenominal. Our bill came to $9.00.
For a casual lunch, or even a dinner, we recommend the Kheme Khan Food Garden overlooking the river. The tables on on a wooden terrace in the shade of umbrellas. We ordered three dishes and two orders of sticky rice, which was much too much food. The food is Lao-style and was excellent. The total bill came to $7. It's a romantic place for a casual lunch.

Luang Prabang remains one of the few places in Southeast Asia that has not been ruined by commercialization. That is why we are returning there for the second time in March, 2006. Being there on your own is a breeze so an organized tour is not necessary. We rented bicycles for a dollar a day (do you believe that?) and rode from wat (temple) to wat. There are dozens of these temples in Luang Prabang and wandering by bicycle with a map is a very pleasant way to see them. Even without a map you can't miss them. Be sure to visit the Wat Xiang Thong and Wat Mai. And believe it or not, you don't have to pay to go into them. The temples are extraordinary and contain lovely artwork and statues. There is also a palace that is of mild interest, but I would still recommend it.

For the palace, you have to pay a small fee to enter. There is a hill overlooking the city with a temple up there, but it is hardly worth the effort to trudge up there in the heat. Down the river there are historical caves containing hundreds of Buddha statues that can be visited. One makes arrangements with a boatsman to take you there from the city. We have been to Myanmar and Cambodia to see the archeological areas and they are fantastic. Luang Prabang is quite different. It is a very laid back place and you need not be in a hurry to see it all. Two or three days would allow you to get a feel for it, but I warn you, you won't be ready to leave there after such a short visit. Enjoy!