Four nights in Luang Prabang, Laos

When: October 2010
Kids: Big Sister 6y5m, twins 3y10m
Flights: Hong Kong - Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines, Hanoi - Luang Prabang v.v. on Lao Airlines and Hanoi - Hong Kong on Dragonair.
Booked through: Lastminute Hong Kong

This was another fall break to a destination which was high on my list. It was also one of our first destinations that we were brave enough to have a connecting flight and no stopover (we had been to Hanoi already). We visited Siem Reap earlier that year with a one-way stopover, so we were ready to do it both ways. What was a little bit of a headache was Lao Airlines, which didn't sound too inviting. But after some researching I found out that their not so favorable safety record was mostly related to Chinese build airplanes prior to 2000 while the Luang Prabang route to Hanoi (a very touristy route) was flown with an ATR72. Recently they've even started using A320, so things must be taking off ... another reason to go soon in my opinion! The ATR72 is a small turbo-prop airplane, but since it's only a one hour flight (in which they still serve a meal too), it doesn't really matter. It was easy, smooth and on time, what else could we wish for?

We had applied for our Lao visas in Hong Kong, which was slightly unusual apparently but they let us. We really didn't want to arrive at night with 3 young children and another 70 passengers, and having to do it all there (two windows open at immigration (they didn't have more). If you haven't applied in advance, make sure you're one of the first ones to get off the plane (which in our case meant being seated in the back). We were out of the airport in less than 15 minutes.

Research told me that not a lot of hotels in Luang Prabang have pools, but as a break from the temples we figured it would be useful especially with kids. One of our few affordable options was The Grand Hotel Luang Prabang which is about 4 km out of town (a short tuk tuk ride, about US$2-4). We booked the Presidential Suite (for a not so Presidential rate so don't you worry), which was a 1-bedroom suite overlooking the Mekong River. The living area of the suite connected into a regular room where the kids slept (extra bed put in). The room was fine, some wear and tear, definitely not brand new, but I wasn't expecting that. We paid about $23k for the five of us for 4 nights (including 5 return flights), so you cannot expect a Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton. However, it was very spacious (came with a fridge and small kitchenette and extra toilet, dining area and sitting area) with everything we needed (including wifi that worked quite well given it was Laos), a great breakfast area (breakfast itself was rather basic but they would make eggs, waffles and pancakes if needed), a very new pool at the time and the views were magnificent, the area very quiet. Staff was friendly and helpful, English not great but sufficient.

Over the next few days we visited temples, made a cruise on the Mekong River, visited some weaving towns in the area and took a day trip to the Tad Se waterfalls which was absolutely lovely (we considered the Kuang Si waterfalls but Tad Se sounded slightly more child friendly after the research I did). We also climbed Mount Poushi for some excellent views over the town and nearby area. It's a great place to watch the sun go down and many people sit down for a little while sipping their Beer Lao. Only thing we should have done and didn't do was the early Alms Giving Ceremony with the monks ... but I really couldn't bother to get 3 kids out of bed that early. The night market is also a fantastic place to browse with lots of locally made arts and crafts. Restaurants are easy and plentiful, toilets can be a little bit "iffy". We had dinner at Tamarind, Dyen Sabai (slightly hard to find and we had to cross the river in the tiniest boat ever while the water kept coming in ... I've never heard my oldest scream so loud, she thought we were not going to make it across, which was about 20 metres) and Blue Lagoon (needed a break from the Asian food). We had lunch at the Saffron Cafe overlooking the Mekong. But honestly, just look on Tripadvisor and you'll find many great suggestions, food is everywhere. After dinner you can buy crepes at one of the stalls all over town.

Luang Prabang is a lovely destination with some great temples (UNESCO World Heritage) but keep in mind, it's very different from Siem Reap. The temples are more "Thai" style if that makes sense, scattered around town and the area is much smaller. The best part of it all is that's still fairly quiet without large tour groups and buses. We encountered a few Thai groups at some point. Generally, you'll have temples mostly to yourself. You'll see tourists everywhere but they're all individual travelers in small groups, it's definitely not taken over by tourists ... just yet. Luang Prabang has a lot to offer in terms of sightseeing, food and places to stay. I found it a extremely relaxing and easy going holiday. No need to rush, plenty of time to see things and have breaks at the same time. Kids walked everywhere, enjoyed the tuk tuks, swam every day in the pool, loved feeding and riding the elephants at Tad Se waterfall and the food was really not a problem either. Can highly recommend to those who want something different.

There may be better apps right now, but I found the Travel Fish app very useful with some simple maps, restaurant recommendations, etc.