The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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LUANG PRABANG LUANG PRABANG & NORTHERN LAOS
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Where the Streets Have No Names
In Luang Prabang, though you’ll see street signs, the same road can change
names as it progresses through the city, making things confusing. For example,
the main street (I refer to it as “restaurant row” at the town center) is Chao Fa
Ngum, Sisavangvong, or Sakkarine Road, depending on where you are. Locals
use village names, not streets, to navigate, and villages are commonly named for
the local wat. When checking into your hotel, get a business card or ask the
name of the local wat to tell taxi and tuk-tuk drivers. Also note that the Western
spelling of many street and wat names is very inconsistent. Just sound it out.
Longtail boats are for hire at Luang Prabang’s main pier and can take you to adjacent
villages and the Pak Ou Caves (p. 280).
VISITOR INFORMATION & TOURS
In addition to the following recommendations, small tour offices with good budget ticket
services are chockablock in town, especially on “restaurant row.” Try All Lao Services
(5/7 Sisavangvong Rd.; & 071/252-785; fax 071/253-523) for ticketing, rentals, and
Internet access.
• Diethelm Travel, Sakkarine Road, near the Villa Santi (& 071/212-277; fax 071/
212-032; www.diethelmtravel.com). The top agent in town, Diethelm arranges city
tours and excursions to out-of-town sights.
• Exotissimo Travel, 44/3 Ban Vat Nong, Khemkong Rd. (& 071/252-879; fax 071/
252-879; www.exotissimo.com).
WHERE TO STAY
Luang Prabang’s UNESCO World Heritage status mercifully prevents large-scale construction
in the historic center. As a result, developers have renovated existing hotels and
completed boutique conversions of old guesthouses. A few resorts have also sprung up
on the outskirts of town to keep up with demand. In high season, the town is absolutely
stuffed with visitors, so finding a place can be a trial. Book ahead from November
through March and during the Lao New Year festivities in mid-April.
The main concentration of accommodations is along the peninsula dissected by Sisavangvong
Road on the banks of both the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers and all the
crossroads in between. All prices quoted here are for high season (Nov–Mar). Most
operations slash their rates by more than half in low season (Apr–Oct) when it is actually
quite nice to visit as long as you manage to dodge the rain. You will certainly be dodging
the crowds. Those hotels that take credit cards will generally charge you an extra 4% on
top of your bill. Quite a number of the more boutique-style hotels deliberately do not
have TVs in the rooms so as to maintain a traditional and tranquil atmosphere.
Expensive
The Apsara Named after the celestial nymphs in Hindu mythology that grace the
frescoes of Angkor Wat, the British-owned Apsara is a stylish choice. Set on the lessdeveloped
Nam Khan River side of the Luang Prabang isthmus, its rooms are split
between two beautiful colonials. Superior units are like loft spaces with high ceilings, old