The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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LUANG PRABANG LUANG PRABANG & NORTHERN LAOS
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confirm your reservation more than once before arriving. If it’s full, look for its sister
hotel, Villa Sokxai 2, on the other side of Mount Phousi.
Sakalin Rd. (across from Wat Phon Heuang), Ban Kilee, Luang Prabang. &/fax 071/254-309. sokxaigh@
yahoo.com. 7 units. $35 double; $50 family suite. No credit cards. In room: A/C.
Inexpensive
Chittana Guesthouse This is a very good value budget option close to the center of
town. The rooms are very basic and vary in size and quality so it’s best to look at a few
before picking one. They have wooden floors and slightly grubby whitewashed walls.
There is a pleasant all-wood veranda on which to lounge after temple hopping. The staff
is very friendly and casual.
Ban Vat Sene. & 071/212-552. 10 units. 80,000 kip fan double; 120,000 kip A/C double. No credit cards.
Amenities: Internet.
Khoun and Khone Guest House If you fancy being a little in the boonies, come
to this family-run place set in a small farm 5km (3 miles) out of town. The family is
delightful and speaks very good English. They serve meals and many of the ingredients
they use are grown on the farm. Khone is a great cook and can rustle up either Lao or
Western food depending on your preference. The surrounding garden is beautiful and
relaxing and the owners are justifiably very proud of it. Khoun and Khone also run tours
of the surrounding countryside and villages, about which they are very knowledgeable.
The bungalows themselves are large and rustic with hot water and a small balcony.
Ban Na Dad. & 020/770-7665. www.khounandkhone.hrorbit.com. 6 units. $25 double. No credit cards.
Amenities: Restaurant.
Khounsavanh Guest House This is in a small area with a concentration of budget
accommodations to the north of Wat Phousi. This a very good budget option with airy,
light rooms set around a courtyard. There are seating areas on the wraparound veranda.
The rooms have high ceilings, but they could do with a coat of paint. They have both
fan rooms and air-conditioned rooms.
Ban Thongchaleun. & 071/212-297. 14 units. 100,000 kip fan double; 150,000 kip A/C double. No credit
cards. In room: A/C (10 rooms).
Somkhounmuong Guest House This rambling old French villa hosts a warren of
corridors with a pleasant veranda at the entrance. The rooms are basic and quite small
but do have A/C and are clean. It is a nice environment, given that it is offering very
low-budget accommodations.
53 Tomkham Rd. & 071/254-662. 10 units. 80,000 kip. No credit cards. In room: A/C.
WHERE TO DINE
Luang Prabang has its own very distinctive style of cuisine and there are many places in
Luang Prabang that can demonstrate just how rich that tradition is. Some are very expensive
by Lao standards but are also incredibly good, often combining northern Lao tradition
with that of France. New upmarket bistros, many run by foreign restaurateurs, have
added to the culinary diversity of little Luang Prabang. There are also very modestly
priced places (our favorites are along the Mekong itself), where you can sample the
famous Luang Prabang sausage, the delicious fermented fish stew, and many other Lao
culinary concoctions. Whatever your cuisine of choice, dining in this sleepy northern
burg is a delight.