Reminders of the city’s colourful past are everywhere you look. The crumbling (but obviously once impressive) 19th Century European architecture in between traditional wooden houses, hints at Laos’ history as a former French colony.
Turn around and the golden-clad temples, the daily procession of the monks and the vibrant mosaics dedicated to Buddha trace a much more distant history and ever-present culture.
Luang Prabang, once the royal capital of Laos and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sits on the peninsula overlooking the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers.
With the Buddhist temples, the traditional craft boutiques and the spectacular mountainous scenery playing a tug-of-war with your attention, you’ll find it hard to keep to that tightly planned itinerary you were so adamant about!
And that’s before you’ve even checked into the hotel…
Alila Luang Prabang is the perfect retreat for a quick escape to Laos. Intimate and peaceful, it’s a tropical haven complete with swimming pools, lush landscaped gardens, a library and spa.
And did we mention the hotel has its own cooking school? Bound to fix those cravings for spicy and organic local flavour.
The hotel is a mix of pre-existing colonial buildings and a traditional Laotian-style extension, something which architect Duangrit Bunnag has continued inside – Asian accents blend with a more modern aesthetic throughout all of the 23 hotel suites.
Wander around the gardens, sit by the pool or indulge in a spa treatment and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were miles from civilisation.
But with just one step outside the resort you’ll relish the convenience of it all, needing only ten minutes to the airport and only five minutes to the centre of town.
Design Hotels
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