hurrygirl

I am wondering what area is the best to stay in Luang Prabang. We will want to be able to go to restaurants for dinner and also view the procession of the monks in the early morning. Has anyone stayed at The Lotus Villa? Looks very simple and 7 km. from town center but the procession goes by the front door.

Thanks

yestravel

I would want to stay intown. 7km is awfully far out to be able to walk to dinners. We stayed at Apsara on the road by the river and loved it. But there are lots of places right in town to choose from.

crellston

Like YT we stayed at the Apsara and loved it. Good location in town but a treat back from the main drag. We also stayed at The 3 Nagas an Accor Hotel these days which is arguably the best location in town. We had Ha suite which overlooked the street where the monks made there procession. Amazing. Prices have rocketed there though in recent years.

Definitely better stay in town imo.

jobin

Thanks for considering this, but what is the attraction of watching a line of buddhist monks wander the streets seeking food and alms? Do you join them in walking or begging? Could you simply call it a 'photoshoot opportunity' of lovely beings swarthed in saffron silk? Could you, under any circumstances, become and be trained to be a monk? Do the monks talk to farangs, anyone? Do you give money to one, some or all? What is, if you know, the message of buddha and does that learning appeal to you?

All info welcome.

progol

I'm with YT and Crellston - stay in town! We also stayed at the Apsara, which we loved, and found it a perfect location to stay. LP is a very walkable town and small enough to get around by foot. We also enjoyed taking bicycles out one afternoon.

jobin, aren't we being just a wee bit provocative here? How necessary is it to know "the message of the buddha" to appreciate the experience of seeing the procession of the monks? It's no surprise that we do enjoy seeing the procession - it's not something most of us see in our daily lives and there is something remarkable about seeing them, one after another, collecting food and alms. Perhaps, as it did for us, makes one think about the significance of this morning ritual and reflect on their lives as Buddhist monks.

Like it or not, that procession has become one of LP's important tourist sights - perhaps, even, the one most known. Though I will also admit that we were not as moved by the experience because of the number of tourists lining the streets. And of course, don't we all carry our cameras and try to capture every cultural moment of our travels? And, social media has contributed to our overwhelming urge to document every experience we have.

hurrygirl

Crellston and Progol- Thanks for the great advice!

Jolin: Behavious of different cultures most definitely interest myself and many others. Of course it is your choice what interests you.

hurrygirl

Jobin- Travelfish has a great post explaining the significance of this ritual and how to respectfully watch and photograph it.

hurrygirl

Than you Yes travel as well.

khunwilko

Lotus Villa is in a pretty good location - I'm not sure what they call the "centre of town" or even how they get 7km.
the Apsara mentioned above is a 5 minute wlk from the Lotus.

the Lotus Villa is in the UNESCO world heritage area (bit too sterile IMO) and is convenient for the waterfront.
Getting around LP isn't that hard and there should be plenty of eateries nearby.