Fodors article on Luang Prabang
 

I just got emailed at article on the main Fodors site re Luang Prabang. The link - https://www.fodors.com/world/asia/la...ry-destination

It may be of interest to those who plan on travelling there soon (KJA) . It is along time since I have been, but I am not sure I would agree that it is the most affordable luxury destination in Asia.

Hmmm. I plugged in a 7 night stay for LP for 4-5* properties per Trivago in early November and compared that to Kuala Lumpur for the same time frame and same property category and KL is actually less overall.

Haven't read the piece, but the idea of LP as a luxury destination is such a far cry from when I first visited in 2002....

I saw the headline and was turned off by it, so I hadn't read it until now. We loved Luang Prabang when we visited in 2002. We splurged and stayed at La Residence Phou Vau (back before it was the Belmond) for $120 a night, including breakfast. We thought the food in LP was very good.

The sightseeing mentioned in the article wasn't what we were most interested in - we wanted to see the temples and monasteries. We did enjoy the climb up Mt. Phousi to the temple. We found the waterfalls over-rated. We enjoyed the boat ride to the Pak Ou caves, but the comparison to SE Asia river cruises is quite stretch!

Giving the number of Lao Kip to the dollar is meaningless. I'm always surprised when an article like this highlights the exchange rate.

Larry, I'm not surprised that KL was less expensive than LP - I would have guessed that with the many very affordable 5* hotels in KL.

100% agree about exchange rates. Its not what my dollar gets in exchange but what it buys and the cost to the consumer.

And yes the 5* hotels on KL are a bargain indeed. My friend there just spent time in Penang at a hotel called the Eastern and Orient which reminds me of Raffles in Singapore at a fraction of the cost.

Ah, The Eastern and Oriental - our favorite hotel in Penang. It is one of the Sarkie Brothers Hotels, as is Raffles, The Strand in Rangoon and the Majaphit in Surabaya, Indonesia. Raffles is quite expensive, but the others are bargains!

No wonder it looks like Raffles. :).

Quoting from the article: "Granted, there are no major bucket list sights" in Luang Prabang.

Hmmm. For me, Luang Prabang -- with its temples and blend of architectural styles and mix of opportunities is, in and of itself, worthy of "bucket list" designation (even though I hate that term). To each his/her own, but the very idea that Luang Prabang would not otherwise be on someone's bucket list seems to me to speak volumes. :(

I sincerely hope this article doesn't contribute to the ruin of this small town -- but actually, I'm already convinced that it has been irrevocably changed by tourism. The differences between the descriptions that some of you lovingly provided on various blogs and threads about your time in Luang Prabang in the early 2000s and more recent descriptions of its tourist-packed lanes makes me long for bygone days. But I'm glad to include it in my upcoming plans -- better now than later, and better in off season than high season!

I'm not a resort traveler, so if resorts draw people away from lodging I might want, great! For the kinds of places I want, I'm seeing a range of relatively inexpensive options and a few options I might consider at a slightly higher price point, just because those options do look substantially nicer than I can usually afford. And frankly, I might be willing to pay for 3 Nagas just so I can see the procession of monks from my room -- I do want to see it, but I'm not great with very early morning awakenings, and don't want to struggle awake and manage insect repellent and sun screen and clothing just to fight hordes of other tourists for a viewing position. ;)

Whatever the merits and demerits of the Fodor's article (and thanks, crellston, for making sure I saw it!), I've been struck by the number of "resort" options that have turned up in my booking.com searches for lodging, not just in Luang Prabang, but in other places in Laos and Cambodia. It does seem like there's an effort afoot to expand the appeal to tourists, particularly those with some money to spend.

One good thing about the article: I might check out that weaving center. :)

I wouldn't worry about insect repellent and sunscreen for the alms round! In fact, I didn't bother with either when I was in LP regardless of the time of day, but it was earlier in the year.

Ok, let me make it simple: I'm willing to rouse myself from sleep at an ungodly early hour, if I can crawl back into bed ASAP. :)

Now for the more serious response: I'm a mosquito magnet. :( And whether that's just my personal take or not, my travel physicians -- infections disease experts -- have advised me that I should not step out of a protected space in Laos or Cambodia ever, for even a moment, without mosquito repellent. One can take preventive measures against the night-time mosquitos (those that carry malaria), but from what they told me -- and from what I've read -- there is nothing one can do -- other than diligent, even religious use of insect repellents - to protect against the diseases carried by day-biting mosquitos, including those carrying Chikungunya and dengue fever. Personally, I'm not willing to take the risk. I'm not saying what others should do; just speaking for myself.

And I still don't want to get up that early. ;)

I am also a mosquito magnet. I did not wear insect repellant in Laos, and do not recall getting bitten. But I was there in November, December and February.

Unfortunately, I'll be there at the start of the rainy season -- I'm sure that's something my travel physicians took into account.

" I might be willing to pay for 3 Nagas just so I can see the procession of monks from my room -- I do want to see it, but I'm not great with very early morning awakenings, and don't want to struggle awake and manage insect repellent and sun screen and clothing just to fight hordes of other tourists for a viewing position"

We stayed at the 3 Nagas on our last visit in the main suite overlooking the street where the procession happens. Very nice it was too and the views of the procession where second to none, whether I would pay their current prices for the privilege, I don’t know!

I wouldn’t worry about the mozzies, the sunscreen but the tourists along the procession route can be a complete PITA. A shame because the Lao people giving alms do take it very seriously.

Having re read that article, I do wonder whether the author has actually been there or whether it is yet another example of google journalism..

I agree that it's a shame about the crowds -- I do believe in treating religious ceremonies / functions with respect. Not to mention: How dare OTHER tourists make MY tourism difficult! ;)

As for the mozzies -- spoken like someone who has never experienced an illness acquired through a mosquito bite. Except, wait, hmm, don't I remember reading something about you and malaria?

I have an inquiry into 3 Nagas and will see what I learn. As I said with embarrassing honesty upthread, the real issue for me is being able to get back to bed.

kja - FWIW, I was in LP for four nights, and I didn't see the monk procession any of those mornings. It just seemed too commercial to me, and too early to make me tired for the rest of the day. We saw the same type of procession the following year in Burma, near Mandalay. Meh.

I may have mentioned it to you before, but you will find it more fun to chat with the young monks when you visit the various small temples in LP. They will be wandering around, and all it takes is a smile and a hello. My hiking guide to the waterfalls in LP told me that his parents were poor, and forced him into a monastery when he was very young, but he eventually left. These young guys are lonely, and love to practice their English.

@ CaliforniaLady: Thanks for letting me know you skipped the procession! I know that's an option, though it's an option that seems easy to forget in the effort to find a way to include it that would be bearable. Like you, a particularly early morning can really wipe out the day for me -- not something I care to go through if I can avoid it.

Your experiences with the monks are inspiring. :) I had the chance to talk with a few young monks when I was in South Korea, and although the situations were very different, I found them engaging and eager to interact and happy to make use of their English -- quite a delight, really. Maybe I'll be fortunate enough to encounter that kind of experience again, as you did.

Aren't we fortunate to have these experiences?!?

Indeed and when I caught malaria I was spraying religiously and taking prophylactics but still I got I’ll. I can ba5he in the stuff and I still get bitten! The advantage of getting up before dawn is that the mozzies are still in bed!

i think the 3 Nagas is still an Accor property so do join their loyalty programme for a discount. However, i would agree with CaliLady’s comment on one of you other posts and spend the money on a private driver from Vientiane to Vang Vieng.

also agree with suggestions to chat to the monks around town. It’s not difficult as they are all over the place and were happy to practice their English, teach us some Lao and to show us around. We spent Avery enjoyable afternoon with a bunch of them.

some photos of the monks and processions, some taken from the Nagas.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c6b2573ab.jpeg
Our friendly guides
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...051eba7f6.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...51c4ab3a0.jpeg
The main procession
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...49618c619.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ecb8e6fd9.jpeg
Outside the 3 Nagas
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f87bb9ea0.jpeg
Monks ay play!
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...04a72f723.jpeg
3 nagas room balcony
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c29d2fced.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...468c396b8.jpeg
Our guides

Nice to see LP again, tx.

As usual your pics are very nice.

Thank you Mr. C!