Bob - Thanks to your very informative report on LP (to be continued?), I am anticipating every moment we spend there.

Forgive me if I do not keep a log or journal while I am traveling. I will count on my not always perfect memory instead. Actually, because I create such a detailed itinerary before going on a trip, I often refer back to it to refresh my memory when writing my report for Fodors.

Gpanda - doesn't EVERYONE have a pool in Cambridge?? I've got to try the wheelchair ruse - definitely the way to travel in style.

Bob, am enjoying your report & especially the details of Luang Prabang. Did you enjoy the food at 3 Nagas? What were your impressions of the guest house (even though it doesn't have a pool)? Sounds like it might be noisy at night. Why do you call the main street Farang Way? We were interested in LP because I thought it was unspoiled & un-touristy. Has that all changed? Anxious to hear more.

CFW---LP has been discovered, but it is different from other locations...the pace there is slow and relaxed which is nice...the buildings are simple....there are some buildings that reflect the colonial times such as the villa santi hotel and many others along farang way...but many are just ordinary buildings...i'm not sure just what unesco is doing there and what they are preserving...looks like a typical UN mess to me...i did see new streets and sidewalks being laid down in brick-----BRICK???? maybe it is williamsburg???

the reason for the name is because that is who is on that street---farangs...the locals go there to sell things but that is about all...they do not use the bars or the restaurants and the shops cater to tourists...there are locals all around however as they live on the other streets which are very interesting and laid back as well...live is simple there....farang=westerner

to be honest i was a bit disappointed in the town as i was in siem reap...it is not a dump like SR, but has its own character...i guess i expected a williamsburg....dumb me...

i have been there and don't think i would consider going back there...i am glad that i did go...our focus was the town and not the surrounding areas like the caves or the waterfalls....3 days would have been plenty for me...even two well ordered days would be fine...

i failed to mention that we inquired at the hotel about a car with a/c and a guide...the quote came back on a per person basis of $50 for 5 hours which i thought was outrageous, so we decided to do it on our own with a tuk tuk--$12 i think...we were glad that we did do this as with our guide book we were easily able to see and understand the major sites....there are not all that many...

i should also add that we did not climb the hill in the middle of the town either...

FRIDAY--27th
we were up early and watched out our back window as the community below the hotel came alive...children off to school...toddlers sweeping the yard..water gotten from the one water source in the community...everything was done slowly with no hurry....that's LP....

another lovely breakfast...the staff is very kind and there are two or three serving us and one other couple...

i had hired a large (vs small) tuk-tuk for two or so hours...he quoted me $10...
i should mention that the tuk tuks here are different from thailand...they are bigger and are powered by motor cycles of different sizes...they can hold 6 normal sized people (?) in the back on two benches which are placed along the sides of the back...there is a step at the rear from which you enter...some are bigger than others...

the one i hired had large thick tires rather than conventional tires...i thought it would be more comfortable...the driver had driven us the nite before and i had told him that i would hire him at 10 AM the next day if he were outsdie the hotel gate, and he was...

i have pictures of his rig which will be available shortly on shutter fly...

the metal railings are painted in bright primary colors and i am able to sit upright in the back without hitting my head, but not when we go over a bump...i also am able to see out which i cannot do in the bkk tuk tuks...

we had a small list of places we wanted to go...first on the list was the silk co-operative that kathie had told us about...it is called Bar Panon (if i am reading K's notes correctly)...it is in the direction of the airport but off on a side road...kathie failed to mention that the road was a bumpy dirt road...nice scenery along the way...it took perhpas 20 minutes to get there...he knew just where we wanted to go....finally we reached the medium sized building...karen claims it is a school for weavers, but i do not think this is true...i think it is a gathering place for this group of women to sell their wares---probably an ethnic group or two...

in any case the building looked like a school building in sort of colonial style with open windows...
we entered the building and of course i was immediately the subject of conversations all around--my size....there must be at least 50 women there with their goods all laid out on platforms...we were overwhelmed at first...we decided on a method of review...start to the right around the outer wall of the interior of the building and then do the center...there is a lot of repetition in the coloring and the styles...much is traditional i believe..quality did vary but generally was very good...karen comments: "bright colors and native designs....much of it would not look right when you got it home.." there were a few weavers, especially the younger ones, who had made designs for the western taste...karen gravitated to those women...we made mental notes on who to return to after we had looked at everyone's items...about 1/2 through we were encouraged to go out the back door to where there were about 6 looms set up...two young women came out and did some weaving to show us the technique....

karen bought 4 large scarfs from one woman for $12.50 each...2 from another for $12 each and 3 primative embroidered squares from a young girl for $1.75 each..she bought a few other things that are not recorded...the longer we were there the more calls came out from the women: "buy from me..."..we enjoyed this stop...as we were leaving a few other people arrived....the ride back seemed very bumpy...we saw water buffalo along the road and of course free range chickens all over the place, plus pigs....it was very rustic along this road...

next he took us to wat visoun in town...this is the spot of the famous watermellon stupa...the wat is quite run down and we only stayed a few minutes...

from there we went out to the villa santi resort to check it out...it is quite far outside the town, the last part of which is on a dirt road...the ride out was interesting and we stopped for 10 minutes in one small, but busy marketplace area---i think the driver needed the facilities...we stayed in the tuk tuk and i took a few pictures...
the resort is about 20 minutes east of town on a dirt road...it was opened in 2002 i believe...the buildings are impressive..there is a large free form pool which has just been completed...it has no shade for swimmers to escape the sun at all....it is in a very open setting with hills in the distance and pasture land surrounding it...it is very attractive... the grass that they are trying to grow is not doing very well.. but there are lots of very attractive flowering bushes and plants around this large property...we asked to have a tour and they very kindly consented...the open air lobby is very attractive with generous use of warm woods and comfortable seating...it is a very large pavillion....
we visited one standard room which was nice but not nearly as nice as the pansea...the price is about $80...
they have a couple of suites which are actually seperate buildings...they offer quite a bit of room but the furnishings, while attractive, looked totally uncomfortable...low to the ground and asian in flavor....not for us---$150....the bathrooms were small and dark...

the dining room is open aire and quite attractive and over looks the gardens...they have meeting facilities for groups....

at the end of their driveway/street is the entrance to the grand hotel...i wanted to visit it but we were getting tired and hungary (sp) and the road had been very bumpy, plus it was very hot and humid...so we skipped it....our NY agent had suggested it as his favorite, and it is about $90....
we feel that these two hotels are too far outside of the town for convenience...we prefer the pansea location....

the tuk tuk took us into the center of town...we got out at the LP Pizza restaurant for lunch... i paid the driver...we had accomplished exactly what we wanted to that morning...

we had pizza for lunch..it was so so...just after the pizza was served..karen's first, and mine 5 minutes later????...the electricity went out....others had to wait...the fans stopped working...it was out for maybe 20 minutes...it was hot...

from there we walked down to the royal palace museum...the book says it opens at one, but it did not open until 1:30 so we had to wait in the heat...

at 1:25 they took our money and allowed us in...i believe it is only one floor although there may be a basement....there are perhaps 10-12 rooms...some are large like the reception and throne rooms and others are somewhat small...the king's and queen's bedrooms are quite large...they are all sparsely furnished....windsor castle it's not....it was very interesting however...the ceilings are very high and it was built to allow air to circulate...i think the construction date was about 1909.....the king was taken away from here in 1975, never to be seen again...

the self walking tour took about 1/2 hour...the last room contained many gifts to the king from foreign dignitaries...it included at least one piece of the moon from LBJ....it was noted that there was not any gift from britian...the guide book thought this significant...

we hired a tuk tuk to take us to pick up our laundry along the mekong river road...we had trouble finding it at first....although we had paid extra to have it done by noon, it still was not done at 3....we waited....we had the driver take us by L'Elephant restaurant to check out the menu for the next evening...it looked excellent... he then took us back to the hotel---$4....

we jumped quickly into the pool as we could see an afternoon storm was brewing...i stayed in even after it started to rain...the rain actually felt cold....it hurt my face so i got out...

we dried off and sat out on our sala and watched the storm...there was huge lightning and in fact one piece hit a large cell phone tower in the town (sorry---yes here there are cell phones too...
the electricity went on and off several times...

we had some beer in our room and generally relaxed...

we were to have dinner in the hotel dining room that nite...the grounds are lovely at dusk and at nite...there are beautiful illuminated details all around the pool and patio area...some are electric and some are candles...in the trees they have rigged up some electric lites in square boxes covered in fabric that give just a little glow...

the dining room is very well laid out with dividers in between every few tables making it seem more intimate...we really liked this room...there are maybe 20 tables...

we decided to have a lao dinner...spring rolls, shrimp with basil and chili's, beef and eggplant with "wild piel" (whatever that is??), fried rice with shrimp, and mixed steamed veggies....i had to ask the chef to come out of the kitchen as the waiter said there were no veggies available...he misunderstood me i guess as we had a lovely plate of slightly steamed veggies...

karen had a crispy banana dessert and i had a lemon treet with carmel sauce and ginger/honey ice cream....$32....

quite good, but the service is odd at times...they are fixated on keeping your silverware in a certain place and the label on the bottle facing you, etc...they do not quite get western or correct service, even though they are french owned and run (or in spite of it...)....at breakfast they bring eggs before the coffee sometimes????

after dinner we went into the library...a large room in back of the dining room which is air conditioned...they have a nice collection of books....i took one on colonial LP to look at the next day...

as we returned to our room, some fog had begun to gather as it had turned quite cool---probably 92....there was fog on the pool and in the valley below...

a wonderful day all around....

Bob, I'm beginning to understand why you feel three days is enough in LP - you didn't go to the Pak Ou caves or to either of the waterfalls or the Hmong villages and didn't climb Mt. Phousi or visit many of the wats... I do hope you had lunch one day at the Villa Santi on the verandah overlooking the street... with crepes suzettes for dessert... Can you tell I'd go back any time? By the way, glad you enjoyed the Pansea.

(the price you were quoted for a car is outrageous - we hired a guy with an OLD mercedes who drove us around. He was great, and he arranged for our boat to teh Pak Ou caves)

Saturday---karen had some stomach problems during the nite....we blame the pizza...she took some augmenton which cleared it up...

over to breakfast...karen went lite...not me...i had scrambled eggs that day for a treat...along with pastry, of course, and tea and lemon and ice water....we did use the hotel ice by the way...

we had showers and then walked to the end of the drive and hired a tuk tuk for about 3 hours--$12 was agreed on...

first we went to visit our new canadian friend...she and her sister were about to leave for their mini vacation in thailand...she greeted us warmly and we proceeded to buy a few things...chief of which was a very fancy "TV tray"---remember them?? this one has a wooden base which can stand by itself when the tray is removed...the top is a very heavy and thick piece of burled wood with a lovely golden coloring to it...it is very highly grained which we like...the ends are upturned in a very asian style....$300, plus $80 to ship it (2 months)...we also bought 2 very unusual wooden vases which have seperate asian motif stands...stands are $18 each and the vases were about $30 each...each has a removable tin liner to hold water...i decided that was enough damage for that day...we are interested in a set of stacking tables that she offers with similar tops and plain asian legs...$600 the set of 3 and about $150 to ship....still thinking...maybe craig will buy them for us on his visit in january...not too late for xmas????

from this shop we ventured on to wat Xiang Thong...this is the premier wat in LP...it is also the oldest...we spent quite a bit of time here as there are several interesting buildings...i got one of my best photos of the trip in a shed near to the back entrance where two large lao boats are storred...there were two young monks sitting on a railing next to the boats---one was smoking, but hid it as i approached...the boat motif and the orange of the robes, plus the young faces are all quite nice when combined...some of the buildings have very elaborate exteriors and of course some interiors are sensory overload...

we stopped at an internet cafe and did some quick correspondence for about 30 cents....

from there we went to the indochine spirit restaurant just opposite the "fountain" as you enter town...they are supposed to have the best lao food in town and it is very reasonable....for some reason we opted for bagette sandwiches (skimpy cheese and meat inside) instead---karen's tummy?? the bread was very fresh as after the waiter took our order, he got out a bicycle and road off to return 2 minutes later carrying 2 bagettes...from the bakery down the road...we also had mushroom soup which was delicious and the bowls were about a quart each...i could not finish mine...ice cream for dessert...$7....

the driver then took us back to the hotel...

we visited one of the suites at the hotel...thought our room was better as it has a wonderful view...$150/nite...it did have a couple of comfy chairs that we did not have however...

karen took a nap and i did paper work and gazed out over the valley...

we took a quick swim as another storm was approaching...the wind came up quickly and took two of the umbrellas for a ride up and over my head...

again we returned to our sala and watched the storm...while it was raining some neighborhood kids came onto the property, as they knew the gardners would be seeking shelter from the wild storm...the kids climbed two trees and stole fruit from them..they actually climbed quite high in the trees...one kid kept a look-out..they were very quick...they did not see me watching...a good reason to always keep your doors locked i guess in any hotel....this time the rain lasted for an hour and 1/2...much longer than other storms...

we had beers in the room and took the 6:40 shuttle into town...we hired a tuk tuk to take us from the post office to L'Elephant....the interior is very attractive with high ceilings and a very french bistro feel to it...the owners are of course french...the menu is very diverse...karen points out that there was proper french service...we both had filet of beef with pepper sauce, veggies and FF...karen had the best creme caramel she has ever had since her early years in paraguay and i had a disappointing tarte tatin..karen had one glass of wine...$27.50....quite good and if we had had time we would have returned...the best food in town i believe...i bet during high season that it is difficult to get a table..

we walked back through the nite market...karen bought a couple of pillow covers and some block print cards...

we hailed a tuk tuk and it was the same driver as the day before---he reminded us....$2 back to the hotel...

kathie---we talked to an american in the pool one day about the caves...i asked him how it was...his reply:
"a nice 2 hour ride up river in a boat which is not too comfortable....1/2 hour at the caves---quite a bit of climbing...and an hour back in the boat...what do you think"...my reply...just as i thought....we won't be going...karen did want to go but would not do it on her own...

waterfalls do not interest us too much.... two kids and their father from the hotel went and said it was only so so...

i also get "watted out" very easily...we saw enough...

don't get me wrong, i liked the town but did not think it was fantastic...i'm glad i could experience it...

Bob, the best month to visit LP is December. It is perfect, with sunny bright days and cool nights and so glorious to sit in one of the bars overlooking the Mekong at sunset with a icy cold Lao beer. Sorry it did not meet your expectations, but it's good that the Pansea is under new management. The previous crowd were hopeless! All the best!

Bob thanks for the frank assessment of LP- given our interests we can safely take this off our list of must do's. This is not our cup of tea.

I think I would have to agree with Bill and scratch LP off my list. But that market (school?) with all the women sounded interesting, as does the night market.

Tell us more.... !!
Carol

Carol, the place they purchased weaving as a weaver's co-op. You are purchasing directly from the weavers, mostly traditional designs and colors. (it sounds like things have changed since I was there a couple of years ago - then they were all traditional designs) There is also a regular market in town (not the night market) that caters mostly to locals and has some great merchandise - we bought some traditional design Lao gold earrings - lovely. There is also a Hmong market in town.

I loved the trip on the river, and the Pak Ou caves have been a traditional Buddhist pilgrimage site for hundreds of years. But if you aren't especially interested in Buddhism, you might not like it as much as we did. Likewise, if you aren't especially interested in Biddhism, you may not be as interested as we were in the dozen + working wats in the city, all very different from each other, all with novices who want to practice their English.

The waterfalls are pretty, but the special part of the journey is seeing the countryside and the people. We had the opportunity to stop and see a Hmong New Year's celebration when we were there.

Bob, I can imagine that having you back bothering you made LP not an ideal destination - the road are all bumpy and the vehicles are not luxe...

The report has been such great reading. Thanks for allowing us all to share your experiences and insights. When you were in LP, did you see the Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel? It one that we are considering, supposed to be a newly renovated place in town and we have been told that it's nice to stay in town because of the ritual every morning where the monks walk through.

The report on LP is great because it's detailed enough so it let's some people know it's not for them. It actually made me want to go even more than I did in the past. But then I'm very interested in hmong culture and buddhism. Much less interested in big shopping centers.

Gloria and my wife are polar opposites, so I always take my own advice- know thy spouse- I consider myself lucky if I can work in a few temples/wats/museums between the shopping- and always a 5 star hotel!

DC...interesting that you should mention this hotel as craig is also considering it and i communicated with him about it this morning....i do know it, and it is in a very ideal location...not sure if the monks go out that far or not, but probably...it is right on the main road into town...i regret that we (I) were too lazy to get up and go down into town to see the monks in the early morning...it is quite a sight i am told...

i still think that the pansea is the best hotel...the canadian woman who i wrote about above told us that the rooms at the maison are small and that there has been a lot of hype about this new hotel, but generally she did not think it was nearly as nice as is the pansea...of course there is a small price differential as well....

kathie---don't get me wrong...there are still lots of traditional items and designs being offered at the weaver's co-op, in fact the majority are this style...karen just finds that more than one or two pieces of this is too much for our life style...she prefers a modern adaptation...

Sunday

awake at 7...there were roosters crowing out back..large breakfast by 7:30 as we were leaving later in the day and the pool by 8:30....we had a very lazy morning around the pool...we split a sandwich for lunch before we left the hotel about noon...the hotel took us to the airport for $6 each...

very easy check-in at the airport...this is the only flight at this time...there is a departure tax of about $10 each, but karen failed to record it---that's it for her...i'll get someone new!!!
the plane arrived on time...the bangkok air planes are so colorful...we loved seeing them coming in and taking off daily from our balcony at the pansea--the flight path was in the valley....i neglected to mention that it is very dramatic coming into LP via air...the mountain/hill peaks are very pronounced along the river and it makes for very good scenery....
flight to bkk is one hour, 50 minutes...i must also mention that bkk air doesn't fool around...they load the plane early after an all hands clean-up of the plane...you take off early usually...in fact on our departure from LP, there were some people still in the aisle when the plane started to taxi...it is almost comical....and on arrival the pilot goes so fast along the tarmack that you think he has as emergency bathroom run needed....

we had decided to take a taxi in from the airport to bkk...there was no que either....it was sunday afternoon so there was no traffic...in fact we made it to the marriott in 1/2 hour...unbelievable...220 B + 60 B for tollroad + tip....

this time we were assigned room 768...they apologized that we did not have room 666 as something was being repaired in it...on both this and the first arrival we were escorted to our room by a reservation staff person...this time a drink arrived just after she had left, which is a nice touch...much of the paperwork was done in the room...

we went down for a quick swim and then were off to Biscotti at the 4 seasons for dinner, where we had a reservation...this was the weekend of the miss universe pagent in bkk so i was nervous that all restaurants would be full of farang, so i had made a reservation upon arrival in bkk---actually i always make a reservation at biscotti to avoid disappointment....the restaurant was only about 1/2 full....
it started to rain about 6 so we took a taxi...

we love biscotti...while it's menu does not change all that much it is always very good...we did notice that prices have started to creep up a bit...karen had her mouth watering for the soft shelled crab appetiser and luckily it was still on the menu...she followed this with seared tuna--rare..i had carpacchio of beef with parm. cheese shavings, followed by a delicious wood grilled pizza..karen had a glass of wine and i had water...we had two fabulous desserts, artfully presented and sinful...mine was a soft centered choclate cake with decorations and ice cream and karen had a "simple" sorbet of fruit with decoration as well...2930 B...twice or triple the price at home...

taxi back to the hotel...we had to wait quite a while for the taxi as it was still raining and the doorman was having trouble getting taxis to stop...

Bob...where are you....can't sleep without the nightly installment

i'm here ---stand by

Hi all,

I love LP - but must agree that it is getting much more touristy - we were there last year and decided to go back again this year before it gets even more crowded - we were there in August - low season and the hotels seemed full - were at the 3 nagas and they were always full. I read that in the previous year the rate of people coming in had skyrocketed. We flew up from Vientiane and the plane was full too - and thats in the low season. Our friends from Vientiane tried to get a ticket up a couple of days later for both business and to have dinner with us and couldn't get a flight at all. But despite that we love the
place and want to get back - we are staying 8 days this time and don't think it will be a problem to fill them.

Haven't been out to the waterfall yet but did get to the cave - not particularly impressed with the caves but the trip was well worth it anyway.

DC - if you want I can have a look at the hotel Souvannaphomn for you - we will be there in mid August if that is time enough for you.

Gloria - Re Prasart - your post is what alerted me to the museum so thank you very much - I'm looking forward to getting there this year.

Please keep this great info coming Bob.

Many thanks,
Mary

monday--

the whole day looked like it was to be cloudy....when we went down to breakfast i decided to play a game with the girls who seat you....they were all giggly when they saw us and said "room 666...i said nooooooo....they looked perplexed....i said don't you have a crystal ball and i moved my hands around an imaginary ball...they shreaked with laughter...there were 3 of them...they started with the numbers...668, 781, 598, etc...finally they got a very close # and i smiled...we finally nailed it and we all laughed...the people in back of us were not too happy....

as we had been gone for 4 days, we received lots of staff greetings and got dirty looks from other guests in some cases...they brought karen her two boiled eggs without asking....this was a curiosity for some as well....i guess we must behave better in the future....too much fun...

out for a quick swim after breakfast...over to see jack for a fitting for both of us...we are getting there, but adjustments are needed...
we picked up our laundry from the marriott garage and from the laundry at soi 59....

we took a taxi to river city...karen tried on her new silk slacks...fit good...the blouses were not ready for a first try...

from there we took a cab to central chitlom dept. store....we use the sheraton doorman to get us a taxi as there is such a zoo outside the shopping center and most refuse to use the meter...just easier to go over the bridge on the second floor to the hotel and out their door...never a problem with the meter...the doorman records their taxi # and they know it so they behave...

carol (simpson510) had raved about the Loft....a cafeteria type restaurant which takes up most of the 7th floor of this dept. store...it is fantastic...literally they have almost any cuisine you desire: thai, italian, indian, chinese, japanese, continental, etc...there are stations for each type of food...we took about 10 minutes to walk around and decide what we wanted to eat...when you enter they give you a card which has an electronic device imbedded in it...each time you buy something from one of the food stations they record it electronically and when you leave you pay your bill based on this device and the central computer which has storred it...the cards are reused...
the food is fantastic and fresh---much of it cooked to order..that day we had pizza and water, plus a lucious dessert each....after collecting your food you are seated by an attendant who also brings you napkins and silverware or chop sticks as you like...there is a large window overlooking part of the city...it is very nice and the food is delicious...it is also very quick...432 B or about $11 for the two of us...

are you old enough to remember when many department stores in the usa had nice restaurants?? we are...

from there we took a taxi to sukhumvit, soi 4....we did some internet and then went to the jewerler next door...we had some answers from home on what we had proposed to friends and family....mr lee was glad to see us and liked the yes answers we were able to give to him...

we took a taxi back to the hotel from there....there was a problem as it was now raining hard...for almost an hour we sat in traffic...karen had the idea to go directly to dinner,even though it was early...so we redirected the taxi to harmonique, soi 34, new road--this got us out of the traffic...this was a brilliant idea or we might still be sitting there on silom rd waiting for the lites and the traffic...

delicious dinner as always....it was really raining hard by now...we dashed into the restaurnat and sat in the usual a/c room...the waiters came from room to room with umbrellas over their heads...part of the restaurant is outside and part inside and you have to pass the outside areas to get any where...it was comical...

dinner: shirimp rolls, chicken in banana leaves, cashew chicken, grilled shrimp with garlic on a sizzle platter (seems to be a new fad in thailand), green mango and chicken salad, white rice...855B we must have had beer but karen did not record it...also bottled water i am sure...no dessert...

the male owner tried for over an hour to get us a taxi at the end of the soi...there were none...we stood there in the rain waiting under our umbrellas and the archway at the end of the soi...finally the rain stopped so we walked to the sheraton..we still got pretty wet with the water coming off buildings, etc...
we went into js thai silk at river city as they were still open...karen's blouses were ready for a fitting...
we sat and talked for quite a while with them...the boss lady was very funny and joined in the talk much more than usual....she told stories about her old chinese mother and how nothing is ever right with her...we all laughed a lot....

over to the sheraton for a taxi...there was still a lot of traffic so the driver asked if we could go on the tollroad...i said yes...40B...but he drove us all around robinhoods barn...we were taken on a ride at my expense...i was mad but just glad to be sitting and dry... this was one of two or 3 bad taxi rides that we had in tens of rides taken over the month...

dessert was in the bakery on the lower level of the hotel...uptairs to pack as we were leaving for Pattaya the next day...