[2025 Luang Prabang Stay] Travel Guide for La Résidence Phou Vao (Updated May)

🎉Just now, Laos officially announced that Chinese tourists will be exempted from visa for ordinary passports for 15 days! Starting on July 1, 2024 and currently running until the end of the year! 🎉I can finally introduce you to the treasure city of Luang Prabang in Laos. The lazy city atmosphere is really suitable for a visit! 🛕Let’s quickly take stock of 6 little things you can do in Luang Prabang! 🌄Take the China-Laos Railway to Luang Prabang🚝 Last year, the China-Laos Railway officially started running from Kunming to Laos. After calculation, it only takes 4 hours from Xishuangbanna to Luang Prabang! It is a very novel experience to be able to see the landscape outside the window changing from a small town in Yunnan to Southeast Asia without taking a connecting flight! 🌄Take a look at the Tree of Life at Xiang Thong Temple🛕 As one of the famous temples in Luang Prabang, the main hall of Xiangthong Temple has a typical Laotian temple style, and there is also a rare reclining Buddha, which is composed of black, red, gold and green colors, especially the " "Tree of Life", shining brightly, is a rare temple style in China. 🌄Visit the habitat of the river god at Bawu Grottoes♒️ The Bawu Caves, located along the Mekong River, symbolize the soul of the Mekong River and are worshiped by people as the habitat of the river god. Walking through the cave at the bottom of the cliff, you feel as if you have entered another world: various vertical Buddha statues stand here in various shapes and sizes, like a private treasure house. 🌄Taste authentic Laotian food at the night market🌯 As night falls, the area next to the palace will turn into a bustling night market. There are many handicrafts that cannot be bought elsewhere, as well as a variety of authentic Laotian food! However, even if you don’t buy souvenirs, the brightly lit night market is still worth visiting. The usually quiet and lazy town has become lively. The red and blue tent roofs are the secular side of Luang Prabang. 🌄Understand the charity of Luang Prabang at dawn🙏 Every day at dawn, rows of monks wearing saffron robes walk barefoot through the streets to accept alms from the citizens. This alms-giving ceremony occurs all over Luang Prabang, and the most eye-catching area is next to Xiangthong Temple. . Next to the temple, watch the monks carrying tin bottles and accepting food from believers. You can also join in and experience the sacred ceremony first-hand. 🌄Stay one night in a top luxury hotel owned by LVMH🏨 Belmond is one of the top luxury hotel brands under LVMH. Belmond in Luang Prabang was transformed from an official residence of the American embassy. It occupies the best location and view in the area, overlooking the entire city's old town and the Mekong River. The 32 suites combine traditional Laotian style with French-era architectural style. The hotel also provides an exclusive private luxury boat specifically for exploring the Mekong River🚣 🛕It should be noted that the visa-free trip in Luang Prabang must be organized by a Lao tourism company and obtained permission from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism~

Luang Prabang, a world heritage city that everyone wants to visit and relax in. There are many places to stay, but if you want to recommend Belmond La Residence Luang Prabang, it is the only place where you can see Mount Phousi from your bed. It is luxurious but quiet. There is a shuttle bus to Luang Prabang Market. If you visit Luang Prabang sometime, don't forget to stay at Belmond and you will know what true relaxation is like. #TravelAbroad #Travel #SleepChillBeautifulAccommodation #BookLuxuryHotel #LuangPrabang

Luang Prabang isn't just home to Amantaka for luxury accommodations. On Kite Hill, not far from the city center, there's another established resort rarely known to Chinese travelers—Belmond La Résidence Phou Vao. I stayed here for three days and two nights, once again experiencing the joy of vacationing at an old-money hotel. La Résidence Phou Vao is very famous locally and now belongs to the boutique luxury hotel brand HMD, which manages many world-class top hotels. The room rates offer excellent value, making it ideal for extended stays. It's also not far from the main tourist street, and the hotel provides complimentary transportation to the city center. The entire hotel's style preserves traditional Laotian design elements, with teak wood and tropical plants everywhere, while incorporating French colonial influences. It has a strong resort atmosphere that feels both traditional and sophisticated. The hotel offers many experiential activities, so you won't feel bored even staying for several days. You can join the chef to explore the morning market and cook, take a sunset cruise on the Mekong River, or enjoy a spa treatment in the afternoon—I highly recommend the hotel's spa services. Breakfast at La Résidence Phou Vao is à la carte, very generous and delicious.

#February Good Places 2025 **Belmond La Residence Phou Vao** Address: 3 PO Box 50, Luang Prabang, Laos Access: Take a taxi from the city center for about 10 minutes. What to do nearby: The hotel is located in a tranquil setting in the mountains, allowing you to arrange hikes and visits to the local village. Eat: The hotel restaurant offers fine Lao and French cuisine, as well as a river view restaurant.

If a luxury brand has just been withdrawn, it may be a good time to stay there. Generally, the service will not decline significantly after the withdrawal, but the price is likely to be halved. - For example, we recently stayed at Phou Vao Hotel in Luang Prabang. Last year, it was still under the Belmond brand, and like Bulgari and White Horse Manor, it is also part of the LVMH Group. It is the first five-star hotel in Laos, and locals love this hotel. In their childhood (about 30-40 years ago), this was the only hotel with a swimming pool, and many locals were brought here to swim by their parents in the summer. Every time you take a tutu car, you can tell the driver to go to "Phou Vao" and he will understand immediately, but Amantaka may not. - The hotel's history dates back to 1970, when a small residence was built on Kite Mountain for the royal family. It later became the residence of the American ambassador. In 1991, it underwent a major renovation and became Phou Vao. - The central area of Luang Prabang is very small, and Phou Vao Hotel is in a very convenient location, just 5-8 minutes by car from the area around Mount Phousi. You can clearly see the pagoda on Mount Phousi from the hotel room. However, it is away from the bustling city center, and the entire resort is surrounded by tall trees. Therefore, the convenience and privacy are very good, and in Chinese ancient words, it is "a thatched cottage in a human environment, without the noise of cars and horses." The hotel will have a shuttle bus to take you to and from the night market in Luang Prabang for free. - Phou Vao Hotel has only 34 rooms. However, the hotel covers an area of 3.5 hectares, with two swimming pools, a bar, a restaurant, and a large garden. - The 34 rooms are divided into four types, starting with suites. Most rooms are about 55 square meters in size and have the same layout. The main difference is the view from the room's terrace. Garden view, mountain view, mountain view and pool view, and Phou Vao suite. The garden view room is still mainly designed in black wood "old money style", blending French and Lao local architectural styles, and is extremely simple and classical. The bathroom has no shower, only a bathtub. However, the bathtub design is really great. It is hollowed out from a whole piece of marble, and the depth is designed according to ergonomics. One end is designed with a height difference, which can fit the back when lying down. The bathtub style is very old-fashioned, and the staff said it is the oldest object in the entire room, and it will be kept every time it is renovated. - The hotel has only one restaurant, and breakfast is a la carte + buffet. The variety is not much, but each item is delicious. Phou Vao Hotel has a luxury longtail boat, where you can watch the sunset on the Mekong River. Similar services in Luang Prabang are only available at Amantaka. - Although the hotel has changed hands several times, the staff team has been basically retained, and even the old staff have worked for 30 years. The staff are very familiar with the hotel and can answer any obscure questions to satisfy your curiosity. - I have stayed at Amantaka and Phou Vao Hotel. Phou Vao Hotel is a true alternative to Amantaka. Except for the price, the two hotels are very similar.