Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BOAT TOURS
BananaBoat
Ma Te Sai, Ban Wat Aphay 020 2889 4133,
bananaboatlaos.com
.
Prob-
ably the best of the local boat operators (though not the cheapest), running a range of full-
day Mekong and Nam Khan trips on twelve-seater vessels, including to Kuang Si via the
Xieng Men temples (from $40/person).
Luang Say Cruises
Sakkaline Rd 071 252553,
luangsay.com
.
Luxury cruises up the
Mekong
to Pakbeng and Houayxai, for which it's often possible to get very good last-
minute deals.
Nava Mekong
020 5928 5555,
info@navamekong.com
.
Four-hour lunch cruises up
to Pak Ou caves ($25 excluding alcohol). They also run shorter dinner cruises to Xieng
Men ($30).
ACCOMMODATION
Luang Prabang has hundreds of
places to stay
, from simple rooms in inexpensive guest-
houses to gorgeous luxury hotels in historic properties, many of which play heavily on a
French-colonial theme. While you can spend a fortune on accommodation, it's worth noting
that a lot of the cheaper, mid-range places can be just as atmospheric (if not more so) than
the fancy hotels.
Highseason
is December and January (festivals, such as Lao New Year, are
also very busy times), but regardless of the season, it's a good idea to
book in advance
if
you have a particular establishment in mind or if you'll be arriving in the evening. A good
booking site for accommodation, especially for the budget end where few guesthouses have
websites or email addresses, is
luang-prabang-hotels.com
.
Prices
in Luang Prabang are a
lot higher than elsewhere in the country and it can be hard to find much below 100,000K in
high season, though big discounts are often available when business is quiet.
Breakfast
and
free bike rental is normally included in the rates at smarter, more upmarket places, as (some-
times) is airport transfer;
free wi-fi
is standard.
