Jon the Traveller

Call me lazy, call me unadventurous, but after leaving Pai and stopping briefly in Chiang Mai, I made the decision to fly to Luang Prabang in Laos, skipping the slow boat that travellers normally take. This was because the stories and rumours flying around about that route & method had the boat not functioning the way it always had due to the low condition of the Mekong. Looking back this was the right choice as the boat is currently out of action thanks to the Mekong being very low for reasons unknown to me.

I got a pretty cheap flight with Lao Airlines and after a very short flight I got off the plane – which by the way had propellers – and was in the second country on this excursion of mine.

Luang Prabang itself is a pretty compact place, as I have said previously and as also mentioned it is a UNESCO world heritage site, in part due to its history as a former royal capital and also because of how well preserved the town is, despite the chaos in Laos history – recent and further back.

Its a great introduction to Laos, as its a very laid back place with a lot of sights both near and far and a stunning selection of places to eat, from every day street stalls doing simple Laos dishes such as Laap right through to some gems like Utopia, with its menu of both Laos and western food that really belies the setting.

Just make sure you are healthier than me (easy I know) if you want to see the worthwhile views from the top of Phu Si, the temple mountain in the centre of the old town.

Having made the decision to fly into Luang Prabang, I needed to find a place that would pick me up from the airport, as its a slight way out of town.

After much browsing of Travelfish and Google, I happened upon Rattana’s and fired off an email. A few hours later my reservation was confirmed. A day later I was met at the airport and taken to the guesthouse.

Rattana’s itself is close to the boat landing for the slow boats, as well as close to Phou Si, the Hmong Market and pretty much the rest of Luang Prabang. The rooms are pretty spacious overall, and very well maintained. And at $15 a night you cannot ask for more.

Rattana’s also offers trekking and other tour services ould they interest you, as well as being able to arrange onward bus tickets to anywhere in Laos.

Overall as a slightly more costly place than most of the budget range in town, Id say Rattana’s does what it does very well and I have no complaints about the place.

I’m in Laos now, more specifically in the town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO protected World Heritage site.

Town is very pedi friendly, so I’m a happy chappy.

I’ll have more to say in a day or two.