Ban Vat Nong
P.O.Box 722
Luang Prabang
Laos
Travelers coming to partake of historic Luang Prabang can do little better than this quaint resort along the former Lao capital’s main roadway, comprising three UNESCO World Heritage buildings more than a century old. History, luxury, food – Alila 3 Nagas has it all.
Alila boasts a design they say marries contemporary style with the heritage of “the Kingdom of a Million Elephants”. With the historic buildings on offer here, Alila wisely does as little as possible with its embarrassment of riches: a 500-meter garden, a prime location by the Nam Khan River and spacious, wood-heavy rooms featuring local weavings and beautiful verandahs looking out over the street or garden.
The riches spill over into the dining rooms, where two world-class restaurants – the Lao-centric, chic Les 3 Nagas, written up in the New York Times last year, and the open-air, fusion Mango Tree – cater to the upscale and informal crowds, respectively.
3 Nagas by Alila welcomes you to the ancient town of Luang Prabang in northern Laos, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. The seat of kings for much of her history, this small jewel-like town is known as the cultural centre of Laos, its rich heritage apparent in monasteries, monuments and the traditional costumes still worn by locals. Life moves at a languid pace here and time-honoured traditions continue.
Early risers will be treated to the sight of streets lined with temple-bound monks in their saffron-hued robes, receiving alms from the faithful.The town is sited on a peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and Khan rivers, surrounded by peaks and dense foliage. From a distance, only golden-spired stupas can be seen emerging from the lush greenery.
At the heart of Luang Prabang rises Mount Phousi, a 150-metre-high rocky outcrop with forested slopes, dotted with sacred shrines and stupas, and offering spectacular views of the town and surrounding landscape.
Recognition
Les 3 Nagas Restaurant listed as one of 53 hot places to visit in 2008