The first stop on our Southeast Asian honeymoon was Luang Prabang, Laos. We wanted something authentic, off the beaten path, yet still luxe. After traveling for almost two days (in style, aboard Singapore Airlines Suites, but still exhausting), we arrived at the best hotel we’ve ever stayed at!

Time Travel

Our airplane broke through the clouds and followed the curve of the Mekong River, flying over rolling emerald green hills peppered with colorful houses. The afternoon sun glinted off the ornate roof of a golden temple, and I excitedly grabbed Saul’s hand to point it out to him. Although the time zone was 12 hours ahead of home in the US, it seemed as if we’d stepped back decades as we descended a staircase and onto the tarmac at Luang Prabang International Airport. We immediately entered the tiny terminal, where we cleared immigration and scooped our luggage from one of two or three baggage carousels in a matter of minutes. Our hotel transport driver offered refreshing washcloths, cold water, and an assortment of local snacks. There was even a wifi password for the car (!) and a list of hotel amenities to peruse. As we drove down the clay roads, vendors sold snacks from street-side carts and locals puttered by on motorbikes – sometimes whole families crowded on one bike! We drove past the center of town, where our driver pointed out the location of a recommended coffee shop and the night market, and through the outskirts – past government buildings, tire shops, and private homes. Just when we were beginning to wonder whether this had been a good idea, our driver made a 90 degree turn into a hidden paradise.

We had arrived at the Rosewood Luang Prabang, the first stop on our honeymoon. Guillermo Valera, the youngest (and most sharply-dressed!) Managing Director in the Rosewood portfolio, met us at our car and greeted us by name. As our luggage was unloaded, we enjoyed the most relaxing check-in process I have ever experienced: in a poolside chaise, welcome drinks in hand.

Luxury Digs

The ambiance of the hotel is one of pure magic; an on-site garden provides fresh produce for the kitchen, and Sense Spa’s luxurious treatment tents stand perched above the river that winds through the property. When facedown on the massage tables, we were even able to watch the water flow by through windows in the floor! Rosewood Luang Prabang houses just 23 accommodations, all outfitted by interiors legend Bill Bensley. While Saul and I still regularly talk about the design of our gorgeous Riverside Villa, it truly was the staff’s attention to detail that made the Rosewood Luang Prabang the best hotel we’ve ever stayed at. I don’t think I can properly express just how much their service enhanced our trip, but I will try.

Laotian Hospitality

Each task that the hotel staff undertook was done with a level of precision that required a high degree of coordination, yet was presented effortlessly. In the evenings, staff members delicately lit and hung paper lanterns in the tree in front of the Great House (main building), and patiently removed them at dawn. Every time we approached a staff member, we were met with a genuine smile, and a warm greeting, “sabadee!” as they placed their palms together and took a small bow.

Upon arrival, there was a bottle of wine waiting for us in our villa. Every evening, we received a small Laotian treat with a note explaining its significance. Some of these little gifts included a journal with handmade paper, bite-sized coconut rice pancakes called kanom khop, and fresh-picked strawberries. The housekeeping was immaculate, and every day fresh ice, water, and trail mix in our room were replenished.

Sticky Rice and More

The food at the Rosewood Luang Prabang was incredible and full of locally-sourced ingredients. Our dinner the first evening on site was a private, multi-course dinner on a dock over the river adorned with palm fronds arranged into the shape of a heart. An extensive daily a-la-carte breakfast menu was included with the price of our room. We quickly made a habit of ordering iced Lao coffees to be enjoyed al fresco in the afternoons, sweetened with condensed milk. In the evenings, you could predictably find us lounging at the on property over-the-river Elephant Bridge Bar, enjoying drinks. The property’s Opening Culinary Director, Chef Sebastien Rubis, was designated a Culinary Ambassador by the United Nations. Chef Rubis visited with us on more than one occasion, explaining the dishes, and even customized off-menu meals for us based on our dietary preferences. Our one regret of the stay was not booking a cooking class with him. Before my first bite of purple sticky rice, I was unaware that food could be both foreign and familiar at once. It quickly became a go-to comfort food, one that to this day, takes us back to our honeymoon.

Adventures

In the months leading up to our honeymoon, we had indicated our interest in several tours and dinner reservations with the hotel via email. Upon arrival, we were handed a printed itinerary, with which each member of the hotel staff was thoroughly familiar. Transportation was always ready and waiting when we needed to depart for a tour. Yet, because the tours were arranged just for us, we could order a second cup of coffee and linger over the breakfast table before heading out, without regard for specific schedules. Every excursion was reasonably-priced, and well worth the money. They weren’t just more expensive versions of the same tours that other vendors offered. All of them were led by knowledgeable English-speaking tour guides, and were completely private, luxurious, and included an indulgent meal.

The wats (monasteries) inside the city are sadly becoming crowded with tourists who pay little regard/respect to the deep cultural traditions behind the daily alms-collection at dawn. With Rosewood, we were able to accompany a former monk to attend a morning Sai Bat (alms ceremony) at a wat outside of town, where we were the only foreigners who joined villagers in offering sticky rice and mangoes to the monks. After the alms-giving, we went into the temple to bask in the quiet stillness for several minutes. As the sun rose, we stopped at the bustling morning market in downtown Luang Prabang, where I purchased dried blue pea flowers to steep in hot water and make into tea.

On another day, we had an audience with Prasop Tipprasert, an elephant expert from Thailand who came out of retirement to run the MandaLao sanctuary in Laos. He told us that Laos was once called the “land of a million elephants,” even though it had approximately 100,000. Tragically, just one thousand remain today. The elephants at MandaLao are retired, formerly used to give elephant rides to tourists. Now, visitors to the sanctuary can walk through the forest with these gentle giants and observe them in their natural habitat.

The most strenuous tour was our morning hike to Kuang Si Falls. We began our hike in a rural Hmong Village, and hiked for hours through serene natural landscapes, before an aggressive descent to Kuang Si, which was teeming with tourists. We snapped a few photos, and then met our driver to begin our drive back to the Rosewood Luang Prabang. We were surprised and delighted when the car pulled over into a smaller park and we watched the team prepare the most ornate picnic spread next to a secluded waterfall!

Our last morning in Laos, we enjoyed a private cruise on a traditional boat to the intersection of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. There, we paid a visit to the hillside Pak Ou caves, where we offered flowers, candles, and incense to the thousands of statues of the Buddha.

Best. Hotel. Ever!

The Rosewood Luang Prabang is the best hotel we’ve ever stayed at, and a destination unto itself. There was so much to see and do outside the property’s grounds, but given the chance to return, we’d gladly remain exclusively on the hotel premises for an extra few days.