The Apsara  is a lovely boutique hotel, that is well worth considering.

The standard downstairs rooms (about $US90) include the three in a separate building from the restaurant and reception (11, 12, 14) .

Room 11 is on the corner and has a window

Room 12 has no window except the front opening glass doors, and Room 14 has a right side wall window. They have a nice wide balcony on the street that faces the river.

 

Two more standard downstairs rooms are located next to the restuarant and have more rom, but might be a little noisier.
 

The superior rooms upstairs above the restarurant are nice, with more room and privacy but smaller hotter balconies including room 3 and Room 1 Upstairs.

Room 1 (Superior)

Superior (double) have lots more room but a smaller balcony for about $130 US (Agoda).

Breakfast is not buffet, but is still nice and is served either indoors or riverside.

Well run by a European couple. Price includes breakfast and an airport transfer for superior rooms. It is not far from Villa Santi, perhaps a 5 min walk.

The restaurant is also particularly nice, with good, though pricier food.
It’s also next door to the Tamarind Restaurant which is also lovely and offers good cooking lessons.

The night market runs 4-10pm every night in front of the palace and is a great place to spend the evening/s in Luang Prabang.

Not only does it sell a wide range of souvenirs, handicrafts and potiential gifts to take home, there’s food stalls selling steamed coconut cakes….

steamed dumplings……

chocolate and banana crepes…….

and a whole alley (down near the post office/baguette and fruit shake stalls) of buffets selling a plate of food for about $2 AUS.

Some stalls will heat your food in a pan. Go here early when it’s not so busy and the food is freshly cooked.

Phosy Market is Luang Prabang’s main market for locals.

A short tuk tuk ride from the centre of town, it’s well worth a visit especially to enjoy the fresh produce section and is often included in cooking classes. Tamarind Restaurant sells an inexpensive ‘What’ at the Market?’ booklet that’s worth investing in.

It’s also a good spot to explore Luang Prabang’s specialty foods….

….buffalo skin for boiling and dipping or adding to stews and  fried mushroom and bamboo shoots, coconut biscuits, sweet chilli dip

 

fermented fish sauce

 

 

 

 

 

Along the road that runs next to the Nam Khan River, is a run of bars that also serve a mix of Asian and Western food.

The Hive Bar

Lao Lao Garden

But for a bit more class and a better view, keep walking to Utopia.

 

And more expensive, but more upmarket are the Ikon Club…

and well located Tangor..

But if it’s just tea or coffee you’re looking for, consider L’Estranger Books and Tea

Le Banneton Cafe

or Cafe Ban Vat Sene.

 

Tamarind Restaurant is true to it’s claim: ’We are not a regular restaurant. We aim to introduce you to Laos’ relatively unknown cuisine by explaining and demonstrating Lao culinary customs.

It’s great to be able to try ‘taster plates as a light sampler of Lao flavours and textures.’

The sweet sticky rice with coconut palm sugar sauce is the best ever.

It has a lovely Nam Khan riverside setting, good prices and great, interesting food.

The drinks are also excellent.

Granitas $AUD 3.70 ($AUD 2.20 non-alcoholic, also lovely)
‘A refreshing, crushie ice slushie-style drink with a vodka kick’
Best to least
Watermelon and Chilli
Honey and Ginger
Lime and Lemongrass
Rosella and Lime (not so great)

Beer Lao15,000 kip ($AUD 2.20) for 600ml

Lao Coffee is 9,000 kip and served local style in true Tamarind commitment to authentic regional cuisine. The menu says ‘Lao coffee is blended with tamarind for a sour sweet blend. Different to western coffee, it does not have a strong caffeine kick. We serve it Lao style with a bottom layer of sweet [sweetened condensed] milk.’

Good cooking classes are also available, but these fill up fast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not as good for food or or as well priced as Le Banneton Cafe, but in a convenient spot near Villa Santi, is Cafe Ban Vat Sene.

It’s a good place to go if you need a break.

 

Le Banneton Cafe, on Sisavangvong street, is perhaps the best French cafe in Luang Prabang to visit.

 

The platform behind the Palace in Luang Prabang is the best spot for taking photos and it’s great to have a sunset drink along the river, but another lovely way to experience the magnificent sunset over the Mekong is to wander down below and take a sunset cruise.

Usually 30,000 kip per person, prices can be negotiated for groups.
Take your own drinks and snacks.

Luang Prabang’s particular food specialties are good to try while visiting and include sweet coconut biscuits….

dried buffalo which is good boiled and used in stews and also with sweet chilli dip…..

crispy deep fried Mekong river weed (great with a beer) .

Orlam (stew with plenty of dill)…

Green papaya salad (that differs to the green Papaaya salad as it uses a pungent fermented fish sauce )

smokey eggplant dip…

deep fried mushrooms…..

deep fried bamboo shoots….

Lao sausage..

and Lao Salad (with a French inspired creamy egg based dressing)

Also, common are laap and red curries with sticky rice as well as the French inspired baguettes and croissants.

Tamarind restaurant and Dyen Sabai restaurant are good spots to try platters of Luang Prabang/Lao specialities…

Tamarind platters

 

Dyen Sabai platter

 

 

Newly established Bamboo Tree Cooking Classes sees cooking teacher/chef Linda, who taught with the well respected Tum Tum Cheng Cooking Classes for ten years continuing to provide well run classes that are well priced and make efficient use of the time. Around $40 AUS includes the class, lunch, market tour, cocktail and cook book.

Located near Apsara Hotel and Tamarind Restaurant Bamboo Tree offers both morning (8:50-14:00) and evening classes (17:00-20:00).

email: bambootreelpg@live.com

phone: +856 20 2242 5499

Linda and her sister (who takes the market tour) are engaging and thoughtfully explain many aspects of Lao cuisine and local ingredients.

The class finishes with a lovely lunch of the dishes that the group has cooked, down by the Nam Khan River along with a Lao Lao whiskey cocktail.

Sweet chilli dip paste                                        Sticky rice, coconut and banana dessert

 

  

The class starts with a visit to Phosy local market.