www.kamulodge.com Kamu Lodge is an excellent options for families seeking some adventure where all activities for kids and parents focus on traditional life and nature exploration.

1. TheReferralGuidefor SINGAPORE June 2013
June2013Issue131OUTDOORFURNITURE•PRESCHOOLS•SPAS&FACELIFTSS$6.50
MCI(P)064/02/2013
THE INSIDE
SCOOP ON
SPAS
NASSIM ROADNASSIM ROAD
& BAYSHORE& BAYSHORE
PenthouseSplendourPenthouseSplendour
Cruise Vietnam
Laos with KidsLaos with Kids
Need a Facelift?
AL FRESCO FURNITURE
WEDDING GUEST STYLE
PERFECT PICNICS
Summer Time
Summer Time
21 REVIEWS FOR YOU21 REVIEWS FOR YOU
PRESCHOOLS
5 COOL NEW BARS
Cycling in Java
Bangkok by RiverBangkok by River
ReadersReaders’Recipes+Recipes+
Outdoor DecorOutdoor Decor
TALK TO AN EXPERTTALK TO AN EXPERT
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2. TRAVEL
230 June13
By Katie Roberts
Captivating and photogenic, Luang Prabang has much to
offer families, who’ll find their pulses unconsciously slowing
down to match the relaxed local rhythm.
S
ince re-opening its borders to tourists in 1989, Laos
has remained one of Asia’s best-kept secrets. While
the backpacker set largely descends on Vang Vieng,
tourists in the know stay in the mountainous northern
city of Luang Prabang. Coupled with a Unesco heritage listing
that has preserved both Lao and French colonial buildings,
there’s abundant natural beauty, culture, fantastic shopping,
chic accommodation and fabulous food. This is one city to
put on your bucket list.
BEST KEPT SECRETSerene sights
Sa-bai-dee is a handy word to remember when out and about in
Laos. It means hello, and, when said with a smile and lots of eye
contact, guarantees a warm welcome. Laotians are some of the
world’sfriendliestandmosthospitablepeopleandwhileEnglish
is not widely spoken, their warmth is obvious. With sa-bai-dee
practised, our family of four, including a seven-year-old and a
nine-year-old,setaboutexploringwhatLuangPrabang,orLP,has
to offer.
Asia’s
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3. LAOS
231June13
If you like to get your bearings in a new
place, climb up the 100-metre Phu Si for the
spectacular view of the city and surrounding
limestone hills at sunrise or sunset. Of the 30 or
so temples in LP, the most spectacular is Wat
Xien Tong. Built in the 1500s, it’s decorated
with colourful mosaics and opulently painted
interiors. Also worth a look is the Ho Kham;
formerly the Royal Palace, it was converted
into a museum after the royal family was exiled
in the 1970s.
On the recommendation of local people and
numerous guidebooks, we hired a driver for the
45-minute trip to Kuang Si waterfall. True to the
hype, it is spectacular for its eerily blue water
and the seeming endlessness of its cascading
falls and ponds. Despite the brisk temperature
we had a quick swim, after a sweaty hike to the
top of the mountain beyond the highest falls.
The waterfall is located in a pretty, forested park
with a café, changing facilities and an enclosure
for endangered sun bears.
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4. TRAVEL
232 June13
Cycling adventure
While most hotels and guesthouses lend bikes to tootle about
town, a cycling tour on a decent bike with a local guide (ours
went by the unlikely name of Bruce) is definitely the best way
to experience Laos. Families are welcomed and helmets,
kids’ bikes and tag-along bikes are supplied. Grasshopper
Adventures’ half-day Pedalling The Prabang ride (US$49 per
person) started at 7.30am, exploring the back lanes of the
city before heading out of town. It includes stops at Wat Xien
Tong temple, at the bustling morning markets, and for bitter
local coffee that may put hairs on your chest.
Bridges are few and far between, so crossing the muddy
Mekongtoexploretheothersidemeantpilingourbikesontoa
longboat.Ontheoppositebank,quiet,dustyroadsledtosmall
cottage industries where artisans were hard at work: making
paper by hand, distilling Lao-Lao whisky from sticky rice, firing
pots in a wood-fuelled kiln three metres below ground, and
weaving stunning silks and cottons on traditional looms. The
20km ride finished at about 2pm with a delicious meal of laab
salad and Beerlao beer, and the kids were chuffed with their
French fries! grasshopperadventures.com
Too much love?
Much has been written about
tak bat, the Buddhist tradition
in which monks, aged from four
to over 60, collect food or alms
from tourists and locals alike. It’s
a photogenic sight as the saffron
robes stand out brilliantly in the
grey, misty dawn.
Unfortunately, the morning we
chose to watch coincided with
Chinese New Year, and we were just a handful of possibly
a thousand tourists overwhelming the 400 monks. It was
a dishonourable spectacle, as the majority of onlookers
chose not to observe some basic rules: only give if it means
something to you; keep a respectful distance; be silent; do
not make eye contact or talk to the monks. Perhaps it’s
more restrained outside peak season, but we came away
wondering how long this ancient tradition can continue as
tourist numbers rise.
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5. LAOS
235June13
Sweet dreams
One of the newest offerings in town, the Kiridara Hotel rises
grandly up a wooded hill outside LP’s compact town centre.
But there’s no need to worry about isolation; the hotel buggy
is available at any time for the quick, five-minute trip to the
main street.
The 24-room boutique property has dramatic sweeping
roofs, which we easily picked out from the air on our descent
to the airport. Its spacious rooms have wooden floors, Laotian
textile furnishings, DVD players and walk-in shower rooms,
and open onto either a patio or a private grassed area with
stunning views of the town and surrounding hillsides.
Buffet breakfast can be had on the deck beside the
14-metre pool, as can dinner, and, importantly, happy hour
drinks. In fact, it’s the perfect spot to spend an entire day, if
only there wasn’t so much sightseeing to do! Whilst LP itself
offers many dining choices, it’s advisable to have dinner at
the hotel’s excellent Phu Doi restaurant at least once. The
weather was perfect every minute of our three-night stay,
and one evening the four of us dined outdoors in the clean,
humidity-free air. The five-course Lao meal, courtesy of the
talented Filipino chef, was scrumptiously delicious and came
with a great international selection of wines at very reasonable
prices (especially compared to Singapore restaurants).
What’s a holiday without a touch of indulgence and a visit
to the in-house spa? It has the usual spa treatments, but
the traditional Laotian steam experience caught my eye.
Eucalyptus- and lemongrass-scented steam is piped into the
small, timber-lined room from water heated by a wood fire,
somewhere below. At 40 degrees Celsius it’s on the edge
of my comfort zone, but the smoky herbal scent cleared the
sinuses and strangely relaxed fatigued muscles.
Photo by Kiridara
Photo by Kiridara
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6. LAOS
237June13
Bargain-hunting
Sisavangvong Road is a shopper’s and foodie’s paradise.
Around 5.30pm, the sprawling Night Market takes over and
vendors sell silver, paper lanterns, souvenirs, paintings, curios
and quilts at excellent prices, with only gentle bargaining
needed. Originally established by the Hmong tribe, it has
expanded to include handicrafts from the Tai Lao, Tai Dam,
Akha and other tribes.
Woven textiles are one of the traditional artisanal highlights of
the province. However, it’s difficult to know what is authentic and
what is trucked in from factories across the border. For quality
products,tryOckPopTock(ockpoptok.com),whichempowers
women by training them and supporting their traditional skills.
It has two stores in town and runs daily dyeing and weaving
classes at a picturesque craft centre by the river.
Children’s books, translated into Lao, can be purchased
at Big Brother Mouse (bigbrothermouse.com). If you are
heading upriver or further afield, you can donate them to a
local school; otherwise, you can sponsor a book party.
Another unusual market stall sells unexploded ordnance
(UXO), a legacy of the conflict in the 60s and 70s which saw
widespread carpet bombing of the country. Enterprising
villagers have cleverly reworked the aluminium of discarded
weapons into bracelets, cutlery and quirky souvenirs. There’s
a UXO visitor information centre in town, too.
Aside from the market, numerous shops sell gorgeous
jewellery, clothing, antiques and art. Leaving without buying at
least one Buddha statue, monk picture or piece of embroidery
is nigh on impossible.
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7. TRAVEL
238 June13
by solar power and the village is largely self-sufficient. When you stay at Kamu Lodge,
all meals, activities and rustic accommodation in spacious canvas tents with ensuite
bathrooms are included.
Most tourists only stay one night, arriving in time for lunch and leaving after breakfast
the following day. We were glad we’d chosen to linger for two nights, to explore the
surrounding hills and the riverbank. This also gave us time for a memorably vigorous
massage on beds set under a thatched roof by the Mekong.
After dinner on our final evening, while gazing at billions of stars, we all agreed
Laos and Kamu Lodge felt light years from home.
Up the Mekong
Any trip to Laos must include a trip on the
Mekong,the4,350kmriverthatstartsinTibet,
winds through five countries and ends in
Vietnam. It’s an essential transport route in
this mountainous country and the lifeblood
of millions of people, including residents of
the many villages that line its sandy banks.
An excellent option for families seeking some
adventure is to take a longboat three hours
upriver and stay at Kamu Lodge.
This decade-old venture was established
by a French hospitality company in
partnership with the adjacent village of 450
people, providing employment for them and
a unique experience for visitors. The Khmu,
one of the country’s 50 recognised ethnic
groups, were traditionally mountain dwellers,
but about 15 years ago the government
relocated these families to a lowland village
vacated by the dominant Lao ethnic group.
For visitors, activities focus on discovering
traditional life. The children delighted in
planting rice seedlings in the paddies,
checkingoutthevillageschoolandtryingtheir
hand at archery. They spent the remainder of
the time playing with the village children and
overcame the language barrier in a way
that only children can. One of the highlights
for them was handing over the books we’d
purchased in LP to the schoolteacher.
It’s splendidly isolated. There’s no TV and
no phone coverage; electricity is generated
Make it happen
Fly to Bangkok and then on to LP with Lao Airlines or Bangkok Airlines. Or, fly to
Vientiane, and on to LP with Lao Airlines.
Five things my kids loved in Laos
1 Cycling the dusty back lanes on the outskirts of LP
2 Playing with village kids and getting muddy in the rice paddies at Kamu Lodge
3 Steering the longboat up the Mekong River, with the help of the skipper
4 Jumping in the waterfalls at Kuang Si
5 Riding up front with the porter in Kiridara Hotel’s electric buggy
kiridara.com | grasshopperadventures.com | kamulodge.com
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