This Five-Star Hilltop-Jungle Retreat Proves Laos as a Luxury Destination Worth Traveling For

25.09.2024 - 14:47 / matadornetwork.com

The “Golden Triangle” of Southeast Asia was named such due to the region’s thriving opium trade from the ’50s until the early 21st century. The mountainous region, where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet, subsequently became fashionable with backpackers hopping between the countries before going south to Cambodia and Vietnam.

I’ve done this route a handful of times in my late teens and early twenties. Back then, I could have been the poster child for Lonely Planet’s South East Asia on a Shoestring guidebook. I had a $5-a-day budget, slept on overnight buses to avoid accommodation costs, ate street food, and appreciated the odd hot shower. Visiting the region as a backpacker had a profound impact on my life. Still, I wish I had the means to have a more elevated experience — especially in Laos, a country that’s seen a boom in the luxury market over the past couple of decades.

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Hilltop tents at Rosewood Luang Pradbang.   Photo: Rosewood Hotels

Cities such as Luang Prabang have attracted five-star hoteliers who have established some of the best luxury hotels in the country, seamlessly blending world-class service, fine dining, and opulent accommodations with the stunning natural backdrop of the region’s mountainous landscapes and lush rice paddies.

Laos follows Theravada Buddhism, the strictest form of Buddhism. Monks adhere to a set of rules called the Vinaya, which emphasizes simplicity and detachment from worldly possessions.   Photo: M2020/Shutterstock

Laos, landlocked by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, and Cambodia and Thailand to the south, might not have the Southeast Asian white beaches so many travelers flock to, but spirituality, culture, fertile plains along the Mekong River, and the people make up for it. Occupied by the French until 1953, the streets of Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane, are lined with colonial architecture, and you’ll note a distinctive French influence on the food scene here, too.

Luang Prabang is one of the best examples of a blend of traditional Lao culture and modern luxury. Located in northern Laos, on the meeting point of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, the town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 and is home to some of the most sophisticated Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia.

Today, there are a handful of five-star hotels and resorts, from colonial-style mansions with upscale fine dining experiences to private retreats with infinity pools and stunning views of the surrounding mountains and