Apsara Rive Droite is a chic, boutique hotel, located just outside Luang Prabang. Set across the Nam Khan River, the hotel is reached from its sister hotel, The Apsara, via a free two-minute ride in a wooden longtail boat or a bridge, then up the bamboo stairs. On top, in a peaceful waterside setting, the hotel is housed in a revitalised French villa, with a pool surrounded by mature gardens and a wonderful restaurant.
There are just nine spacious rooms in Apsara Rive Droite. The Garden View Deluxe rooms are on the ground floor and River View Deluxe rooms are upstairs, providing a wider view of Nam Khan River. All the rooms are spacious and modern with Laotian influences; dark hardwood floors, huge beds with crisp white sheets, silk wall hangings and lanterns. They all enjoy shuttered French windows and have either a balcony or a terrace with widescreen river views.
The Nam Khan River that flows between the Rive Droite hotel and the town has been of much interest and debate between the guests. For us, the location was excellent, being a short boat ride from the centre of town. You can also walk or bike across a nearby bamboo bridge (the hotel has push bikes to lend). The lovely pool and a nice restaurant serves French inspired breakfasts and both Western and Asian inspired meals, all-day.
Amenities
24hr Room ServiceBar/PubConciergeCribs/Infant Beds AvailableGardenMultilingual StaffOutdoor PoolRestaurantSafety Deposit BoxesWi-Fi AvailableStay Apsara Rive Droite has just 9 rooms in a revitalised French villa. All rooms are large, spacious, airy and glamorous with large fully equipped bathrooms. All rooms have wooden floors, a king size double bed with western mattress, air con and fans, safes, a mini bar, hair dryers, phones, and views of the temples and mountains of Luang Prabang. Four of the rooms have a day bed that can very easily be made up into a single bed, if needed.
ChildCare Apsara Rive Droite Hotel is designed for a peaceful stay and therefore does not accept children below 12 years age. However, children above 12 years are welcome to stay at the Apsara Rive Droite.
Dine The main restaurant at the Apsara Rive Droite hotel provides a generous breakfast with plenty of choice - excellent pastries, jams and other options. We had a nice selection of simple dishes for lunch and dinner but it is best to try many options available in the town. The restaurant is open for all day dining, offering a fresh and delicious poolside or dining menu for those wishing to eat in.
Relax A particularly nice feature at the Apsara Rive Droite hotel is the pool. In Luang Prabang, hotels within the downtown historic district are not allowed to have a pool. Since other hotels with pools are much further from town, staying at The Apsara Rive Droite, you can spend the morning exploring the town and enjoy an afternoon in luxurious idleness by the pool.
Explore There are free bikes at the Apsara Rive Droite hotel, which we used for a morning journey on the less busy side of the river. If you are looking for a quiet excursion, take the bikes and visit the nearby village (15mins by bicycle from the hotel) which has a small paper and textile factory. There are also a few interesting Wats on the way. The hotel can also arrange a boat trip up the Mekong to see the Pak Ou caves with hundreds of Buddhas perched on its ledges or a car to the nearby Kwang Si waterfall.
Experience At the Apsara Rive Droite, you can just step outside the hotel and watch the monks in the morning, walk down and back the road as they receive their gifts of rice from families living along the road. Alternatively, you can cross the river to watch the silent procession of Buddhist monks receiving alms but there are a lot of tourists doing the same.
Location Apsara Rive Droite is a boutique hotel, located on the edge of Luang Prabang, and across the Nam Khan River. It's just a 2-minute boat hop across the river to the temples and restaurants, or a bicycle ride across the bridge.
Getting There Take an international flight to Luang Prabang. Lao Airlines is the national carrier and monopolises the majority of flights in and out of the country, though many code-shares with other air carriers. Apsara Rive Droite is approximately a 15-20-minute drive from the airport.
When to go The climate in Luang Prabang remains tropical. The best time to visit is in the months between November and mid-March. During these months, the days are pleasant and the nights are chilly. Thereafter the temperature begins to rise and March to May gets very hot. The monsoon arrives in the month of April and peak in August but continues until mid-October. Travel is difficult during these months. Avoid travelling during March-April and August.
Destination
Northern, Laos
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