Most of the people who traveled on the 2 day slow boat journey to Luang Prabang did not have any advance reservations for accommodations - I guess you could say they were winging it. In other words, upon arrival they would hunt for suitable (and cheap) accommodations. Many of these travelers carried a guidebook or two to aid them in their search. This spontaneous travel planning is somewhat typical of “the backpacker type of traveler”.

On the other hand, I had booked my accommodations in advance for the duration of my 42-day adventure. In Luang Prabang, I had read a lot of good reports about Thong Bay Guesthouse. Acording to what I read, Thongbay Guesthouse was perched on a hillside above the Nam Khan River and located about 2 KM outside of town. Some of the thatched bungalows had views directly overlooking the river. If one wanted to go into town, the hotel rented bicycles at a nominal charge of $1.00USD per day. As I was looking for some accommodations in a quiet, peaceful setting where I could chill out, this sounded like the perfect fit for me. What was the damage? …. $20.00USD per day for a bungalow with a river view.

For most of my fellow travelers on the slow boat, $20USD would have represented a real splurge. I am guessing that most them stayed in guesthouses costing between $5-15USD and located for the most part in the town of Luang Prabang. There are over 125 guesthouses in Luang Prabang and most of them are in this price range.

I definitely did not regret my decision to splurge at Thongbay. Located amidst some lovely tropical gardens, this small family run resort was very serene and peaceful and I found the staff to be very pleasant and accommodating. My bungalow was absolutely delightful - simply but attractively furnished, my room was very large and comfortable with a huge ensuite bathroom. Going out on my large outdoor terrace, I had commanding views of the Nam Khan River. Every morning, I would have breakfast - fruit salad, a hard boiled egg or two, strong Laotian coffee and hot toasted croissants with jelly - served to me on my private terrace while I watched the local people tend to their hillside vegetable gardens on the other side of the river. After breakfast, I would typically do some work on my laptop computer or continue reading one of my vacation novels, Tyrannosaur Canyon or Broken Prey.

I found Thongbay Guesthouse to be one of the best and most relaxing places that I stayed at during my 42-day odyssey. Owned by an amiable Swiss gent and his Laotian wife, this small resort cum guesthouse of about 20 units is highly recommended.

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