Cosmopolitan UK – September 2019

COSMOPOLITAN · 129

L

ast night I dreamed of Luang

Prabang. I dreamed of its steaming

streets, its snoozing street dogs

and its giggling monks. I dreamed

I was back there, on a scuffed wicker

chair overlooking the Mekong River,

breaking the spine of a new book and

sipping a Laotian coffee in the sun.

For years Laos has been overlooked

by its more extroverted neighbours:

party-girl Thailand to its west, culinary

arriviste Vietnam to its east; gap-yah

Cambodia to its south. But, like all

quiet beauties, Laos has finally revealed

itself to be the most bewitching of all.

It is a country of secretive hilltribes,

virgin forests where tigers roam, and

home to Luang Prabang – a temple-

saturated fantasy city.

SECRET HAVEN

Luang Prabang has all the brilliant

bits of an Asian city (street food, neon

lights, weaving tuk-tuks and $4 foot

massages) withoutanyofthebadbits.

The streets are ascleanasyournan’s

front room, the trafficshufflesrather

than roars and youwon’tfinda single

hustling salesman.

Laos was a Frenchcolonyuntil 1953

and Gallic touchesareeverywherein

Luang. The city issmall– walkable

in a few evenings.It is also,rather

incongruously, fullofluxuryhotels,

the finest of whichis Rosewood.You

could stay somewherecheaper,sure,

but you’re not payingsimplyfora

room at Rosewood,buta sliceof

nirvana. Situateda 15-minutedrive

out of town in aforest,thehotelhas

day beds scatteredacrossa Granny

Smith-green lawnanda waterfallthat

gently weaves throughit.Butit’sthe

rooms that’ll beyourholidaycrush

• decorated in silks,they
  have age-old artefacts
  pinned to the walls.The
  Riverside Villas have
  a painting easel for

indulgingyourartisticfantasies,

WaterfallPoolVillashavetheirown

littlepools,RiversideSuiteshaveday

bedstorelaxonuntilnightdraws

inandHilltopTentsarepossibly

theworld’smostluxuriouscanvas

creations,withking-sizebedsand

enormousbalconiesboasting

thebestviewsontheproperty.

I’dstayagainjustforthe

Sensespa,tobehonest.

Rosewoodis ina whole

differentwellnessleague,

offeringthingslikeHmong

Experiences(anativehealer

usesherbsfromsurrounding

foreststocleanseyourbody)andthe

intriguingLostRemediesmenu–

thinkcenturies-oldtreatmentssuch

asNuadHaiJao,a massageusing

gingerandblackpeppertoimprove

circulationandrelaxmuscles.

Asfortouristattractions,Laosmay

holdtherecordfortheworld’smost

beautifulyetleastmobbed.TadSae

Waterfallis thecolourofanaqua-

marinegemstoneandeerilyquiet.

Therearealsosunandmoonbearsto

see,allrescuedbytheSaveTheBears

charity,andanelephantsanctuary

a 20-minutedrivefromthehotel.i

WHERE:FarrahStorr

immersed herself in

Rosewood Luang

Prabang, Laos

THE GROWN-UP

GAP GETAWAY

RoomsatRosewoodLuangPrabang,

from£412perroompernightincluding

breakfast;Rosewoodhotels.com.Flights

withSingaporeAirlines(fromLondon),

from£711.82;Singaporeair.com

One sunbed for you,

one for your snacks

Hilltop tents: Glasto,

eat your heart out

GO SOLO

Learn how to

say “no thanks”

in the local

language

GET THERE ✈