Laos. The land, which used to be hunting ground for the previous
prince across the river from his palace, now the Banyan Tree, is a
safe haven for over 1,200 plants organised into different habitats.
Workshops and rituals are offered at various times and there’s a cafe
overlooking a lotus pond.
Luang Prabang’s boutique shops demand an afternoon or three
of delightful browsing. There are plenty of gems you won’t see in
other parts of Asia, like the batik by Passa Paa, the weaving at Pavilion
de Jade and Ock Pop Tok and the silk clothes at Caruso Lao. The
night market is an unmissable nightly festival of handicrafts, textiles
including the beautiful indigo and art.GOODBYE LUANG PRABANG
My trip to Laos ended with perhaps the most magical and
impressionable experience of all. Thanks to the Burasari staff, we were
invited to sit in at Phon Heuang temple’s evening chanting. We settled
down as the monks started arriving, ages across the spectrum. After a
short quiet, they began and the rich, practised sounds rose up to echo
around the temple room. Another meditation, this time of sound. Eyes
closed, mind open, heart filled, this was the perfect way to bid goodbye
to this spiritually rich and accessible destination.July/August 2017 AsiaSpa 109CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
Sofitel Luang Prabang is
a relaxing retreat housed
in century-old traditional
houses; explore Luang
P r a b a n g ’s b o u t i q u e
shops to find gems you
won’t see elsewhere; the
Burasari Spa is considered
one of the city’s top spas