Sa Sa Lao

I'm not a backpacker by any stretch of the imagination; but had booked the most wonderful private room with a canopied bed, mosquito nets, virtually open air shower and airy open lodge room. I had the BEST sleep I've had in months. In fact I slept so well that I added on an extra night to make up for the night I'd missed due to sickness at the start. There is a river ride into town provided by the resort so you can meander into town down the Mekong River with an excellent skipper watching the world go by. Bliss! I managed to time it so that I also was able to get a lift back to the lodge on the boat for my return journey. Whilst it is a free "boat shuttle" it is only right & proper to give the skipper a few bank notes to show your appreciation. There is a restaurant on site which is amazing. I had wholesome home cooked, traditional food here which you can watch being made and there is a lovely communal feel about the restaurant area. There is a beautiful spot with big relaxing chairs which you can plonk yourself down on overlooking the river and watch the river activity. Two mornings i had coffee there before i started my exploring. As a solo traveller, life never is as exciting as it is when you have a partner with you (NB he left me for a tart!!) but Alisha & team were always kind enough to make me feel welcome and provide some conversation or information as required. A glorious stay so disappointing to read that someone else has not enjoyed their time here. I would thoroughly recommend. A friendly & welcoming venue.

The ambience is lovely, with bamboo walls and wooden bunks, and there's a welcome commitment to managing environmental impact. The dorms and bathrooms are spacious, and the staff are pleasant. Unfortunately however, there are a few inconvenient issues. The biggest is the incessant electrically-amplified racket from (a temple?) nearby. Repetitive, jingly-jangly music some nights; wailing, screeching, whooping monks others. ALL NIGHT. It stops for a blissful few seconds, the sound of cicadas comes through and you think it's over, and then it starts up again. It's soooo loud! I was told it was for the full moon but that it's been going on every night for a week now! The other problem is a lack of charging points, not all of which are positioned near beds and none of which are accessible from top bunks. 2 double sockets for 4 beds isn't enough, especially if someone plugs in a large adaptor that blocks both sockets. The café/restaurant is OK, though my requests for them to leave things out (bacon and onions from the omelette) weren't managed once in a week. Finally, it's out of the town centre (1.5km to the night market, for example). It's easy to get a tuc-tuc, but I'd stay more centrally if I came back.

I loved my stay at Sa Sa Lao. I stayed in the dorm and was very comfortable there, the beds are very comfy and they have mosquito nets. I swam in the Nam Khan river every day of my stay which was such a nice extra because it was so hot! The staff are very kind and helpful, and I also was lucky enough to experience the Sa Sa cruise organised by the guesthouse. They have a nice restaurant and bar too with really good food and cocktails. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in Luang Prabang.