3 Nagas

Rooms

There are 15 rooms and suites in all. The quietest and most secluded are on the garden side of Khamboua House, and not adjacent to the restaurant building. These rooms have private terraces or steeply roofed balconies overlooking the Nam Khan river.

We didn’t stay here - the hotel was fully booked during the 3 days we spent in Luang Prabang, even though it was September and still rainy season: a good sign. We had a good look round one of the Executive Suites, which has lots of space, its own corner of balcony with daybeds, vaulted wooden ceilings held up by teak posts, and a four-poster bed with white and gauzy drapes around the beds (pretty but didn’t look that mozzie-proof). The bathroom is spacious and well-designed, the only disappointment is the fact that the shower is over the bath, not separate.

The Deluxe Rooms are similar, in some cases with lower ceilings, but still spacious with a sitting area and a terrace or balcony in most. They feature large windows that overlook the heritage city or the lush botanical garden.

The furniture is mostly rosewood and so the colour scheme is serene, sombre and simple: essentially deep, dark brown (the timber floors and furniture), and cream and white (the walls, fabrics and bedlinen), enlivened by one or two hand-woven, striped or zig-zagged Ikat silks. You get WiFi, bathrobes, hairdryers, air-con, fans, safes, phones - but no TVs, this is a place to switch off and unwind.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

3 Nagas Restaurant & Bar serves highly rated authentic Laotian cuisine throughout the day. There's a lovely courtyard for dining outside on balmy days. Dishes include Khanap Paa, a grilled fish stuffed with herbs and wrapped in a banana leaf, and Phanaeng Kai, shredded chicken, minced pork and buffalo meat cooked in a coconut milk curry.

Breakfast (included) is also served here from 6.30-10.30am, and consists of an a la carte menu featuring continental (usual fare, including pastries, fresh fruit, cereal and yoghurts) and American (such as pancakes) dishes. To cool off during the day, head to the hotel's ice cream parlour and sample some of the inventive flavours on offer. We think the Nagas favourite - nutty-flavoured pandan mixed with coconut - sounds scrummy.

If you want to eat out, there are numerous restaurants a short walk away. We enjoyed a meal at Café Ban Vat Sene, an airy, tastefully worn French restaurant with wooden tables, rattan chairs and a stripy awning that might have been lifted straight from the Ile de Ré.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Wat Xieng Thong is the oldest and arguably finest wat in Luang Prabang. The roofs swoop, the columns are stencilled in gold, the back of the temple is glass mosaic and the gardens brim with bougainvillea, frangipani and hibiscus
  
• Tak Bet: the daily dawn alms-giving ritual, when saffron-robed monks stream down the streets accepting alms from Laotian women, divides foreign opinion. Some have been appalled at the behaviour of other tourists, jamming their lenses in the monks’ faces, but you can enjoy Tak Bet respectfully by either standing back from the parade and not taking flash photographs, or by actually taking part. Ask your hotel or guide to provide you with a stool to sit on and a steamer of sticky rice (do not buy one from street vendors as their rice can be dodgy) or go to a shop and buy individually wrapped biscuits
  
• Mount Phousi is the only hill in town: come up for sunset and meet every other tourist in town. Tacky - well, yes, a little, but the views of forest and the Mekong are great, and you can see the wood smoke settling above the tree-line at dusk, one of the loveliest sights we saw in Laos
  
• Play pétanque by the banks of the river. Luang Prabangers seem to love this game and there are pitches all over the place
  
• Check out the markets: Phousi market, away from the old town, is where locals do their shopping. The night market, selling handicrafts from cotton appliqué duvet covers to silk shawls, sprawls through the side streets around the Royal Palace and its pretty lights make it a lovely evening stroll
  
• Take a boat 25km up the Mekong to the Pak Ou Caves. You’ll find Buddha statues jostling for space and the cruise up the river is spectacular
  
• Arrange a cooking class with Les 3 Nagas's chef and learn how to make traditional Laotian food
  
• Drive or cycle up to Kuang Si waterfalls and check out the impressive 150m drop that tumbles from the sky over four ledges (at its best in November-January, after the rains); there are swimming holes downstream, but remember that Laotians bathe fully clothed. The journey south through the countryside is equally enjoyable
  
• Hire one of 3 Nagas' vintage cars and take it for a spin through the surrounding countryside. Choose from a 1957 Mercedes-Benz or a 1953 Citroen (book well in advance)

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Kayaking
• Museums / galleries
• Shopping / markets
• Traditional cultures
• Trekking

Kids

Families are welcome although they're not that common at the hotel, as Luang Prabang is quite a grown-up city. Children stay free of charge up to 12 years old when sharing parents' bed; an extra bed or baby cot costs extra.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

All rooms can fit an extra bed or a baby cot, but we'd recommend the Executive Suites as these are by far the largest, and benefit from both a living and dining area.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

3 Nagas is in the heart of Luang Prabang, formerly Laos' royal capital city and a Unesco World Heritage site, in the north of the country.

By Air:
Fly to Luang Prabang International Airport (4km) from Hanoi, Siem Reap, Vientiane, Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

From the Airport
The hotel can provide a transfer to the hotel - see Rates.

By Boat:
Cruise along the Mekong from Houei Xai, on the Thai border in the Golden Triangle. Avoid the speedboats (noisy, dangerous) that do the trip in 6 hours and instead take a leisurely overnight cruise - click on the links below for details.

By Road:
Foreign consulates used to advise visitors to fly in rather than drive as the roads were dotted with Hmong bandits. However, the road from Vientiane (Route 13) has been improved and is now safe. The drive takes 8 or 9 hours; probably best to hire a car and driver, although you can travel by coach.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.