LUANG PRABANG — A boutique hotel that was once the home of Lao royalty is wooing brides and grooms from around the world with a honeymoon holiday showcasing the best of enchanting Luang Prabang.
Long boat cruises on the Mekong River, Lao barbeques by candlelight, and a traditional Baci ceremony – where couples literally tie the knot with the blessing of a village elder – are among the highlights of Villa Maly’s “Romancing Luang Prabang” package, launched last week.
Anchored by a colonial French villa built in 1938 by Princess Vanthatmaly, Villa Maly is now a 33-room boutique hotel, located a stone’s throw from the charming streets, boutiques and riverside restaurants in the UNESCO Heritage Town.
Newlyweds will stay two nights in a deluxe room set in Villa Maly’s lush garden retreat, dine poolside on a Lao-style Sindad barbeque, explore Luang Prabang’s scenic waterways on the Nava Mekong’s sunset dinner cruise, and unwind with a 60-minute massage at the Villa Maly Spa.
To celebrate the couple’s union, the hotel will organize a Baci ceremony — an ancient Lao tradition performed to mark important occasions. The officiating monk or elder will recite chants calling for the blessing and well being of the participants, while knotting white cotton strings around the bride and groom’s wrists, symbolically sealing in the benefits of the ritual, which concludes with a Lao dance and music performance.
Villa Maly’s honeymoon package also includes:
– Welcome drink on arrival
– Two-way airport transfers
– Champagne and flower setup in room on arrival
– Complimentary breakfast buffets at Le Vetiver
– Late check-out (subject to availability)
“Romancing Luang Prabang” is priced at USD 720 per room, based on double occupancy, and including government taxes and service charges. The package is on offer until the end of December, 2013.
For inquiries please email: info@villa-maly.com or visit: www.villa-maly.com
