Traveling with young children can be a wonderful experience as they are exposed to new cultures, environments, and activities. These family trips can create impressions and memories that stay with them for the rest of their lives.
With the holidays around the corner, many of you will be considering where to go with the family when school is out. Where many destinations cater only to one travel style, but you’ll find activities for the whole family in Southern Laos.
Here’s a list of the best holiday accommodation for families with school-aged kids that we’ve rounded up for you. Have fun!
Champasak Grand
Great for family staycations but still accessible enough if you want to do some sightseeing on your own. The hotel is situated close to the famous Dao Heuang Market where they sell pretty much everything from meat to jewelry. Also, around this area is where you can find (and ride) a three-wheeled bicycle called a “Samlor”. The Lao-Nippon bridge is just beside the hotel where you can get a stunning view of the Mekong and the golden Buddha of Phou Salao.
This hotel has a large children’s pool connected to their equally amazing adult pool – a very popular weekend spot for local expat families. Depending on what you’re hungry for, you can choose between a Chinese restaurant, Zhong Hua Lou, for their delicious roasted duck or Sa La Gang Kong, a riverside restaurant serving a wide range of local and international dishes. This accommodation also has the best breakfast buffet in town!
Phubachiang Golf and Resort
Another popular option in Pakse is Phubachiang Golf and Resort. The bungalows here are spacious enough to accommodate the whole family. The restaurant provides panoramic views of the magnificent mountain ranges and the sprawling gardens of this 400-acre property with an 18-hole golf course. Best of all, the pool area has a tall water slide perfect for kids and kids-at-heart. Maybe you can get around in too!
The River Resort
This luxurious resort in Champasak town offers riverfront and pond/garden villas. As an eco-friendly resort, they cultivate their rice paddy and vegetable gardens with organic matter from their compost pit and they even use solar-heated hot water in their kitchens! For nature lovers, there is the nearby “Parkland”, an expansive lush forest-garden full of native flora and fauna that the kids will enjoy, especially since some indigenous trees here are more than 25 meters tall. Guests can spend countless hours enjoying either one of their two infinity pools with Mekong views. The riverside restaurant serves scrumptious local and western cuisines, but we personally like their Thai dishes best. A true paradise for families, we could stay here for days on end.
La Folie Lodge
A charming lodge located on Don Daeng island across from Champasak town offers a rare opportunity to retreat from the hectic rush of busy streets. Some of the wooden bungalows here have stunning Mekong views and they even have a large private villa for rent – great for families. The pool is just perfect for kids: under the shade of palm trees and overlooking buffaloes trudging the sandy beaches surrounding the island. If you want to relax poolside with a good book and have drinks and snacks brought to you while the kids enjoy the water, then this is the place for you. The price of the accommodation includes boat transfers and breakfast plus extra small details like having a king-sized bed and eco-friendly toiletries.
Pon Arena
Pon Arena is a lavish hotel and restaurant serenely located at Muang Khong in the 4000 Islands area. This hotel features two outdoor pools and is conveniently placed on the main strip of the tourism area of Don Khong where guests can easily access restaurants either by foot or by bicycle. Another must-see is the former home of the governor which is now converted into the district’s museum.
Sengahloun Resort
Located on Don Khone island in the 4000 Islands area, Sengahloune resort offers garden bungalows next to the Mekong River. Their bungalows are made with local materials and are air-conditioned and spacious. It is highly recommended to cycle around Don Det and Don Khone to see the sights; just take a picture of the Si Phan Don cycling maps in one the businesses here or go to southern-laos.com/southern-laos-materials/ to download a free version.
Sinouk Coffee Resort
Sinouk Coffee Resort is a coffee lover’s paradise! Located in Thateng District, this luxurious resort in the Bolaven Plateau has a natural pool with a cascading mini waterfall. They also have a quaint and beautifully maintained garden and their coffee plantation is literally right in front of the guest rooms. The restaurant on the premises serves a variety of dishes, as well as world-class coffee.
Originally published in Champa Meuanglao Magazine.
Text by Southern Laos Marketing Taskforce
Photographs by SWISSCONTACT
