Luang Prabang lights up for annual festival

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Every rear on the October full moon, Luang Prabang in Laos lights up for Boun Lai Heua Fai, the Festival of Light marking the end of Buddhist Lent.

After dark, illuminated boats built from bamboo and paper move through the streets of the old town to the beat of drums before they are set adrift on the Mekong River.

Lotus-shaped lanterns line the temples, and thousands of small krathong drift downstream, each one carrying a wish into the current.

This year, the festival falls on October 26.

La Résidence Phou Vao, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Luang Prabang, is offering special packages for the event.

Called The Festival of Light Offer, it pairs a hillside stay with guided access to the parade, the lanterns, and the river itself, arranged by a dedicated guest experience curator (they used to be called concierges).

Every stay booked under The Festival of Light Offer includes:

# Daily breakfast for two at La Brasserie de la Résidence
# Round trip transfers to and from Luang Prabang International Airport or the railway station
# The services of a dedicated guest experience curator for personalized itinerary planning
# A minibar stocked with non alcoholic beverages, replenished daily
# Complimentary shuttle service to and from the old town of Luang Prabang, running from 9am to 9pm.
# A $50 USD resort credit toward dining or spa treatments
# A daily sunset apéritif with wine or cocktails and French canapés for two
# Complimentary laundry for up to six garments daily
# A complimentary three-course dinner for two on stays of three nights or more

Sounds tempting. 

To discover more about the offer, visit https://laresidencehotels.com/phou-vao/offers

How Laos aims to boost tourism numbers

Laos is seeking a bigger slice of the Asian tourism pie currently dominated by Thailand and Vietnam. 

The small nation aims to turn its rich cultural heritage into a stronger driver of visitation and economic growth with the launch this month of a new national cultural organisation.

The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party’s Central Committee has approved the creation of the Lao Cultural Values Promotion Association (LCVPA), a body that will promote the country’s cultural identity while "supporting creative industries, heritage conservation, and tourism development".

Association president Savanhkhone Razmountry said the organisation will help transform Lao culture into both a “creative economy” and a “cultural economy,” creating new opportunities for artists, performers, writers, cultural entrepreneurs, and local businesses.

He noted that cultural attractions already draw between four and five million visitors annually, highlighting the growing role of heritage tourism in the country’s visitor economy, news hub Travel Mole reports.

But Laos also has an image as a party destination - a market that was damaged by recent drink-spiking deaths. 

The association plans to work closely with UNESCO and other international partners on heritage conservation projects while seeking technical expertise and funding to preserve cultural assets and expand creative initiatives. It will help develop new cultural products while supporting the country’s broader economic goals.

The launch is part of a wider government strategy to raise Laos’ international cultural profile and strengthen its appeal as a tourism destination.

Earlier this year, Laos nominated its national dish, larb, for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition. Authorities are also preparing a nomination for the traditional Su Khuan (Baci) blessing ceremony.

The announcement came as Laos enjoyed another year of strong tourism growth.

The country welcomed nearly 2.6 million international visitors during the first half of 2026, a 9.9% increase compared with the same period last year, figures released by the Tourism Development Department under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism showed.

Thailand remained Laos’ largest inbound market with 833,738 visitors, representing 32.2% of total arrivals. China accounted for 26.1%, followed by Vietnam with 22.6%.

Together, the three neighboring countries generated more than 2 million arrivals, representing around 81% of all international visitors during the first six months of the year.

If current trends continue, Laos is on course to achieve its 2026 target of welcoming between 5 million and 6 million international visitors.

International visitors are expected to contribute more than US$8 billion to the Laos economy, with average stays projected at around 10 days.


# Vientiane has new urban sanctuary located right in the Laos capital’s historic centre overlooking Chao Anouvong Park and the Mekong River. The reports on Avani+ Lanexang Vientiane Hotel sound impressive.

Image: Vientiane Night Marker, Tourism Laos

Hotel offers put a spotlight on the lure of Laos

Laos is a fascinating-looking Asian nation that has long been on my "to visit" list. 

As Laos reopens to travellers with a lifting of all entry requirements for vaccinated travellers, Avani+ Luang Prabang Hotel (above), has launched a new three-night package for those wanting to stay on the banks of the Mekong River. 

Regular readers will recall I was impressed with recent stays at two Avani+ properties in Thailand.

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage site with French colonial influences from the 19th and 20th centuries. 

It also features a lively night market, temples, pagodas and the climb up Mount Phousi for the best views of the city.  Visitors will also see orange-robed monks walking the streets, collecting donations for their monasteries. 

Avani+ Luang Prabang is constructed around a swimming pool that acts as a resort centrepiece to a  heritage hideaway. 

The reopening package starts from $US110 per night in a deluxe room for two people and includes a minimum of three nights' accommodation with breakfast for two and return airport transfers, one sunset boat cruise with Mekong Kingdoms; one sunrise alms-giving experience and 20% discount on Anantara Spa treatments.  

See www.avanihotels.com/en/luang-prabang/offers/laos-reopening-offer

Accor, meanwhile, is the largest international hotel operator in Laos, with hotels and resorts under the Sofitel, MGallery, Pullman and ibis brands in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane. 

The Sofitel Luang Prabang (above) was originally built as a French Governor's residence in the 1900s, and is a UNESCO-protected boutique hotel with 25 suites, each with an outdoor bathtub or pool in a private garden. 

Nearby, 3 Nagas Luang Prabang – MGallery has just 15 rooms and suites in a restored teak wood building, while Pullman Luang Prabang sprawls over 16 hectares of landscaped gardens with views of the surrounding hills. 

The administrative capital during French rule, Vientiane is the largest city in Laos. Located in the heart of the city next to the Nam Phu Fountain, ibis Vientiane Nam Phu provides a base from which to explore the nearby historical monuments, Mekong Promenade and night market.

Luang Prabang and Vientiane are connected via a high-speed railway, with journeys taking less than two hours.

Accor is offering travellers to Laos a 10% discount and complimentary breakfast. Travelers can book the 'For the Love of Asia' offer for stays at Accor hotels across the country until December 31.