Name: Amantaka
Address: Ban Thongchaleun, Luang Prabang, Laos

Amantaka

Luang Prabang, Laos

Amantaka

Luang Prabang, Laos

About the hotel

Style

Retreat

Rooms

"Set in picturesque Luang Prabang, Amantaka is an ode to the town’s French colonial past with period architecture, exquisite attention to detail and Mount Phousi as a backdrop."

Amantaka, in the picturesque town of Luang Prabang, the former royal capital of Laos, is part of the Aman hotels and resorts group. The white-walled, green-shuttered period building retains the architecture and atmosphere of the town’s French colonial past and takes its name from the word tipitaka, meaning ‘the teaching of Buddha’.

Centrally located with sacred Mount Phousi as a backdrop, the hotel is seconds from the bustling Unesco World Heritage Site town at the base of a small peninsula, bordering the Mekong river on one side and Nam Khan on the other. The location (only a ten-minute drive from the airport) is one of the best things about Amantaka, and – together with its exquisite service, friendly staff and true Aman attention to detail – the hotel has developed a respectful relationship with the Buddhist community; by staying here you are directly supporting this.

Amantaka comprises 24 suites (some with substantial private pools) and opened in 2009 after a painstaking renovation that drew on the town’s Buddhist heritage. Luang Prabang itself is a tiny town, quiet and calm after about 9pm at night, and it is easy to wander out to visit the night market before dinner or give a bowl of sticky rice (provided by Aman) to the monks at 5.30 am. Come back after and enjoy breakfast by the pool. Come evening, a meal at The Restaurant is sure to please, where delicious Lao specialities are served.

Bicycles at the entrance to the hotel are available for guests to explore the local temples and amazing vantage points over the rivers. Amantaka also offers some very special activities and excursions that are unique to the hotel, including a cruise to Buddhist Pak Ou Caves on the hotel’s own custom-made boat, a morning out with the hotel’s chef to a local market, or a trip to MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary to feed and bathe the rescued elephants.

Amantaka's own motorcycle-powered tuk-tuks and private cars are on hand to take you into town and on excursions, although the hotel is within walking distance of the local boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries. You can also shop at the Aman boutique which is filled with beautiful artefacts and clothing, including silk hand-woven scarves and locally made exquisite jewellery, photographs by Hans Georg Berger (also featured throughout the hotel and in all the rooms) and some interesting little books with details of local walks around the town.