Mandala Ou Resort: Relax . Recharge . Yoga (Laos)

After exploring the ancient town of Luang Prabang, we made our way to Nong Khiaw, a small beautiful village on the bank of the Nam Ou River in Laos. Nong Khiaw is famous for its amazing limestone karst mountain scenery, unspoiled virgin rainforest and the tranquil river of the Nam Ou. From Luang Prabang, we took a public minibus and we arrived at the Nong Khiaw bus station after 4 hours of journey through the beautiful landscape of Laos. Our first impression of Nong Khiaw was very peaceful and laid-back, and we didn't see any tour buses or tourist crowds like what we saw in Luang Prabang.

The unspoiled virgin rainforest and the tranquil river of the Nam Ou

Limestone karst mountain scenery

The Street of Nong Khiaw Village

Just a short 5 minute walk from the bus station, we arrived at the Mandala Ou Resort, the place where we stayed for 2 nights. We chose Mandala Ou Resort because it was one of the most charming and exclusive accommodation in Nong Khiaw. The Mandala Ou Resort is a boutique accommodation situated along the idyllic Nam Ou river offering 10 spacious and comfy bungalows with an eco-friendly room design and modern conveniences. The main features of this resort are the infinity edge pool, river side Yoga Sala, poolside bar, covered restaurant serving Lao, Thai and Western cuisine, and free Lao herbal steam sauna during the winter months.

SriLanta Resort: A Resplendence Stay (Thailand)

Our trip always involves traveling from city to city, town to town and changing of hotels every one to three nights; it was fun with lots of excitement but it can be quite hectic at times. Hence, for this year Lunar New Year retreat, we decided to go for a resort holiday and have a more relaxed trip. When we planned our retreat, the first country that came to our mind was Thailand. Why Thailand? It was because Thailand is a beautiful country with no shortage of beautiful beaches and also I love Pad Thai and K.K. doesn't mind eating more Mango Sticky Rice.

Initially, we wanted to settle with the popular destinations like Phuket or Krabi, but afraid that they were too crowded, so after further research, and we found SriLanta, a resort which is ideally situated on an uncrowded island of Ko Lanta.