Koh Samui and Luang Prabang: the enchanted combination

Thailand

It's always summer in Koh Samui

Head to the pearl of the China Sea, in the southern part of the Gulf of Thailand, 700 km south of Bangkok, for an intimate seaside break at Avani + Resort. This new top-of-the-range resort is brand new and isolated from the world, nestled in Taling Ngam Bay, facing the blue of the sea, “exactly under the sun”. The philosophy of the place is to welcome informed globetrotters, eager to discover the island, in a setting with a contemporary and soothing design, in the colors of the surrounding nature, in 58 rooms and villas bathed in light, with private swimming pool . Each is protected from vis-à-vis, giving you the impression of being at home. The reception has been the subject of extensive reflection on the comfort of the guests, until check-out, which can be done at any time, so that you can enjoy your stay until the last minute. It is simple and efficient !

Another originality, no minibar full to the brim but a small market in the lobby where you can shop for delicacies and drinks, equipped with a very nice basket available in your room. This avoids unpleasant checks at departure time.

The hotel has 2 swimming pools facing the beach (which is not private, like all beaches in Thailand) and where the fishing boats are moored. It's a minus but for the beach there are other almost deserted islands.

A single restaurant whose German chef has scoured Asia for 13 years, offers delicious international cuisine with strong Asian accents and barbecues on the sand, unforgettable in their freshness. Icing on the cake, fire jugglers show during your dinner under the stars. "Wow effect" guaranteed!

The Avani + Resort Koh Samui has near the swimming pool, a kombi van, the hotel's mascot, which serves fresh fruit juices, cocktails, and coconuts. You won't resist it. (Avani deluxe room from 143 euros, Avani pool villa from 280 euros and Avani beach front 2 bedroom villa from 702 per night.) https://www.avanihotels.com/en/samui

Nightlife in Koh Samui

Trendy aperitif with a breathtaking view of the bay at the jungle club (provide mosquito repellent at nightfall). https://www.jungleclubsamui.com

A must during your stay, the Chaweng night market. It is renowned for its inexpensive clothes, its handicrafts of all kinds (sometimes mass-produced in China), its watch stands and T-shirts. The crowd is there, a mix of tourists from all over the world (a lot of French). The lights are garish, the posters of boxing fights on all the walls. You absolutely have to see this!

You can also dine there with local specialties, in the many restaurants of the Chaweng food market, sitting on plastic chairs, under red lanterns and light garlands. It is extremely picturesque and kitsch, the food is very good and cheap. All nationalities can be found there among the locals. This is the best market for Thai street food.

Peace of body and mind

In the aftermath of these feasts, you owe it to yourself to make peace with your body, which you torture for years, finally that's the idea... What could be better than a yoga class, by the swimming pool, facing the sea, at daybreak. 7 am is early and it is already 25°. You contort as well as you can, in the sweetness of this beginning of the day, under the direction of a plump yogi, all smiles. It tests your flexibility until you stretch. Your pain will remain silent before the zenitude of the moment and the jovial benevolence of your teacher.

The best way to recover from the long journey is to treat yourself to a signature massage from the Avani Spa. Good but very intense! A great moment of relaxation. It is a massage with essential oils, combined with targeted stretching techniques on the upper back, shoulders and neck. Your masseuse even uses her knees for certain pressure points. It is surprising. To do if possible when you get off the plane, it puts you back on your feet instantly. (Tested and approved) About 90 minutes, 62 euros, that's very reasonable!

Koh Samui, an island among islands

Do not hesitate to take a traditional blue and coral Thai boat to explore the surrounding islands (about 45 euros per person). The first, Koh Tan, located 20 minutes from Koh Samui, is absolutely heavenly, almost deserted with its lush and tropical vegetation, bordered by a turquoise, transparent sea at 30° and a ribbon of white sand. A real postcard, finally, an Instagram post... A few meters from the beach, with just a mask, you swim in the middle of a cloud of yellow and black striped fish, which graze you, certainly in search of food, accustomed to they are waiting for the tourist boats to feed them. Other islands among the 60 of the archipelago, offer you their white sand to simply chill and enjoy the delicious picnic prepared by the Avani Resort, as on Koh Madsum. It's wild, you may even see a pig come and take a dip next to you.

Agenda: Good addresses

Tree house Silent Beach https://www.tree-house.org/groes-raster

Laos

The enchanting Luang Prabang

A 2h30 flight from Koh Samui, you put your suitcases in the heart of the Laotian city at Avani + Luang Prabang. The welcome is almost as soon as you set foot on the tarmac. The hotel takes care of all the administrative formalities for obtaining the visa to enter the country, which saves you hours of waiting. A real luxury! 15 minutes from the airport, you are expected in a haven of peace, with 53 rooms and suites, a former military district in the French colonial style, strategically located to discover the city day and night, just on foot. The architecture, inspired by the French heritage, revolves around a square courtyard where extends a huge black-tiled swimming pool, of absolute elegance, towards which all the rooms are turned. A scent of the 50s floats at the same time as it blows a wind of modernity in this 5-star establishment which is an integral part of the city. The Main Street bar & grill restaurant, one of the best tables in town, serves excellent bistro and local cuisine with flavors that will make you feel even more out of your element. (Avani deluxe room from 184 euros with breakfast, Avani suite for 2 people from 306 euros) https://www.avanihotels.com/fr/luang-prabang/

Not much nightlife in Luang Prabang. Dinners are taken early, around 6:30 p.m., to give you time to stroll to the night market which awaits you just a stone's throw from the hotel. Let's hurry, because at 9:30 p.m. we're packing up. The night market is an institution that continues to expand, on the strength of its success. You walk around the market, whose exhibitors are installed on the floor. There are mainly clothes, bags, Hmong fabrics, decorative objects and jewelry. The sellers do not harass you and even seem to let you pass with the greatest indifference. The negotiations are not tough, indeed the prices are very reasonable and we quickly agree after a quick game of very good-natured haggling. There are many pretty things, everything is well ordered and coordinated. You will probably buy the fiftieth clutch that will join your cupboards, irresistible!

In search of spirituality

It is not a self-respecting traveler who does not attend the collection of food by the Buddhist monks. This is done in front of your hotel at 5:30 am in an immutable way. The Avani Resort has made it a tradition and prepares you not only sticky rice in small bamboo baskets, but also cushions for you to kneel on in the street. Before going out, a linen scarf is draped over your shoulders and around your neck according to a specific ritual. You are ready for the Tak Bat ceremony or the morning rice collection for the monks. They leave the monasteries and walk in single file along the streets, dressed in their saffron robes. It is you who place small balls of rice in their bowl of offerings (measure your portions, there are a hundred of them behind!) they file by without stopping, without even a glance, all in their meditation not miss one…) We barely have time to see them go by before they are already far away, so focused are you on your task and on the sticky rice that sticks to your fingers. It is frustrating and moving at the same time to participate in this ritual which has been perpetuated for centuries.

The spectacle of nature in blue and green: the Kuang Si waterfalls

In many countries, you are sold extraordinary stunts and the show is not there. These are truly exceptional and worth the detour. They are located in a national park 45 minutes by car or tuk tuk from Luang Prabang. The falls pour over several floors in a deafening noise forming natural pools in a shades of blue and green, in the middle of a luxuriant forest. It is absolutely enchanting. It's hot and the climb is seriously steep. You have only one idea in mind, you dive into one of these natural pools. Be careful, the water is a little cold and you risk slipping (non-slip shoes recommended. The place is extremely touristy and at times it feels like Aquaboulevard on a Saturday afternoon, but you can't ignore the this refreshing and unforgettable moment.

To do

Go up the Mekong in real life

Embark for an aperitif dinner for a sunset over the water, in the sweetness of the end of the day on a beautifully appointed boat, and discover life on the banks, the surrounding jungle from which emerge a few temples. You pinch yourself, you're on the Mekong with a glass of chardonnay, what else?

https://www.mekongkingdoms.com (Around 40 euros per person)

Explore the historic center of Luang Prabang (The most beautiful temples in Southeast Asia)

It is a real gem with its temples of sophisticated architecture and its royal palace transformed into a museum. You can't help but fall under the spell of this city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose style blends tradition and colonial influence: a Laotian-style sub-prefecture whose history is so rich that economy of a guide. (83 euros for 2 people, tickets included.

Agenda: Some good addresses

Restaurant Carpediem for a lunch in the jungle in the middle of the Kuang Si waterfalls https://www.carpediem.la and for a typical Laotian dinner, Manda de Laos one of the best restaurants in Luang Prabang in a magical setting with rooms of water covered with lotus (very Parisian) https://www.mandadelaos.com