Hidden in the small village of Muang-La by the river, this lodge features 5 wooden villas and 9 traditionally designed guestrooms. Exuding peace tranquillity, and mountain views, the river houses a natural hot spring. Besides the sauna, and spa, guests can explore northern Laos and its local ethnic groups either on foot, on mountain bikes, or in 4WD cars.
Jean-Paul Duvergé
Your Host and The Team
“In 2000, I was exploring the Northern part of Laos, looking for the most authentic villages and sceneries, in a country that was just opening up to tourism. I had a dream to build some camps with luxury tents there, like you can find in South Africa. 4 camps were built, each on breathtaking locations. A couple of years later, I decided to build a fixed lodge, by a river - a place that is a concentrate of Laos : Muang La. This is when Muang La Resort was born. It is today a member of Secret Retreats, part of a collection where all properties are authentic and purely Asian.”
Jean-Paul Duvergé – Explorer of Laos’ Remote Hill Tribes
A French native, Jean-Paul’s love affair with Laos began in his early 30s when his quest for adventure and off-the-beaten-track-experiences lured him to Asia. Passionate about sharing the story of Laos and its people with fellow travellers, he started a local travel company offering guests authentic experiences in the more remote areas of Laos. Always in search for innovative ways to implement sustainable tourism practices, Jean-Paul founded Muang La Resort in 2007, an intimate 9-bedroom eco-lodge in Northern Laos built in partnership with the local population and with respect to the natural environment.A peaceful sanctuary situated along the banks of a river, Muang La is an ideal base from which to take day trips into the heart of Laos’ ethnic hill tribes and experience their diverse culture. Dedicated to help support the local communities, Jean-Paul improved the facilities and access to a natural hot spring located near the hotel and is working to help restart a neighbouring rock salt mine to create more jobs and natural resources for the region community.
Rooms
Deluxe Garden View
All guestrooms have an en-suite bathroom and a small private terrace overlooking the countryside, the gardens or the river.
Inspired by the local architecture, the rooms are built from the best materials and make extensive use of local wood treated with lightly scented oils. The white-washed walls, the polished wooden floors and the designer furniture, all made by local craftsmen from Oudom Xai, provide a hallmark of originality to the whole lodge. The pieces of Lao art, paintings and sculptures, the design and colours of the fabrics are all locally created and produced, giving each room its own unique identity. The names of the rooms correspond to the traditional ethnic groups.
Equipped with toilet, shower with seat or a bath, the modern bathrooms mix wood, granite and stained terrazzo. Each room has a private balcony overlooking the swirls of steam from the hot water spring, the river or the gardens and its butterflies.
Room Facilities : free Wifi / cable, bathrobe, hair-dryer.
Rates from 297USD/night for 2 persons.
Deluxe River View
Inspired by the local architecture, the rooms are built from the best materials and make extensive use of local wood treated with lightly scented oils. The white-washed walls, the polished wooden floors and the designer furniture, all made by local craftsmen from Oudom Xai, provide a hallmark of originality to the whole lodge. The pieces of Lao art, paintings and sculptures, the design and colours of the fabrics are all locally created and produced, giving each room its own unique identity. The names of the rooms correspond to the traditional ethnic groups.
Equipped with toilet, shower with seat or a bath, the modern bathrooms mix wood, granite and stained terrazzo. Each room has a private balcony overlooking the swirls of steam from the hot water spring, the river or the gardens and its butterflies.
Facilities and Highlights
24h Reception
Concierge/Tour Desk
Wifi
Air Conditioning
Gay Friendly
Nature
Garden
Swimming Pool
Spa/Massage
Onsen
Bar/Lounge
Restaurant
Cooking Class
Champagne Taittinger
Art/Antiques
Artisan Village
Traditional Arts
Minority Tribes
Cycling
Trekking
River CruiseShow/hide facilities
Facilities and Highlights
-
24h ReceptionConcierge/Tour DeskWifiAir ConditioningGay FriendlyNatureGardenSwimming PoolSpa/MassageOnsen
- Bar/LoungeRestaurantCooking ClassChampagne TaittingerArt/AntiquesArtisan VillageTraditional ArtsMinority TribesCyclingTrekking
- River Cruise
- 13x5m pool built on an island in the river.
- Fusion cuisine mixing Lao and French dishes, prepared by our cooks from the village and using fresh local ingredients from our garden or the market.
- In the evening, enjoy a hot-spring bath in one of the 4m elevated baths, overlooking the river and the mountains. The water from natural hot-spring on the property gushes at 70°C and needs to be cooled to 40-42°C for a relaxing bath.
- Laos is home to a mosaic of 130 traditional ethnic tribes, some of them only have a few hundred and on the verge of disappearing completely. Muang La Lodge has designed some excursions to approach some tribes in their villages and observe their way of life. Originating from Yunnan or Tibet, these tribes of "hunter-gatherers" are called the "people of heaven" by the Lao people living on the plains. Their villages are often perched above 1,000m above sea level, in the mountains: Ikhos, Akha or Hmong minorities.
Useful Information
GENERAL
Total number of rooms: 9Time zone: (GMT+07:00) Bangkok
Currency accepted: USD, LAK
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard
Electricity voltage: 220V
Electricity plug type:
CONCIERGE
Your concierge is ready to assist you with planning and completing your reservation, contact them on dream@secret-retreats.comACCESS
About 40mn drive to the North, along the road 2E from Oudomxay.Airport: Oudom Xay (ODY) - 30 km
CONTACT
Muang La District Oudom Xay Province, Lao Peoples RepublicMuang La
CONTACT HERE
We Care
Muang La’s education initiative originated when two guests from Luxembourg expressed their desire to improve the local school teaching/learning practices. Both the World Food Program, CCL (Comite de Cooperation du Laos) and a French organisation called Un Avenir Pour Demain actively support this project. Muang La’s future plan is to expand the school and employ more teachers.
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