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Region: Northern Laos> Province: Luang Prabang> Location: Luang Prabang
Thong Bay Guest House
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Photo of Thong Bay Guest House
Vientiane
Boutique hotel in Vientiane, with river views. Lonely Planet says "Excellent Value".
Air-con rooms: US$37
Simple but lovely bungalows
On the banks of the Nam Khan River, Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang Province
Tel: (071) 253 234
Email them at: layinthavong@hotmail.com
Visit website
Description
Situated just outside town on the banks of the Nam Khan River, Thong Bay features simple but lovely bungalows. Each has a balcony, some with stunning views over the river. All bungalows are fan cooled, with hot water showers and a fridge. Staff serve food and drinks all day, and can organise day trips to the local sights. In hot weather, you can descend a slightly treacherous path to swim in the river with monks and local children, or just sit on a riverside balcony and watch Lao life go by. The warm welcome of the staff and the peace and beauty of the surroundings easily make up for the 20-minute walk into town. And they will call a tuk tuk if you're feeling lazy.
Total rooms: 11
Bungalow fan private b'room
18 USD (low season)
20 USD (high season)
Add $6/7 for a riverfront bungalow
Deluxe bungalow
35 USD (low season)
35 USD (high season)
Three beds, breakfast not included
Added to Travelfish on: 26th May, 2004
Last visited or updated on: 9th October, 2006
Guest feedback
Not a bed of roses - 
By gromily ( total comments: 3 
) Stayed here 4/2008
Sorry to be the voice of dissent, but I didn't find this place all it was cracked up to be. I chose to stay here due to all the praise written on this page, but found it not quite up to expectations. My parents stayed in a riverview bungalow for $30 a night, while I stayed in a guestroom in their house across the road for $15. Considering the lack of air-con, this is a bit expensive when other options in town offer it. Unfortunately, we needed the cool air badly, as the bungalow got scorching hot in the day, making life very uncomfortable. The fan in the room is a ceiling fan, which directs all the air at the walls and not on the bed, so no relief there. There is no fan on the balcony either, so working up a sweat and being bitten to death by mosquitoes isn't exactly pleasant. Not as romantic as others may say. My suggestion to the owner is this: Remove the ceiling fans and get a decent floor fan that we can move inside or outside. This was of course during April and Luang Prabang was at its hottest, so maybe during the rest of the year the heat isn't an issue. The staff were very friendly and attentive. They do seem to be in league with the tuk-tuk drivers though, and three people into town costs 30,000 kip a time -- 50,000 to the airport. I think it's a bit overpriced but what can you do after they called someone to pick you up? The positives in short: Beautiful garden, friendly staff, nice wooden bungalows, nice views, nice bathrooms, spacious rooms, nice decor. The negatives in short: Very hot during April, overpriced, too far to come and go from town as you please, inadequate fans, rooms are NOT mosquito-proof, endless tuk-tuks work out expensive. Overall, think carefully before staying here. It's a good place, but far from perfect. For us it wasn't a good choice, but we still had fun. Staying in town with air-con at the same price would have been better. It would have been nice to go to the room and take a cold shower whenever you wanted, and go somewhere without needing a tuk-tuk all the time. We chose poorly, but it didn't take the shine off Luang Prabang for one minute!
Cleanliness | Facilities | Location | Romance | Rooms | Service | Value | Vibe |
Beautiful staff ang GH! - 
By rutht8 ( total comments: 3 ) Stayed here 10/
This was a lovely guest house in every way. Staff amazingly helpful, rooms very clean, good food, great views from the balcony to the mekhong and very reasonably priced. Book early!
Recently renovated, great view - 
By syzafar ( total comments: 4 ) Stayed here 8/2007
very nice place. we had one of the bungalows with a river view (three of them have river views, two with river and mountain views). ours was recently renovated with a new bathroom. we had none of the problems stated in prior posts (no problems with worms, hot water, or dodgy plastic undersheets). breakfast on the balcony every morning. staff is very helpful. it is a bit of a walk to town, so we shelled out for a tuk-tuk. really nothing to complain about at all. One of our favorite guesthouses during our trip.
Rent the bikes! - 
By spy ( total comments: 8 ) Stayed here 12/2006
Great place with great views of the river. The Swiss owner loves his gardening too, so very pleasant environment. It is a wee bit out of town but the place rents bikes for a dollar a day and the cycle in to town is laid back in terms of traffic. Only downside of this quality establishment was dodgy plastic undersheets on the beds.
Thong Bay -
By alanshiel ( total comments: 2 ) Stayed here 9/2006
What a fantastic place ! If you dont mind being little way out of town...but its still walkable..Thong Bay is quite perfect. The prices are absurdly low, the catering and service excellent, and the situation and views just impossible to better. I spent many...too many !..hours just sat on my balcony watching the river go by.
I will not hesitate to return
inspiring bathrooms -
By karabelle ( total comments: 5 ) Stayed here 1/2006
These bungalows are a great bargain compared to accommodation in the centre of town. The blue-tiled bathrooms have a lovely indoor/outdoor feel, the staff are friendly and attentive, and the food (served right to your bungalow and enjoyed on the patio floor cushions) really is wonderful. Though they are all fine, it's worth the extra $2 for the bungalows with river views. You will want to get a tuk tuk to make the trip into town at night, though, as there aren't sidewalks the whole way.
Great bungalows -
By CunningMcFar ( total comments: 32 ) Stayed here 4/2005
Although a good walk from all of the action in town, Thong Bay is a secluded haven. Quiet, huge bungalows with very cool bathrooms, excellent food and very friendly service -- we had a great time
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