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Region: Northern Laos> Province: Udomxai> Location: Pakbeng
Bounmy Guesthouse
Vientiane
Stylish and spacious, bargain priced rooms in downtown Vientiane.
Air-con rooms: US$22
Great riverview balcony restaurant
Tel: (081) 212 294
Description
A couple of hundred metres away from the main strip of guesthouses, Bounmy has a grungy exterior and basic rooms, but a great balcony restaurant overlooking the Mekong. Rooms in the 'new' concrete building have attached bathrooms with cold showers but hot water is scheduled within the next few months. Mind your head as a number of the doorways between room and shower would cause a hobbit to stoop. The older buildings are wood and bamboo, and have slightly grotty shared bathrooms. The restaurant serves a range of dishes at reasonable prices. This is where the town's bread is baked -- if it isn't fresh here, it won't be fresh anywhere.
Total rooms: 27
Dbl fan share b'room
3 USD (low season)
3 USD (high season)
Dbl fan private b'room
5 USD (low season)
5 USD (high season)
Added to Travelfish on: 16th June, 2004
Last visited or updated on: 17th June, 2004
Guest feedback
Ergh, avoid - 
By simonfg ( total comments: 5 
) Stayed here 11/2007
We arrived after dark and there was no power, which disguised the fact that the toilet in our room was full of filthy black, putrid water - hadn't been attended to in months. The next room had a broken cistern top, which, when we left the next morning, the staff tried to blame us for, running down to the boat and harranguing us, threatening to call the police. (Given that the manager is also a drug dealer, we weren't too worried on that front.) If you have to go to Pakbeng (which is a shithole) try not to stay here.
pure luxury in your 5 star home away from home... -
By joant ( total comments: 6 ) Stayed here 12/2006
same story, slow boat arrived after dark and a mad panic to find a place for the night. unluckily came across this little charmer. luxurious stay included
unfriendly staff, filty room, mattresses with fleas, dirty footprints on the sheets, cold water, noisy generator next to the window, no lock on the door and to top it off vomit on the bathroom floor. a real home away from home!!!
Missed out on the Bounmy has it wall full! But don't even try the place next door! -
By mrandmrsburke ( total comments: 25 ) Stayed here 2/2006
We arrived in Pak Beng as night fell and mass panic ensued as our whole boat ran for rooms in the guesthouses. Everywhere was full as three boats had arrived before us! We got to the Bounmy to discover it was full with a tour group, and had to stay at the place next door, 'S' something, I was so depressed I can't even remember the name of it!
It was awful, a tiny room, which only had enough space for the double bed and that was it. There was no fan or bathroom. In fact the bathroom was at the end of the hall and was so grotty it makes me sick thinking of it even the clean water stank. There was no hot water, and the shower was so cold, I mean ice cold we couldn't even have a shower and got on the boat without one. Our room was full of mice or rats and they chewed through our bag. The only nice thing was that we had a mosquito net on the bed, oh and there little boy was quite sweet. If you are getting the slow boat, stay at one of the nicer places and book ahead, it may cost more, but at least you will sleep.
Stinking hole! - 
By womblefur ( total comments: 7 ) Stayed here 1/2006
I completely agree with tja, it was awful. It was stinky, expensive the people were rude, rats ran everywhere luckily not in our room but at least two other guests complained of it. The staff were lazy and wouldn't hel and gave our room away to someone else. I understand that all they see is tourists for one night but we do talk to each other and I am sure there are nicer places around.
An Unpleasant Experience -
By tja103 ( total comments: 4 ) Stayed here 11/2005
We stayed for a night here. Our room wasn't brilliant - there was a nasty smell and the mosquito nets had huge holes in them. We paid extra for a private bathroom but ended up with a shared one - although we were told that we were meant to be the only ones using it... The bathroom looked as though it hadn't been cleaned at any point recently. Speaking to another couple who did have an ensuite it turned out we were probably better off without it (they said it smelt terrible, was dirty and poorly lit). We were woken up at 3 in the morning by a rat infestation upstairs and speaking to other guests in the morning and 3 of them had similar problems - one guy was missing half of his toenail! The rooms upstairs are better than the ones downstairs. Definitely not a place I'd go back to.
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