A flashpacker favourite
It’s hard to fault Meexai Guesthouse for the price, and that’s why it is one of the best places for a flashpacker to throw down their pack on this side of the river.
It’s a relatively new three storey building with rooms connected by an exterior walkway which also doubles as the terrace, each room having its own set of table, chairs and plug—not a bad spot to catch up on some emails and Travelfish guide reading. For rooms on the top two floors, the spacious rooms boast high ceilings, clean tile floors, fan, a window, bedside table and plug, some hooks and a large bathroom, the electric heated shower on one end meaning the whole bathroom doesn’t have to get drenched. WiFi strength does depend on how close the room is to the router.
The four rooms at the bottom have less square footage and lower ceilings than those on the upper floors. They have a basement room feel, receiving little sunlight, feeling colder and a bit damp. The rooms are fine but since they are the same price, these don’t seem as good value if you’ve seen the other rooms. Room choice is first come first serve, even if you’ve made a booking, so later arrivals will probably get these rooms—and this place regularly sells out. The best rooms are the two corner rooms as they are the only ones to get a full view of the river. Second best are the adjacent rooms. All others have a not so fantastic view of the back of Ban Lao Sunset Guesthouse.
With only a couple of river view rooms, for most Meexai Guesthouse will be more about the comfortable, reasonably priced rooms than the river. If we had to nitpick, the fluorescent lighting could be better—the space isn’t warm and fuzzy like the blanket provided, though they’ve thrown up a decorative textile onto the wall. It’s on the clinical side like so many of the new guesthouse buildings—function over fashion—but this one functions better than a lot of budget accommodation in town. It’s a reliable pick for a flashpacker.
Breakfast is not included. There is an onsite restaurant and the family who owns this place speaks English and are smiley.
Address: Ban Sophoun
T: (030) 923 0762; (020) 9555 9305;
Email: sommitbps@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.meexaiguesthouse.com
Coordinates (for GPS): 102º36'58.34" E, 20º34'8.79" N
See position in Apple or Google Maps: Apple Maps | Google Maps
Room rates: Under US$10
What we were quoted as a walk-in.
Dbl fan private bathroom | 110,000 kip | 110,000 kip |
Reviewed by
Cindy Fan
Cindy Fan is a Canadian writer/photographer and author of So Many Miles, a website that chronicles the love of adventure, food and culture. After falling in love with sticky rice and Mekong sunsets, in 2011 she uprooted her life in Toronto to live la vida Laos. She’s travelled to over 40 countries and harbours a deep affection for Africa and Southeast Asia. In between jaunts around the world, she calls Laos and Vietnam home where you'll find her traipsing through rice paddies, standing beside broken-down buses and in villages laughing with the locals.
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