Amantaka

From the Hideaway Report

October 2012 Hideaway Report

Although I am a long-standing admirer of the Amanresorts properties, I have to admit that some are better than others. Amantaka, however, is a wonderful distillation of everything there is to love about Luang Prabang, especially the city’s delectable atmosphere of monastic calm. Created from a former French colonial hospital, the low-rise 24-suite complex is located close to the Mekong and the Royal Palace, and is fronted by an immaculate lawn dotted with flame trees.

Arriving early in the day, we were greeted by the amiable Australian general manager, Gary Tyson, and invited to have tea or coffee in the lounge while formalities were completed. Our Pool Suite was ready at 10 a.m., and we fell in love the moment we stepped through the door, the accommodations embodying all of the romance of colonial Indochine while providing the full gamut of modern comforts. A teak four-poster bed and woven-cane armchairs with raw-silk pillows were set on a taupe-colored tile floor; a spectacular vase was filled with huge white chrysanthemums; whitewashed walls were hung with black-and-white photographs of Buddhist monks; and windows with louvered shutters summoned up the ghosts of the colonial past. The enormous bath came with two vanities, plus a huge stall shower and a soaking tub that overlooked the plunge pool and garden.

After an afternoon of sightseeing, we returned to the hotel for chilled tamarind juice and freshly baked lemon tarts in the library. I then paid a visit to the spa, opting for the signature Amantaka treatment. Four contrasting massage oils were followed by a blissful body wrap, during which I was slathered with lemongrass and white clay and swathed in white cotton. It was perhaps the most enjoyable spa treatment I’ve ever had.

One of the consistent pleasures of Amanresorts properties is the quality of their cultural programs. Our stay at Amantaka included a night with a full moon, and we were advised to attend a traditional puppetry performance staged on the grounds of the Wat Pak Khan, a small temple situated at the confluence of the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers. Dramas performed with handmade rod-puppets known as ipok were part of the traditional ceremony of the Laotian royal court. Although not well-versed in Laotian folklore, I found the experience completely magical. Connoisseurs in the crowd were excited to see rare performances of the Nang Keo and Demon dances and the Thao Phutthasaen folktale, but for me, just being with the endlessly hospitable Laotians was sufficient pleasure.

After the performance, we enjoyed an agreeable dinner at the hotel. Overall, we found the food at Amantaka to be somewhat unimaginative and overpriced, and in general, the resort is extremely expensive, with the loftiest rates in Luang Prabang. But ultimately, it is worth the extravagance.

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