ASIA INDOCHINA DESTINATIONS
ABOVE: Topas Ecolodge, Vietnam LEFT: Fusion Maia, Vietnam BELOW: Kata Rocks, Thailand
the culture of local hill tribes, and can be booked on a private basis too. Couples might be interested to head to the Saturday evening ‘love market’ in Sapa, where locals reprise the old songs that used to be sung when this was the way young men and women found a partner.
topasecolodge.com
9
BELMOND LA RESIDENCE PHOU VAO, LAOS Laos may not be the most obvious choice in
Indochina but its reputation for a slow, sleepy pace of life can make it a relaxing retreat – particularly if clients choose Belmond La Residence Phou Vao. Couples can soak in the hotel’s cliff-edge
infinity pool overlooking the former royal capital Luang Prabang before heading back to their suites – all parquet flooring, teak and silk. Local dishes have a French influence, and the hotel’s restaurant is famed as one of the best in town. For a special occasion, they can book the 500-candle dinner, where they’ll dine served by their own waiter at a private, candlelit table in the heritage gardens to the sound of live traditional music, before ending the evening by releasing floating lanterns and watching them sail off into the night sky. The hotel can organise plenty
of low-key activities to suit couples, from cooking classes to sunset cruises. Couples can even have a traditional Baci blessing ceremony from a village shaman, and the hotel will prepare picnics for those who’d rather explore under their own steam.
belmond.com
synonymous with romance, but a sail on the Burmese waterways on the all-suite Sanctuary Ananda could change all that. All suites have balconies, and the ship has both the largest entry- level cabins on the river and the largest suite itself – the Owner’s Suite, which has its own veranda with sun loungers, butler service and private excursions included – so couples will have private space to spare. With itineraries on both the
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Ayeyarwady and the Chindwin, guests get to see iconic sights and lesser-known treasures, with a full programme of activities included. There’s also an open-air pool on the sun deck for lazier days, plus a small onboard spa offering a range of treatments.
sanctuaryretreats.com
18 February 2016
travelweekly.co.uk 51
SANCTUARY ANANDA, BURMA River cruising isn’t
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