Magic in every moment
THERE’S a beautiful song by Leonard Cohen in which the late singer paints a moving portrait of travelling the world with his lover, Suzanne. He sings of how she “shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers”, and — in one line— captures the complexity of human nature, the world around us and how someone can find joy in the small things, and beauty in the ugly.
I thought of his words recently, while taking a boat trip through some of the poorest parts of Bangkok. The city is visited by millions each year for many reasons — Siam Square, its sacred shrines and the bustling and sometimes eyebrowraising night life are among its attractions— but beauty has never been its selling point. And yet it is the magic in the mundanity of local life here that captures the essence of the capital’s charm more than any ‘top 10’ tourist attractions ever could.
An ancient-looking Thai woman stirring her pot beside the river; children running in and out of their small timber houses, which are held together with rickety wooden beams but painted in bursts of primary colours; antique bird cages hanging from mango trees, wind chimes clinking in the breeze, red peacock blooms and yellow marigolds along the embankments, bunches of ‘morning glory’ breaking through the dark syrupy water underneath and magnificent shoals of fish jumping to catch showers of breadcrumbs scattered by locals. This rich oriental tapestry is waiting to be uncovered by travellers with a keen eye.
It was the perfect scene to take in after touching down to spend a night at the world-famous Avani Riverside Hotel. ‘World famous’ because not only are its contemporary interiors (calming lilac, cream and green) and luxury feel a firm favourite of business and leisure travellers, but its rooftop is one of the most photographed in the world.
If you will permit a meander from the profound to the picture-perfect, the infinity swimming pool, overlooking a breathtaking skyline (look out for the MahaNakhon if you want to see a spectacular skyscraper), gives the impression that you could swim to the edge and keep going. In other words: manna from heaven for instagram-loving millennials.
Couple that with a fully stocked pantry open all night, where guests can avail of fresh coconuts (these are the only cure for jet lag) and butterfly teas (a sweet luminous purple drink that tastes as good as it looks on social media) and this brand is on to a winner for the younger audience too. And that’s even before a mention of the rooftop restaurant, where the foodie lovers among you can be wowed by the culinary showmanship of the highly skilled in-house chef. Throughout the evening, an array of sizzling ingredients, succulent meats and seafood delights were whisked to our table against a spectacular backdrop of Bangkok’s city skyline. Very romantic at candlelight.
‘Manna for instagram-loving millennials’
Another highlight in Thailand’s capital is the wonder of the city’s temples. The Western world has a fascination for Eastern culture and spirituality — so it’s no wonder these sacred spaces are seeing a huge spike in interest. Perhaps the most famous temple is Wat Pho, or ‘Temple of the Reclining Buddha’. One of the oldest and largest in Bangkok, the giant gold-plated Buddha measures more than 150 feet in length. The eyes are decorated with mother-of-pearl and on the bottom of the Buddha’s feet, you will find 108 holy scenes depicted in both Chinese and Indian styles. If you are visiting, you might want to avail of (or avoid) the stacks of red wooden sticks resting on the ground beneath the statue. The practice is that you kneel down, shaking the stacks of sticks, until one falls to the floor. Each stick marked with a number. You pick it up and take it to a shelf at the side of the temple, where you pick your fortune which corresponds with the number on your stick. Some people are given fortunes that depict all their wildest dreams come true, while others are offered less happy predictions, so stay clear if you are of a mindset that is easily rattled.
After Bangkok, we took a twohour plane ride to the neighbouring country of Laos, to spend the remaining days in Luang Prabang. To my shame, I had never heard of the region until this year, but as I mentioned to friends and colleagues that I would be travelling there, their reactions surprised me. “One of the most magical places I have ever been,” was the general sentiment, followed by a longing to return there again.
And it didn’t disappoint. Protected by Unesco as a World Heritage site, picture French-Indochinese guesthouses nestled among temples which are decorated with ornamental dragons (a symbol of good luck) and thousands of miniature
hand-crafted coloured glass images. The region sits on a tropical peninsula bordered by two rivers, the Mekong and the Nam Khan, and it is also home to orange-robed monks who appear at dawn to the mystical sound of a steady gong to collect alms from locals, before disappearing into their monasteries again.
As no generic food or coffee chains are permitted within an ox’s roar of the place — it is, instead, home to some of the world’s best French-style hotels and restaurants (check out the highlights for more).
We stayed at one of the best hotels in Laos — the Avani + Luang Prabang. With charming French-Lao architecture, the hotel offers boutique chic in contemporary classic form in a central, yet peaceful, setting. There is a picturesque central garden where you can read a book, sip a cocktail or enjoy a delicious outdoors meal and a 25m swimming pool if you feel like taking a dip. It is also a 15-minute drive from Luang Prabang International Airport and five minutes’ walk from the Mekong River, cafes and restaurants, and is directly opposite the famed Night Market. The hotel rooms, with dreamy beds draped in white linen, are honeymooners’ heaven.
We took a sunset cruise down the Mekong River (courtesy of Mekong Kingdoms), which was one of the highlights of the trip. With champagne and tasty canapes flowing, the misty surrounds of dense forests provided a magical setting before arriving at the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden.
We snacked on delicious miang betel leaf wraps as we walked around the peaceful paradise and learned about the uses for plants we never knew existed (the section dedicated to treating a host of female problems raised a few laughs — there was no similar alternative for men). Other interesting specimens included
‘We took a sunset cruise down the Mekong River — one of the trip’s highlights’
‘tears of the virgin’ and a ‘suicide tree’. Let’s just say, don’t be fooled by the pretty white flowers.
A visit to the renowned Kuang Si waterfall and butterfly farm is another must. Enjoy a picnic by the waterfall as turquoise water flows gently alongside the beautiful garden and a glorious array of giant colourful butterflies flutter by. (Yes, it is as magical as it sounds). Make sure to stop and see the Asiatic black bears (don’t worry, they are behind a safe fence) in the bear sanctuary where dozens of the glossy-coated life-size ‘teddy’ bears who have been rescued from poachers and traffickers now live.
Some last words of advice: if you are travelling to these parts, get a massage at your stopover airport en route home. It is far cheaper, and of far better quality, than anything you will get back home. You’ll sleep like a baby on the return journey. Appointments are the norm.
But trust me when I say — forget the well trodden island-hopping route and the pull of nearby countries that everyone has ticked off on their travels, if you are going to Asia in the coming months, only a fool would miss out on Luang Prabang. As with so many beauty spots around the world, it is only a matter of time before this best-kept secret becomes well known and well trodden by overzealous tourists, so get there soon and enjoy.