The Luang Prabang Half Marathon Package of Villa Maly consists of two-night stay in Superior room, daily breakfast, two way airport transfer, two way transfer to the race, and two massages per person (pre-race tonic and post-race stretching massage). Contact hotel Luang Prabang Villa Maly to book: info@villa-maly.com or call (856) 7125 3902-4.

2. WHAT'S NEW
Villa Maly ROLLS
OUT RED CARPET FOR LA
PROCESSION
BANANA BOAT’S
Summer Special
Are you planning
a break in Luang
Prabang? Then
make sure you add
a relaxing boat trip
to your itinerary. This
summer, Banana
Boat is offering 15%
off for all Sabaidee
readers who book direct. There are many trips to
choose from. Take the more scenic trip to Kuangsi
waterfall via the Mekong, it's the most popular trip,
departing at 11am and returning at sunset when
the river is really alive. There are also trips to Pak
Ou caves, via whiskey and handicraft villages, or
you could choose to ride an elephant. If you’re
short on time you can always enjoy a sunset cruise,
with Lao snacks, sodas and beers – a great way to
finish the day. Private charters and family discounts
also available. For bookings and information visit
www.bananaboatlaos.com, send an email through
the contact page, visit the Ma Té Sai shop in Ban
Aphai, or call 071 260 654 or 020 2295 9091.
Quote the promo code ‘SABAIDEE15’ to receive
the discount.
Sputnik Burger
LANDS IN VIENTIANE
Lao Telecom
REWARDS DISTRIBUTORS
Lao Telecom recently awarded their highest selling
distributors nationwide with a teambuilding holiday
to Phuket, Thailand. The four day, three night
trip was hosted by Wonderland Tour Company
and led by Mr Kingkeo Vangkaneng, Mr Piyavat
Chariyasetthaphong and Mr Souphat Bakava, the
Deputy Director of Lao Telecom. Around 130 people
attended, including the distributors and division
and sector heads. The aim of the holiday was to
reward Lao Telecom distributors who have made
outstanding sales and achieved targets, and to
strengthen the relationship between the company
and its distributors. This is the second reward-based
holiday Lao Telecom has arranged in 2014,
with another group of high-performing distributors
holidaying in Seoul, South Korea.
TAEC
OPENS BOUTIQUE
TAEC Boutique opens this month on the peninsula
in Luang Prabang. The boutique retail space of the
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre specialises
in exclusive handcrafted products direct from
ethnic minority groups across Laos. Located on
the main street in Luang Prabang, just across
from Villa Santi Hotel, TAEC Boutique will feature
the TAEC Heirloom Collection, with one-of-a-kind
textiles, carvings and silver. Each museum-quality,
collector’s item piece will include a certificate of
authenticity. Open seven days a week from 9am-
9pm, be sure to visit the TAEC Boutique the next
time you visit Luang Prabang. For more information
contact TAEC Boutique on shop@taeclaos.org.
| Photo Shayling Ngo. |
A fresh and funky new burger joint has opened in
Vientiane. A collaboration of the brains behind
Pimenton and Jazzy Brick, Sputnik Burger is
a welcome addition to the city’s dining scene.
The restaurant is a retro ode to pop culture
with Banksy-esque street art adorning the
walls, industrial-style steel furniture, 1980s
tunes pumping through the speakers, and the
soon-to-be-iconic Volkswagen Beetle dining
tables lining the entrance. The mouth-watering
burgers, in an array of inventive flavours, are
all served with hand cut chips in simple but
unique cardboard boxes. The eponymous
Sputnik Burger (45,000 kip) is a must-try with
a succulent, tender beef patty, Swiss cheese,
crispy bacon, gourmet greens and delectable
caramelised onions. Pop into Sputnik Burger
on Rue Setthathirath from Monday to Saturday,
11am-11pm. For more information, or to get
your hands on their hip merchandise including
t-shirts and caps, contact 03 0937 6504 or visit
www.facebook.com/SputnikBurger.
THE Colours OF ASIA
Couleur D’Asie has reopened their boutique after
relocating a hop, skip and jump from their previous
location, to Rue Nokeokumane in downtown
Vientiane, and the new space has allowed for the
addition of an exquisite tearoom. The store lives by
the concept of being able to buy everything you
see. From the vibrant handmade dresses designed
by owner Viviane Inthavong down to the cutlery on
the dining tables, it is a shopper’s heaven. Open
every day from 8am until midnight, by day, Couleur
D’Asie creates a relaxing atmosphere where you
can enjoy a comforting cup of tea while browsing
the endless knickknacks hidden in every corner of
the store. As the sun sets, the tearoom transforms
into a hip lounge where friends can come together
to relish a cheeky glass of champagne and a simple
French or Asian meal. For more information please
contact viviane.alth@gmail.com.
On a misty morning in mid-October, Luang
Prabang’s daily procession of barefoot, saffron-clad
monks will cross paths with a troupe of trainer-sporting,
neon-clad runners who will hit the scenic
streets of the UNESCO Heritage Town to raise
money for a new children’s hospital. The Luang
Prabang Half-Marathon ‘La Procession’ will take
place on October 12, 2014. This year, runners will be
lacing up their sneakers to support the construction
of the Lao Friends Hospital for Children, which aims
to provide high-quality health care for the children
of Laos. One of the race’s sponsoring hotels, Villa
Maly, is welcoming runners in town for the half-marathon
with a special deal over the nights of
October 11 and 12, 2014. A 33-room boutique
hotel nestled in a former royal residence just outside
the heritage town, Villa Maly’s Runners’ Package
features two nights’ stay in a superior room with
breakfast, pre- and post-race massages, round-trip
airport pickups and transport to and from the race’s
starting line. Rates for the package start at US$300
per room for single occupancy and US$438 for
double sharing. For enquires about Villa Maly’s
Runners’ Package, visit www.villa-maly.com or
email info@villa-maly.com. Full details about
the race and registration are available at
www.luangprabanghalfmarathon.com.
| Photo Shayling Ngo. |
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