Amantaka - Luxury Comes to Luang Prabang

Amanresorts has a knack for picking the most exotic destinations to house their properties. Their latest Amantaka is situated in the heart of Luang Prabang. A former provincial hospital, Amantaka is beautifully restored, retaining its original French colonial architecture. I’ve stayed at a few Aman properties, and I must say Amantaka is one of my favorites. It’s an oasis of calm, nostalgia, romance and luxury – a hotel aficionado’s dream come true. Amantaka has definitely elevated Luang Prabang’s hip status like what Amankora has done for Bhutan, and Amangalla and Amanwella for Sri Lanka.

My sincere thanks to Gary, Filipe, Chittima, Nisaya and all staff for their wonderful hospitality.

Lost in Luang Prabang 3

My favourite spot in Luang Prabang is the quiet stretch of road along the Nam Khan River (it’s nicest in the morning and evening). Here you can see locals going about their daily life. The Mekong side is a lot busier but it boasts a stunning sunset.

Lost in Luang Prabang 2

In Luang Prabang, it’s easy to get lost in its rich culture and religion. There are no less than 30 temples and 50 monasteries there. Because there are hardly any nightlife (you get the sense that its people are very wholesome), the hedonists would find Luang Prabang a bore, but if you love peace and quiet, it’s a haven!

Luang Prabang is best explored by foot or bicycle. In fact, the town is so tiny, you can cover all corners of it in half a day (it’d take longer if you linger at the temples and popular tourist sites like Mount Phou Si). And because it gets scorching hot in the afternoon, it’s a good idea to shield yourself with an umbrella just like what the monks do.

Lost in Luang Prabang 1

This is my second time in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Listed town in Laos. I’m glad that nothing has changed, except for a gorgeous new Aman resort (I will be posting pics of Amantaka here soon).

Luang Prabang is still as magical as my first trip there in 2006. It’s one of South East Asia’s best kept secrets and best preserved destinations – no skyscrapers and shopping malls, instead lots of temples, original French colonial and Laotian architecture and monks.

“Where are you from?” a local lady asked.

“Singapore,” I replied.

“We have very few visitors from Singapore. Most are from Europe. I think Singaporeans have no taste in culture,” she said. I was quite surprised by her candid albeit sweeping statement. But I have to say she’s right.

To me, the best part of any trip is chatting up with the locals – you can really learn a thing or two from them.

Three Monks

The Chedi Chiang Mai 2

Here are more pics of The Chedi Chiang Mai. All the little details including top notch service make this a wonderful hotel.

The Chedi Chiang Mai 1

Chiang Mai has many lovely boutique hotels and resorts, and that is why it’s one of my favorite holiday destinations.

Set along the banks of the Mae Ping River, is the superlative The Chedi Chiang Mai. Designed by Kerry Hill Architects, the hotel cleverly fuses modern-day and local architectural elements together. The centerpiece is the former British Consulate built in the 1920s. The colonial building now houses the hotel’s restaurant and bar.

Needless to say, I had a field day photographing this gorgeous property. And staying there for three nights was an unforgettable experience. I missed lounging at the balcony reading my favorite book, The Alchemist.

Baan Klang Wiang - Home Away from Home

When I was in Chiang Mai, I stayed at this very photogenic boutique hotel, Baan Klang Wiang. With only 10 rooms, the lovely hotel is both intimate and homely. The service is also excellent. The staff would literally go out of their way to make your stay comfortable.

Baan Klang Wiang is definitely one of Chiang Mai's best kept secrets.

Flora Fantasy

This pic was taken with my Canon Macro Lens EF 100mm. The location was at Baan Klang Wiang, a lovely boutique hotel in Chiang Mai's old city.

One Fine Day

These pictures were taken one fine day in Chiang Mai. It’s a rarity considering it was the rainy season when I was there. I decided to do something different and came up with the idea of using leaves to frame my objects. I love plants and light – they help enhance or soften a picture.

Enchanting

Wat Chedi Luang

This is Wat Chedi Luang, built in 1391 during the reign of King Saen Muang Ma, eighth ruler of the Mengrai dynasty.

This picture is framed by a massive tree to the left of the temple with a burst of late afternoon light creating a spectacular glow. It is said that should this same tree ever fall, a great catastrophe will occur…

Lost in Chiang Mai

I recently travelled to Chiang Mai for some soul searching… I’ve been overwhelmed with my marcom work which explains my long absence from the blog. Anyway, I had a wonderful time in Chiang Mai, met a few nice people and learned many things along the way… all thanks to a book I brought along – Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. This classic which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide is about pursuing one’s dream/personal legend. One of my personal legends is of course photography. About a year ago, I launched my website limchih.com. It was one of my proudest moments… I want to thank all my friends and fans for their continuous support. Without your encouragement, I wouldn’t have fulfilled my dream…

Anyway back to Chiang Mai. The weather there was capricious. One day it’s raining, the next it’s sunny – what to expect, it’s the monsoon season! I was lucky to capture the following pictures on a gorgeous sunny afternoon. I decided to take these pictures in black and white to show a side of Chiang Mai (in the old city) that tourists do not usually see.

Glamour in Little India

Here is Sanna stopping traffic with her grace and beauty in Little India, Singapore. Sanna used to be a top model in Europe. She still does a bit of modelling, but yoga (and family) are her greatest passions in life now.

The Yoga Family

A family that practices yoga is a happy and healthy one as these pictures show.

Live Breathe India

Here are some pictures I shot for Lifestyle Living (an Indian magazine) recently. My subjects are an expatriate couple, Garry and Sanna, who are from England and Finland respectively. Devoted vegetarians and ardent practitioners of yoga, they practically live and breathe India. Their cosy abode in Newton, Singapore, is filled with objet d'art, antiques and books from India. It was a pleasure photographing their lovely home and not forgetting to mention their very photogenic son, Axel.