Mandala Ou Resort

The hospitality is amazing, the surroundings are lovely and the plunge pool is a great place to unwind when returning from an adventure.

Make sure you pay the extra and book a river view room.

Great view over Nam Ou, very good attention by staff and management

Stunning location with a gorgeous pool and balconies overlooking the river and the hills. This was a hidden gem but only 5 mins from the centre of town. The staff couldn't have been more helpful - even looking after my luggage for 3 days when I went trekking, although they were officially closed for the season during that time. A wonderful time had and the team made it even more special, only wish I could have stayed longer.

This is a great value hotel but as such the rooms are a bit on the noisy side in the morning (I was opposite the kitchen) but honestly that was fine in the scheme of things and it was a great place.

Sebastian was such a great host and helpful with any queries we had. Breakfast was great with a nice selection of food. Lovely views overlooking the Mekong River, water refill available on site, free bike hire also available (although the brakes definitely needed fixing on the one I rode!)

The room was pretty basic and dusty. The mosquito net was filthy and covered in bugs and blood. What wasn’t obvious from the pictures was that the divide between the bed and bathroom doesn’t reach the ceiling so be prepared to hear and smell all of your partner’s bathroom activity - not for the faint hearted and wasn’t ideal for us.