4 nts. (3 days) in L.P. with 3.5 year-old enough time?

We are headed to S.E. Asia for 2 weeks with our 3.5 year-old at the end of May. We are first going to the beach in Thailand for 7 nights, then heading to Luang Prabang for 4 nights (giving us 3 full days in LP), and then to Bangkok for 3 nights. Given that we are traveling with our 3.5 year-old (we have traveled with her to S.E. Asia twice before) we like to have time to relax by the pool in each destination (in addition to sightseeing). We are flying in from Bangkok and are wondering whether to shorten the beach part of our trip in Thailand and add on a day or two more in Luang Prabang. We will be staying at an upmarket property in Luang Prabang with a swimming pool. We are hoping that LP is not like Hoi-An in Vietnam which felt like it was solely for tourists (a fake/Disney feel). Thanks in advance!

4 nts. (3 days) in L.P. with 3.5 year-old enough time?

Luang Prabang is not fake at all, but there will be a lot of camera-toting tourists. My query is do you intend to pay all that money on airfare %26amp; for visas ($37 per person) to just spend 3 or 4 days there? (and to just relax by a pool?) I%26#39;d personally opt to spend more time in Thailand, and make a seperate trip to Laos on another occasion.

4 nts. (3 days) in L.P. with 3.5 year-old enough time?

Good point about the cost. Though I actually do think it would be worth the money. We are not budget travelers so the cost is not so much of an issue. Finding the time is actually more of the problem. Toting a 3.5 year-old along requires that we not spend all of our time focusing on sightseeing, but we also don%26#39;t want to miss out on a place like Luang Prabang. It will be many years before we will be traveling without our daughter for two weeks and if a few days is all we can get to visit some culturally rich parts of the world than that is what we%26#39;re willing to take. Also, as a bonus we%26#39; ve discovered that traveling with our daughter really opens us up to the people and culture in a way traveling just as adults never could (even in a short period of time). So in sum, I really don%26#39;t think we should abandon Luang Prabang all together. I understand though that you feel 4 nights is too little to spend there so we will try to spend another night or two in LP.

Sabaidee/greetings from Harper St. near MLK and Ashby (actually am in Luang Prabang right now).

Anyways, I think an extra day would be great but I would not go out of my way to try and squeeze in more time for LP. I can understand that the beaches of Thailand can offer your 3.5 YO considerably more of interests than LP.

I also agree that you and your daughter will find that the Lao love children (similar to Bali) and you%26#39;re likely to find willing baby sitters easily.

Given that you%26#39;re coming to Luang Prabang at the end of May, there will be tourists but not nearly to the degree as the high season in December and January. I%26#39;ts been many years since I%26#39;ve visited Hoi-An but I suspect LP is going the way of Hoi-An, albeit with LP having considerably more temples. It won%26#39;t be much longer until the LP heritage zone becomes a complete tourist zone or %26#39;ghetto%26#39; so the sooner you visit the better.

And if you%26#39;re able to squeeze in more days for LP, I%26#39;d suggest a boat trip along the Nam Ou River.

I know that Bezerkley is very PC but your daughter might enjoy a visit to the Sunbear Conservation Center at Kuang Si Waterfall or an elephant trek and that%26#39;s easily done near LP.

PS--you won%26#39;t need a swimming pool if you visit Kuangsi Waterfall since there are mulitiple levels of pools and some very shallow for your daughter.

Thank you Seagypsylaos. Sabay dee from Bezerkeley! You have confirmed my suspicions that we better get to Luang Prabang fast - before it becomes like Hoi An. I also appreciate the activity recommendations. Our daughter will love seeing elephants and swimming in pools from a waterfall (as will I)! We like traveling in the off-season for numerous reasons. One of which is that we feel it gives us a bit more of an authentic experience of a place. So good to know this may prove true for LP as well. The Balinese people are amazing so hearing that the Laotian people similarly respond to children is wonderful to hear. Thank you again. Looking forward to our trip!