“The lodge, arguably the most famous hotel in South Laos,”
Singapour Home & Decor
May 2022
LE POINT
January 2021
Lorsque le Mékong prend les dimensions d’un lac, il se couvre de mille îlots: sur Don Daeng, l’une de ces langues de terre laotiennes, une maison, quelques bungalows et un pavillon sur pilotis de bois – le bon choix – font face au fleuve roi. Y accéder, sur une barge à un côté durassien auquel nul ne peut être insensible (…)
CHAMPA MEUANGLAO
November/December 2020
“A charming Lodge located on Don Daeng island across from Champasak town offers a rare opportunity to retreat from the hectic rush of busy streets (…) »
COUNTRY AND TOWNHOUSE
November 2019 – The Most Luxurious Spas in Laos
“… There’s an ineffable allure about this place. Wooden cabins, like something Robinson Crusoe might have built, sit along the Mekong. The new spa occupies one such cabin, and it isn’t trying to be too sophisticated – the idea is imbibing the natural surroundings over massages using oils, created for the resort by the famous “Artisans Laos”. Drink up the ambiance from the foliage-filled riverside terrace, and if that’s not tranquil enough, embark on a peaceful sunset cruise with a private butler and the best canapés in Laos.”
TRAVEL + LEISURE
June 2019 – Lost in Laos
… But La Résidence is an oasis of cool, with quirky France-meets-Laos exoticism and outdoor terraces overlooking crisp white sands descending to the Mekong. Landlocked by China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, Laos has no sea, but La Folie seems set on a beach, except that babes in bikinis are replaced by buxom buffalo basking on the sands in wild abandon”
SAVEURS
March 2019 – Le Laos – Tout en Sincérité
“La vie est douce sur l’île de Done Daeng. Juste avant le coucher du soleil, les enfants et leurs mères se baignent joyeusement dans le Mékong exempt de pollution. « Il n’y a pas d’industrie ici », nous confie un pêcheur qui relève ses filets tous les jours pour sa consommation personnelle autant que pour vendre ses prises. Au restaurant de La Folie Lodge, la cuisine est préparée avec des produits locaux. Poisson du Mékong à la sauce tamarin, tilapia aux herbes laotiennes cuit dans un bambou. […] Gentillesse et simplicité ne nous aurons décidément pas quittées dans ce Laos à découvrir tant que son authenticité est préservée »
CHAMPA MEUANG LAO
July 2018 – Muang Champassak – A town to love
“ … Take a locally crafted ferry to Done Daeng, a car-free island directly across the Mekong River from Champassak, and only accessible by boat – the crossing is one of many amazing highlights of the trip. From the ferry dock, you may find yourself greeted by water buffalo lounging in the river. You then board a unique Lao tractor and ride up the 500-meter beach to the spectacular La Folie Lodge. There you can take a refreshing dip in the pool, lounge and eat poolside, spend the night at a beach-front chalet – each with its own deck to enjoy a spectacular sunset shimmering on the Mekong.”
THE CULTURE TRIP
March 2018 – The 7 Best Meditation Retreats in Laos
“Australian based yoga instructor and her sister-in-law Vonsesili (Tiak) Saysana are hosting a week-long yoga retreat at La Folie Lodge on Done Daeng island in Champasak, near Wat Phou. Ten percent of the registration fee will go toward community projects on the island. Guests will enjoy daily yoga and Buddhist workshops and ceremonies and go on sightseeing trips to 4,000 Islands and the Bolevan Plateau.”
LE POINT
February 2018 – Voyage dans l’intimité du Laos
“… Une nuit et une centaine de kilomètres plus tard, le Mékong semble sortir de sa torpeur. À mesure qu’on se rapproche de la frontière cambodgienne, il s’élargit pour laisser apparaître les 4 000 îles, l’archipel de Si Phan Don. Certaines s’apparentent à des bancs de sable, d’autres, plus luxuriantes, abritent des villages isolés à explorer à vélo. La sympathique Dong Daeng abrite un charmant hôtel de 12 bungalows, La Folie Lodge, tenu par un Français tombé sous le charme de la sérénité des lieux. Un excellent point de chute pour goûter au mode de vie des environs.”
LE MONDE
October 2017 – Le Laos pour le meilleur et pour le pire
“ … Sur le Mékong, l’archipel fluvial des 4000 îles fait rêver à la simple évocation de son nom. Ce secteur est le plus touristique du sud du Laos et sa beauté naturelle attire des cars entiers de visiteurs. Comment s’extirper de la foule ? En s’exilant sur une île. Parmi les 4000 de l’archipel, il existe une adresse qui fera le bonheur des voyageurs en quête de tranquillité : sur l’île de Done Daeng, le Folie Lodge est un établissement de luxe construit au bord du Mékong et au cœur de la végétation luxuriante. Si cet établissement offre tout le confort que peut espérer un voyageur en quête de repos, l’île de Done Daeng réunit quant à elle tout ce qu’un voyageur à l’âme aventurière peut espérer pour satisfaire ses élans d’explorateur. Entre deux séances de farniente au bord de la piscine, cette île se découvre à vélo sur les chemins et à travers les champs, en suivant le rythme des paysans dans les rizières, des prières dans les temples, des écoliers qui rentrent de l’école, et du soleil qui se couche sur le Mékong… Moments uniques ! ”
LES ECHOS WEEK-END
Mai 2017 – Le Laos au fil de l’eau
“ … Les hédonistes, eux, opteront pour l’ile de Done Daeng, plus haut sur le fleuve en remontant vers Paske. Sur cette langue de terre de huit kilomètres, le tourisme rime davantage avec luxe, grâce à La Folie Lodge.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES
April 2017- Along the Mekong River, a Timeless Place Where Time Marches On
“… At lunchtime, we stopped at La Folie, a French-run colonial-style lodge. While our hotel was all modernist glass and concrete, La Folie had polished wooden panels on the floors and walls. It overlooked the river and faced the spine of mountains to the west. We could see Vat Phou in the hills. ”
LUXURY TRAVEL IN ASIA
November 2016 – 12 Top Paradise Islands in Asia
“ … Near the stunning 4,000 islands of southern Laos (but actually a little further north) you will find the delightful island of Don Deang, which is delightfully chilled and incredibly relaxing. With just one (very gorgeous) hotel on the island, you can hire a bike and cycle the dusty paths of the village waving to curious children or observing the locals as they get on their day. A stay here is all about removing your watch and enjoying the slower pace of life; watch river life from the hotel’s private beach area or pool. or if you are feeling more adventurous you can explore the nearby coffee region (Bolaven Plateau) or cruise around the 4,000 islands. La Folie, the only hotel on the island, is a firm favourite of ours! The stilted wooden lodges are delightfully appointed and luxuriously finished; it’s an exceptionally well run hotel and we can’t think of a lovelier place to unwind.”
THE GUARDIAN
November 2015 – Laos holiday guide: plan the perfect two-week trip
“… Moving south, Pakse opens the door to the dreamy tail of Laos, and the 4,000 islands cradled in the many arms of the Mekong. Before escaping to hang in a hammock, stop off on the Bolaven plateau, with its fertile soils and waterfalls, for Lao coffee, and a treehouse adventure. […] If you’re hankering for a pool, try La Folie Lodge.”
THE TELEGRAPH
January 2013 – Laos: The magic of the Mekong
“… I jumped on board and within seconds we were chugging up the extended sand bank to the aptly named La Folie, a wonderful little oasis consisting of 12 tastefully decorated bungalows in lush surroundings, a bar with dark wood furnishings and walls of Fifties-style posters advertising Vermouth Martini, Sandeman Sherry and Kalini the Great Magician. There was also a swimming pool, from which I enjoyed views of a perfect sunset over the Mekong. Across the water lay the splendours of Wat Phou, an extensive temple complex built by the Khmer civilisation some two hundred years before attention was turned to Angkor Wat. The visit there was to come later; as, too, was an early-morning cycle ride around the car-free island, punctuated by wide-eyed smiles and cries of “sabaidee” (hello!).”
ANTENA 3
October 2012 – Pedeleando bajo el monzon en Champassak
“… No hace falta quedarse a dormir aqui, se ve en una tarde, pero auno asi nos encontramos un lujoso hotel, La Folie Lodge, un especie de resort fluvial. Sinceramente, si alguien quiere perderse del mundo conocido, un hotel en una pequena isla en medio del Mekong en el sur de Laos es una opcion inmejorable.”
STUFF
October 2011 – Vat Phou temple’s ancient history
“… At a glance, Champasak doesn’t seem to have changed since my first visit in the late 1990s, when the trickle of visitors who made it this far south stayed in bamboo-built bungalows and getting to Pakse, 50 kilometres away, required crossing the Mekong by ferry, then negotiating a muddy trail into town. […]The 24-room La Folie Lodge on Don Daeng Island, on the opposite side of the river, has manicured gardens and a lovely pool.”