From one guesthouse to a luxury hotel and more

Singaporean Benny Kong cannot pinpoint the exact moment he discovered his entrepreneurial streak. But one of his earliest memories of business acumen dates back to when he was 14 years old.

- Sarah Stanley

At the time, his mother ran a flower shop at Singapore Shopping Centre in the Dhoby Ghaut area, and he would gather classmates to help her sell bouquets on the streets for Valentine's Day.

"I started a website to help her promote her flowers online. Back then, there was no such thing as e-commerce, so I'd also make graphics and post on the HardwareZone forum, and we managed to do quite well," he says.

He even set his own commission rate by marking up the price of a bouquet by around 20 per cent, earning a few thousand dollars in a month. Whether his mother knew is a different story.

Mr Kong recounts his youthful business antics with a glint of mischief in his eye. That same venturesome mien has since carried him far.

Now, at 37, he has spent almost 20 years in Laos and runs an eco-luxury hotel in Luang Prabang - the capital of its namesake province in the north.

Recognised as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1995, Luang Prabang is celebrated for its cultural richness and well-preserved mix of Buddhist temples and French colonial mansions.

One of the fastest ways to reach the destination from Singapore is to first take a three-hour nonstop flight to Laotian capital Vientiane on low-cost carrier Scoot. Round-trip airfare typically costs under $400, based on checks by The Straits Times.

It may not be a commercial hub, but Mr Kong has grown to appreciate the slower pace of life there. Daily necessities and food are reasonably priced, and lakes, forests and waterfalls are abundant and within reach.

What keeps him rooted, though, are the people. "They are so genuine and have this kampung spirit. I'm a foreigner, but they treat me like a local," he says.

The story of how Laos became Mr Kong's stomping ground can be traced to his teenage days selling flowers for his mother.