Team
Meet the Team of NamKhan Ecolodge
Alexis Savigny – General Manager
Born in Switzerland, Alexis Savigny is passionate about hospitality and has experience managing resorts around South East Asia since 2014. After landing in Luang Prabang in 2018, Alexis fell in love with the Laotian culture and its slow way of life. Not long after, Alexis met his future wife and settled along the shores of the Mekong River. Alexis was very much involved in creating and launching an organic farm in the surrounding mountains of Luang Prabang.
Lennert Wendt – Vegan Chef
Lennert Wendt is a creative mind and curious entrepreneur with a sense of sustainability and concern for social and environmental issues. He cooks with spices and attitude but without national borders and limitations, following his intuition rather than someone else’s recipes. Lennert used to run two restaurants in Hamburg, Germany, and he mainly focused on plant-based cuisines. Lennert is interested in holistic processes. To him, cooking begins in the garden. It is not the interaction of nature and humans, but humans as part of nature that allows nature to unfold in the garden, in the kitchen and finally on the plate.
Joan Pons
Gardens & Farm Manager
Originally from Mallorca, Spain, Joan has been working in Namkhan Ecolodge since 2018. Joan expands his knowledge day by day working on the farm, following the path of love whilst spreading health and truth.
He is a master in “marge”, the ancient technique of building dry stone walls, and takes care of the landscape and pathways of the property. He is also an enthusiast and expert in another ancient technique, Qi Gong and Chinese Traditional Medicine; he is our resident Qi Gong teacher, offering private and group lessons.
Yang Sheng Chi Kung
The goal of practising Chi Kung is to cultivate the flow of qi (life force) within our body along the energy centres (meridians) to promote health or healing combined with stretching and strengthening of muscles and joints. Research has shown that these exercises effectively reduce stress and anxiety, in addition to protecting against disease, ageing and mental health problems.
Each session begins with a warm-up, then a few movements are presented in detail and practised together, before closing with a stretching routine.
Longlee – Activity Manager
Originally from Hmong ethnic group, Longlee studied agriculture at Luang Prabang University. After his studies, he worked as a tour guide learning about rice cultivation and welcoming foreigners to his country, Laos, for several years. Longlee works as an Activity Manager at NamKhan Ecolodge and is a perfect guide for farm tours, bamboo weaving workshops, and kayaking or tubing trips, providing the best experience.
Ngern – Farm Manager & Farm Team
Originally from the South of Laos, Ngern joined our team in 2020. Ngern studied agriculture in southern Laos and came to Luang Prabang to work on our farm and learn different techniques from our foreign agronomists. Ngern specialises in organic vegetable cultivation and is passionate about plants and vegetables. She ensures that our vegetable beds are planted on time so you can enjoy our organic dishes. Ngern is also in charge of distributing vegetables to our partners in the city and selling them to the organic markets.
Bounlerd – Accountant Admin Manager
Of Khamu origin, Bounlerd is the right hand of our GM and has been working in the hotel industry for more than 8 years. His passion for numbers and computers led him to specialise in the accounting and administration department. Bounlerd started as a waiter, then as a receptionist, and is now our Accountant Admin Manager. With exceptional intelligence, he also listens well to guests and will be happy to welcome and assist you during your stay at NamKhan Ecolodge.
Phonexai – Lao Chef
Phonexai is our Lao Chef and the main Chef at NamKhan Ecolodge. He is from the Luang Prabang province and has more than 7 years of experience in the restaurant business. He started with us in 2019 and worked his way up the ladder with his creativity, tenacity and passion for cooking. Dedicated to bringing you fresh, quality food, Phonexai manages our Farm to Table Restaurant for the pleasure of your taste buds.
Noy – Lao Chef for Cooking Classes
Noy is our part-time Lao Chef who runs our cooking classes. With more than 10 years of experience in the kitchen in Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, Noy has a deep love for cooking. All she needs is a knife to wander around the organic farm to concoct and teach you the best Lao recipes. An artist in the kitchen with boundless creativity, she would love to teach you the secret to delicious Asian dishes. Noy is the perfect Chef for your cooking classes at NamKhan Ecolodge.
Estella Llabres – Yoga Instructor
Estella dedicated her entire life to studying, learning and teaching movement. Estella is a Pilates instructor, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis trainer. Estella completed the 500th Yoga Advanced Training and went deeper into the studies of Nidra Yoga. She travelled to Asia frequently to learn massage techniques and now specialises in Thai massage, postural yoga and more. Estella combines all her knowledge and brings her expertise to provide a fulfilling wellness experience.
Laura Collier – Yoga Teacher
Cecilia Cambre – Yoga Instructor
Lars Weidemann – Creative Director and Events Manager
Born and raised in Hamburg, Lars Weidemann quickly realised he wanted to see more of the world. While working in the fashion industry, he travelled the world for several years and has lived in New York, Tokyo, Paris, Milan, Amsterdam, Barcelona and many other cities. In 2004, Lars chose London as his new city of residence and swapped fashion for hospitality. He helped establish the Pix Pintxos brand and opened 4 trendy and successful restaurants. His next chapter took him to Formentera, Spain, where Lars worked on building an artist residency and boutique hotel, expanding his horizons in the holistic world. In 2019, he joined the NamKhan family, working with a dedicated team to develop and create a magical place for world dreamers in Luang Prabang.