Luxury Vacations in Laos

Take the slow boat down the red waters of the Mekong, idly watching the river unfold, and the golden roofs of Luang Prabang gradually reveal themselves.

Compared to its more frenetic neighbors Thailand and Vietnam, Laos is languid – a siesta of a country often overlooked by travellers to South-East Asia other than the connoisseurs who know its worth. The once-royal capital of Luang Prabang is one of the most magical cities in Asia, fragranced with frangipani and lemongrass, lined with teak houses and temples, its colonial history an echo of the French Belle Epoque. Saffron-robed monks cycle past; regulars settle into cafés for coffee and khao jee pâté. Over the years, hotels have been drawn into its heritage architecture, while the rest of the country is a tapestry of limestone peaks, rivers and waterfalls, of fishing nets draped from bamboo poles and Khmer jungle ruins. On the Plain of Jars, stone structures from the megalithic age stretch for miles; the caves of Pak Ou are thronged by more than 7,000 Buddhas. Laos is a place to linger and take your time.