Louangphrabang, Laos + Add a trip

Automobiles

Luang Prabang is compact and easy to explore on foot. Hotels beyond the centre offer free shuttle rides into the heart of the historic quarter. For trips further afield to the Kuang Si Falls or Pak Ou Caves (nicer by boat), a car and driver starts from US$30 a day.

Planes

Most visitors arrive at Luang Prabang International Airport (www.luangprabangairport.com), serviced by regional gateways such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap and Hanoi. Airlines with good connections include Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) and Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com). Pick up an airport taxi on arrival for US$6 (or 50,000 kip) to any destination in central Luang Prabang.

Trains

Dialing

Country code for Laos: +856. Luang Prabang: 071 (drop the zero if calling from overseas).

Reads

Unravel the mysteries of Lao history with A Short History of Laos: The Land in Between by Grant Evans. One Foot in Laos by Dervla Murphy may inspire you to further travel into the Lao hinterland, at least when they get around to opening a few boutique hotels.

Do go / Don't Go

The best weather (cooler and dry) arrives from November to February, but - surprise, surprise - this corresponds with high season. In March things might get a little hazy thanks to the widespread burning that goes on in the surrounding hills. The wet season (peaking in August) is not a complete washout, as the showers are usually brief and the countryside a vivid palette of greens. Lao New Year falls in mid-April and might be a time to avoid if you have grown out of water fights and talc throwing.

Cuisine

Lao cuisine has long lived in the shadow of its luminary neighbour Thailand. However, northern Thai recipes owe a debt of gratitude to Lao cooking and as Laos becomes more famous as a destination in its own right, it can only be a matter of time before some 'Thai' restaurants in the West are reborn as bastions of Lao gastronomy. Common dishes such as laap (minced meat or fish with herbs, greens and dried chilli flakes) and som tam (spicy green papaya salad) may have a shared ancestry with Thailand, but it is sticky rice that really sets the Lao menu apart. A culinary sponge, it soaks up stews and sauces and avoids the need for fiddly things like forks when off the beaten track. Luang Prabang is the place to indulge in traditional Lao fare or fine French dining. Local restaurants line the Mekong River, their terraces cascading down the banks, offering grandstand sunset views. Hip Lao haunts are dotted about the old town, many conjuring up discovery menus to take you on a journey to the heart of the Lao kitchen. Try a Luang Prabang salad with crisp watercress to realise fusion was invented long before the last decade or sample the regional riverweed with sesame seed and chilli (kai phen) or buffalo skin with dried chillis (jaew bong), both popular snacks.

Taxis

There are no metered taxis in town, but plenty of jumbos (motorised three-wheeled taxis) or tuk tuks. Smaller ones are usually heard before they are seen thanks to a two-stroke engine and cost about US$2 a ride. Bigger jumbos will cost a little more. Hotels can arrange cars on demand.

Tipping

Most Laotians don't tip, but Johnny (or Joanna) Foreigner is expected to leave about five to 10 per cent.

Currency

Lao kip (LAK), Thai baht (THB) or US dollar (US$). US$1 = approximately 8,400 kip.

Packing

Some of your favourite snacks and nibbles from home. Not because there is anything wrong with the delicious Lao food, but to give the monks a treat on their morning call to alms. Everyone else offers them sticky rice or noodles. Throw in some McVities Hob Nobs and ensure (insure?) good karma for a year.

Arts

Wat Xieng Thong is the postcard-perfect Luang Prabang temple. The roof arcs effortlessly to the floor, an original survivor from the 16th century, before the Black Flag (not Henry Rollins' seminal punk band, but a band of marauding Chinese) used it as a base during their 1887 assault on the town. Later, slightly kitsch additions include Japanese glass mosaics like the Tree of Life.

And...

Luang Prabang is not all culture, culture, culture. Think adventure, adventure, adventure on a foray into the countryside beyond. Sample one of the hikes to encounter the hardy minority peoples, cycle rides through the lush forests and river valleys, or kayaking trips along the pretty rivers. Several reliable operators offer one-day cycling and kayaking trips or longer combinations including trekking and an elephant experience. Try Tiger Trail Outdoor Adventures (+855 (0)71 212311; www.laos-adventures.com) or Green Discovery (+855 (0)71 212093; www.greendiscoverylaos.com)

Shopping

Luang Prabang has a host of shopping opportunities to tempt you, but given that this is laid-back Laos, there is not much of a sales pitch compared with the Siem Reaps and Hoi Ans of this region. Enter a boutique and you may need to wake up the sales assistant to make a purchase. The one exception to this rule is the Night Market, strung out along Sisavangvong Road each evening. Touting silk scarves, ethnic slippers and Hmong throws, it boasts a few items you might want and plenty you won't. However, it's a great place to browse and check the pulse of prices in Luang Prabang. Many of the sellers are minority women from the surrounding villages, so buying here is a direct way to benefit the local economy. Ock Pop Tock (+855 (0)71 254406; Sakkarine Road; www.ockpoptock.com) translates as East meets West and is a textile gallery established by a British photographer and Lao weaver. Promoting fair trade and Lao culture, this emporium showcases local tradition with flair. They also hold weaving classes from US$45 at their Living Crafts Centre (+855 (0)71 253219; info@ockpoptock.com). Caruso Lao (+855 (0) 1 254574; Sakkarine Road; www.carusolao.com) offers original homewares and handicrafts for the discerning shopper. Canadian designer Sandra Yuck works with skilled local artisans to create some beautiful wooden tableware, signature ebony vases and exquisite silk designs.

Viewpoint

If you're up and about early to offer alms to the monks, then you might as well stay awake and roll with the karma. Ascend the steps to the summit of Mt Phousy and take in the verdant views over lowrise Luang Prabang. Most visitors follow the crowd at sunset, but it is blissfully quiet around sunrise.

Something

Temples would be the easy answer, as most are free to enter and very striking, but we wouldn't want you to end up templed out. River views are all around, the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers embracing the old town peninsula before merging at its tip. Cross the dry season bamboo bridge over the Nam Khan for lush vistas over to the local side of town, where farmers grow vegetables and peanuts on the waters' exposed flanks. Or wander the banks of the Mekong, stopping in random riverside cafés for a glimpse of river life and the jungle hinterland beyond.