Nestled amongst mountains, on a high peninsula where the Nam Khan meets the larger Mekong River, shaded by mature and verdant trees even at the end of the long dry season, lies beautiful Luang Prabang, a small city of 50 000 souls.
Laos' second city, with a civic history dating back to the 700s CE, having survived many transitions of power and for a long time the residence of kings, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the mid 90s and a thriving tourism town. There is a very noticeable laid back atmosphere here and the cooler night temperatures make for a very relaxed visit after the torrid heat of the daytime.
The city is a celebration of architectural expression, both devotional and civic. Temples dominate, in all states of repair. French colonists established a strong tradition of brick and stucco building in French country style, and the moving of the capital to Vientiane has frozen these buildings in time. The Old Town is an almost perfectly preserved collection of attractive offices and fine residences of yesteryear. Tourism is now of course the economic mainstay but the purveyors of services are delightfully low key, as if inspired by the somnolent passage of history in these parts.
This would be the perfect place to end a long South East Asian odyssey, relaxing in its warm and cozy embrace after enduring the rigours of other, more frenetic and exhausting, locations.
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