Monks paint a building in Luang Phabang

UNESCO declared Luang Phabang a World Heritage site in 1995. Laos’s second-largest city is situated on the confluence of the Khan and Mekong Rivers, surrounded by low hills filled with small villages and glimmering temples. In the distance limestone mountains fade into the haze and the Mekong and Khan snake off to their demise. 

Echoes of the late 19^th century French occupation resound in the city’s architecture and food. Crumbling ornate mansions with faded shutters and overgrown rose gardens now house Lao families and businesses. Jam croissants and baguettes - among other French delicacies - can be purchased from a number of patisseries, and a rich dark coffee called ‘café nom’ made with condensed milk is available on every street corner. The traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road – another French legacy to watch out for! 

Bicycle is the best form of transport with which to explore the city. The city's easy pace, friendly but shy people and weaving streets lined with palm trees heavy with fresh coconuts are both welcoming and exotic.

Splashes of bright orange can be seen throughout the city as Buddhist monks in their traditional robes amble around the riverside markets or ornate temples that either survived the intensive bombing of the Vietnam war, or have been rebuilt. 

An hour’s bike ride out of the city centre you’ll find a small village called Ban Phanom, famous for it’s hand-woven silk. Riding into the village, it looks like any other with crops bordering a small group of traditional wooden houses. The giveaway is a large open-air pavilion on the outskirts dressed up like a peacock. Extravagant bolts of silk fit for a queen decorate the walls. The colours and designs are exquisite although the bargaining is intense, bordering on aggressive. Each woman competes with the next to attract your attention to her wares. It’s overwhelming but worth the bargaining as Lao silk is more akin to art than mere cloth.