Luang Prabang in 3 days

A hill in the middle of the peninsula, climbed by 328 steps between frangipani trees to the golden That Chomsi stupa.

Built from 1904 for King Sisavang Vong, mixing a French plan with Lao roofs; a royal residence until 1975, now the national museum.

From early evening the main street closes to traffic and fills with red awnings, where Hmong and Khmu vendors sell embroidery, paper lanterns and silver.

At dawn, hundreds of monks walk in line to receive sticky rice from kneeling residents; watch quietly, from a distance, and without flash.

The town's oldest working temple, founded in 1512 and rebuilt in 1898 after the Black Flags sacked Luang Prabang in 1887.

Founded in 1560 at the tip of the peninsula where the rivers meet, its sim has sweeping roofs that almost touch the ground.

Two caves in a limestone cliff 25 kilometres upriver, the lower one filled with thousands of wooden Buddha statues left by pilgrims.

Milky turquoise travertine pools stepping down a forested stream to a final fall of about 50 metres, 29 kilometres south of town.