George W. Stone
Luang Prabang, Laos

Hidden in the hills of northern Laos, treacherously accessible by truck and terrifyingly accessible by high-speed riverboat (imagine a 12-foot [3.7 meter] butter dish propelled by a high-octane, horizontal eggbeater), Luang Prabang shimmers at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. It is an oasis of gilded temple roofs and multiethnic marketplaces.

Tiny by Western standards, this UNESCO World Heritage site conceals its 20,000 residents and flaunts its French colonial nuances. Mornings are for croissants and cocoa, dark as the Mekong, along Thanon Phothisalat—the sleepy main drag, all wooden shutters and bicycles. An afternoon excursion could take you to a traditional village weaver, who spins tie-dyed silk into elegant ikat shawls, or to the local Lao Red Cross, where you can unwind (from what?) in a traditional herbal sauna. Dine on fish-sauce curry served with sticky rice, green papaya salad, and—if you wish—a flaky baguette and the ubiquitous Beer Lao.

Sleep in silence under an indigo sky and rise with the roosters (a bit annoying, I grant you) to meander down a dirt road and begin the cycle anew.

George W. Stone is an assistant editor at TRAVELER.