It’s our last day in Luang Prabang, and unfortunately our last overall in Laos. Over the past three days we’ve wandered around this tiny Asian tourist hub and UNESCO world heritage site, taking in our fill of Buddhist temples, arts & crafts shops and markets. It’s one of those places that exists on it’s own timetable, and as such you can just completely settle in and loose yourself in the detail of your surroundings.

On the surface, Luang Prabang seems like a semi-typical Asian tourist / backpacker magnet, complete with Tuk Tuk drivers a plenty, tat-shops and tour agents oozing out of every pore. Hotels and guest houses make up a high proportion of the real estate here, and concessions to Western patrons are evident in the restaurant menus (I thought the Wiener Schnitzel was a European speciality?) and even Christmas trees in certain establishments.

However, unlike other Asian cities it appears that tourism hasn’t completely ruined the place. Scratching the surface reveals a low-key, laid back place populated by typically friendly locals that are eager to please, and plenty of it’s own charm and tradition (including the daily alms gathering by local monks, if you get up early enough). In stark contrast to other major towns and cities in neighbouring Vietnam or Cambodia, you can walk around hassle free without the locals preying on you for trade.

Being tiny, it’s easy to walk the entire city in a morning. During the day, there are plenty of Bhuddist wats to visit, cafes and bars to drink in and quality arts & crafts shops to relieve you of whatever currency you are carrying. If you’re feeling fit, you can get a perfect view of the amazing surroundings by climbing up Phu Si to Wat Thammothayalan, with both the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers on one side and the mountains on the other.

Go out at night however, and it’s a completely different place. There are no street lights, so the only illumination comes from the many shops, restaurants and bars that come alive after dark. It enhances the low-key nature of the place, and thanks to the lack of light pollution you can actually see the stars in the night sky. If you walk a little further and you’ll come across a bustling night market, mostly full of cheap tat but with a few gems here and there to make the trip worthwhile.

If you get bored of being local, there are an abundance of Tuk Tuk’s and Sawngthaew’s waiting to take you to nearby locations, where you can partake of waterfalls, forest walks, local villages and a bear rescue centre.

All in all, Luang Prabang is pretty much my idea of the ideal chill-out zone; friendly, laid back and not too touristy, with enough to do to keep you interested.

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If there’s one complaint that I would have about Luang Prabang (and indeed the whole of Laos) is the coffee. It stinks. Could not get a decent cup anywhere.