A temple town where two rivers meet
Luang Prabang, the old royal capital of Laos, sits on a peninsula where the Nam Khan river joins the Mekong. Its UNESCO-listed old town mixes gilded Buddhist monasteries with wooden Lao houses and French colonial villas. Each dawn, saffron-robed monks walk the streets to receive alms of sticky rice. Wat Xieng Thong, with its sweeping roofs, is the most beautiful temple, Mount Phousi gives the view at sunset, and the turquoise pools of Kuang Si Falls are a short drive away.