Getting there

Planes

Wing your way into Luang Prabang International Airport (www.luangprabangairport.com) from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap or Hanoi, among other regional airports. Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) and Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com) offer the smoothest flight connections. An airport taxi into town costs about US$6.

Boats

Several cruise boats connect Huay Xai (the bustling Mekong River port on the Thai border) with Luang Prabang – handy if you’re coming from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai in Thailand. Luang Say Cruises (www.luangsay.com) offers a two-day river experience, with an overnight stay in the rustic town of Pak Beng. Don’t even consider the speedboats unless you enjoy tinnitus, cramp and death-defying velocity.

Automobiles

Luang Prabang is compact and easy to explore on foot. For trips further afield to the Kuang Si Falls or Pak Ou Caves (nicer by boat), you could hire a car and driver: prices start at US$30 a day.