No town in Laos holds a visitor quite like Luang Prabang. Forested hills ring it, the Khan meets the Mekong at its edge, and the pace has stayed unhurried and old-fashioned. Until the middle of the 16th century this was the seat of the Lane Xang (million elephants) kingdom. What Europe left behind sits easily beside some thirty-odd gilded Buddhist temples, giving the streets both depth and mood. Start slowly, on foot, through the old quarters: the busy morning market first, then the handsome main street, followed by the National Museum. Wat Xienthong follows, 'The Temple of the Golden City', widely held to be the country's finest. The day closes on the water, aboard a boat for a sunset cruise on the Mekong.

The morning begins with a drive out of Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Waterfall, the loveliest of the falls within reach of town. Swim, wander, and take in the turquoise pools and the jungle around them, then call at the bear sanctuary next door, home to Asiatic Black bears pulled out of the illegal wildlife trade. Heading back, stop at the Ock Pop Tok Weaving Centre, where the craft of Lao textiles is shown in full. Tonight you travel to the Bamboo experience for a presentation on bamboo, a good dinner and a baci ceremony.

The route now turns south with a flight down to Pakse. From the airport the road climbs steadily through mountains and long switchbacks towards the region of the Bolaven Plateau. At some point on that climb you are introduced to Mr Kamsome, a coffee grower and expert in the crop, who then takes the group off-road aboard an old army Jeep, bumping up into his plantation.

Thick jungle and rolling hills frame the first halt of the day, Tad Fane, known as the 'Twin Waterfalls'. From there the road leads to the ancient ruins at Wat Phu, the Mountain Temple, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site and among the earliest archaeological grounds anywhere in Laos. The drive stays scenic until Done Khong, biggest of the islands in Si Phan Don 4,000 Islands.

Out here among the islands the clock barely moves. Sail the Mekong with the wind on deck, passing fishing hamlets along either bank, and step ashore at Done Khone. A bicycle is the right way to see the place, wind in your hair, rolling past the French locomotive left standing there and the Railway Bridge. Then comes Liphi Waterfalls, a mass of water tearing down at every angle before the channels rejoin the Mekong.

The day opens at Khone Phapheng Waterfalls, vast and thundering, water driving through in sheets that are hard to look away from. Next is Ban Khiet Ngong, a village inside the Xe Pian National Protected Area, a broad wetland that shelters rare and threatened species. A short climb takes you up Phou Asa Mountain, where strange columns built from stacked plate-like stones stand guard over nothing visible, thought once to have surrounded a temple. Back in Pakse, the day finishes over a traditional Sindad dinner.

Farewells today, though the stories are yours to keep and carry back with you. Your transfer runs to the airport for whatever comes next.