The garden neighbourhood in Luang Prabang is where the boutique hotels blossom. One of the newest is Villa Maly, built round the 1938 residence of Princess Khampieng and Prince Khamtan, who was Prefect of the provinces of Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Sayabouri. The historic home Plumeria, which means 'frangipani' in Lao, has been painstakingly restored to retain its original colonial charm. The 33 guest rooms and suites are scattered across other low rise colonial buildings which are also named after flowers; Lotus, Heliconia, Hibiscus, Passiflore, Gardenia. You'll find all the classic colonial features here: wooden floors, four-poster beds, mahogany armoires and swirling ceiling fans. But there is also a large dose of Deco, in homage to the original mansion's heyday.

The Apple Tree Group, which owns the hotel, also operates Nava Mekong, a dining experience on a traditional Lao junk which sails from Luang Prabang.