"Straddling the banks of the Nam Khan river, about a mile from the night market, Villa Maydou is a luxurious but pleasantly low-key boutique hotel that feels like an old friend’s home. The 29 rooms are spread across five traditional villas, two of which date to 1925 and 1936 and have been restored by a husband-and-wife team with guidance from UNESCO’s office in Luang Prabang (the whole town is a World Heritage site). All rooms feature a mix of locally sourced furnishings and classic embroidered linens and are surrounded by tranquil gardens that teem with tropical flora. An open-air restaurant provides sustenance for a day of exploring the area’s more than 33 wats —free loaner bicycles make getting around town a breeze—while a small pool at the center of the property offers cool comfort after a day in the Laotian sun."