The old shophouses lining the main street have been almost entirely converted into restaurants, bars, boutiques and art galleries, like a Lao version of New York's SoHo. Many of these places are owned by the still sizeable French expat community, and it really gives the town a very different feeling from most Asian cities. While I don't think Luang Prabang's sights can hold a visitor for long, the cafe culture is definitely worth exploring over a longer stay. The French food was quite good, although one defining feature of every restaurant we ate it in Luang Prabang is an extremely slow kitchen. I think the food is cooked in the owner's personal kitchen, since there was a minimum one hour wait between courses in every restaurant. But, when you're in Luang Prabang, there aren't a lot of other activities competing for your attention, so it's best to just sit back and relax.

Luang Prabang is also famous for its high concentration of French colonial architecture, which you can see in the shophouses lining the main street, as well as in many of the grand private residences. The hotel pictured here is the Villa Santi, which used to be the home of a Lao princess. It's a small hotel that when we visited was the best in town, but unfortunately full. We did stop for lunch in the outdoor balcony, which is quite atmospheric. Nowadays there are a few more old colonial homes that have been converted into hotels as Luang Prabang has become a must see stop on the off the beaten path tourist circuit.