Without doubt the most original and authentic boutique hotel in Luang Prabang, the 3 Nagas is itself the centre of town. Indeed, the hotel is protected by the World Heritage Organisation, having been refurbished with great reverence to the original Lao character using time-honoured techniques, wooden floors, traditional silk textiles and clay tiles. It is stunning.

The 3 Nagas offers just 12 superior rooms and 3 exquisite suites. Each is beautifully appointed and extremely spacious, complete with sofas and terrace or balcony. Whilst there are no televisions in any of the rooms, they do have all the other mod cons you could possibly need such as refrigerator, air –con, telephones and even in room internet access.

You can stay on either side of the road which dissects the hotel – the lobby and boutique are both on one side, whereas the rooms on the opposite side have access to the larger of the gardens which overlooks the Nam Khan River. There are two restaurants, both housed in old heritage listed buildings facing each other across the street and the dining is amongst the best in Luang Prabang. One side serves authentic Lao food, while ‘Mango 3 Nagas’ serves fusion Asian and Western cuisine on the other side. The breakfast terrace overlooks the line of orange-robbed monks receiving alms in the morning. But, other than a small boutique, that’s it for facilities – to stay at the 3 Nagas is to become part of the fabric of the ancient capital itself.