FOR MANY the highlight of their trip to Laos, this jungle-girt town of golden temples still remains a pleasant, laid-back destination. That may depend on time and timing.
Twenty years ago, Luang Prabang, in the middle of Laos' northern mountains was a quite town with many beautiful buddhists wats.
Between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, in 2000 it was by no means undiscovered. The outskirts of town where village kids goofed around in the waters wasn't far.
Fisherman worked the river with family.
The country recommenced accepting tourists in 1989, albeit with restrictions, but by the late 90s, guest-houses and tourist cafe were common in Luang Prabang.
Fast forward 25 years, reports of streets jammed with tourists, many of whom jostle for positions as the monks make the morning alms, are common.
The tourist genie as absolutely out of the bottle. Is the sleepy mountain town of fabled golden temples lost forever?
Perhaps, however up to 80% of tourist come here in the dry season. This is the main road, just outside the city's principal temple, Wat Xiengthong.
We stayed next door to Wat Xiengthong, in a gorgeous French era wooden building with high ceilings and balconies, for under $15/night.
This was July, hardly the peak of rainy season, but we never felt the crowds. A group or two came into the wat on the three occasions we were there, and we hardly saw groups at all anywhere else.
Peace might be harder to find in dry months. With 2m visitors and a local population of ~90,000, Luang Prabang has one of the highest ratios of tourists to residents, on par with Dubrovnik.
Interest in Luang Prabang is justified. It's beautiful. Ringed by green hills, numerous golden spired temples with gilt walls and doors fill the town.
Most of the graceful, elegant buildings, like Wat Xiengthong, date from the mid 1500s.
In the one kilometre between Wat Xiengthong and the Palace, there are at least 11 wats.
These are active, working temples, not museums, and must be treated with respect. Leave the shorts and wife-beaters at home.
Most consist of multiple buildings for various purposes. This is the funeral chapel of Wat Xiengthong.
One of its buildings is decorated with colourful mosaics, depicting daily life.
Bod tree mosiacs with peacocks.
The halls contain ancient artworks depicting life of the Buddha.
Thousands of Buddha amulets surround a reclining and a seated Buddha.
A golden chariot with gold and red naga serpents waits for New Year and other celebrations.
Gold leaf murals of dancers and lions adorn walls, making Insta-worth backdrops.
The deep red walls of Wat Sensoukharam, 300 metres away, contrast starkly with its neighbour.
However, for Laos and most Thai visitors, these aren't just pretty buildings. They have a deep spiritual importance.
The nearby Royal Palace is a relative newbie, built from 1904-1909. It replaced a generations-old teak palace of unknown age, destroyed by Chinese armies in 1887.
Photography is restricted in the Palace itself, and Haw Phra Bang temple on the same grounds.
The Palace museum was ok, worth a wander, but Haw Phra Bang was closed for lunch break when we turned up. Its exterior was pretty flash, and the gardens on the grounds are quite pleasant.
Night time entertainment consists of the street market, and maybe a cafe/restaurant beer or two. It's not a place people come to party.
Dinner cruises and other tourist craft ply the river. A nice alternative is to take the public ferry across to Chomphet.
Private operators will try and get you on their boats, but just follow the traffic down the ramp, opposite the Palace.
Compared to Chomphet, Luang Prabang is a pulsating metropolis. Markets are about this big.
The road to the right is a pleasant hour-plus stroll through villages and takes you to what is labelled as "jungle temple' on maps.
There's a handful of temples along the route which help to break up the time. Wat Xieng Mene Sai Ya Set Tha Ram has some colourful guardians.
A steep walk up the hill is Wat Chomphet.
The wat is small, but it provides you with some of the best views of Luang Prabang.
Most of the route follows the river, although there is a backroad back to the ferry landing.
There appeared to be a number of temples marked on the maps, and one temple we came across, but couldn't find a way in!
Chomphet is the simplest way to get out of town, although there are other optiosn like Kuang Si Falls, or trekking.
Perhaps it's a different story in the high season, but the streets are Luang Prabang are quiet and pleasant enough to pass a few days.
There are of course several markets scattered across the town.
In the centre of town, along the streets right by the Palace, there is a morning market for produce and more, as well as a night market in the same area.
Despite being in the main tourist area, and selling plenty of tourist stuff, the morning market is a local market catering to local tastes.
Luang Prabang sometimes feels like a place where time stands still, but no place is immune to change. It remains beautiful, for now, but who can say for how long.