SOFITEL LUANG PRABANG

Cocooning guests amid lily ponds and flowered gardens set within the walls of a dressed-up French colonial prison, Sofitel Luang Prabang is now a quiet sanctuary off the town centre.the elegant flood-lit pool is a treat, too, after a day strolling the town’s gilded temples and betel palmstuffed alleys. At the canopied Governor’s Grill, dine on vegetarian or vegan – flagged on the menu as Eat Like An Elephant – and support the Elephant Conservation Center, which strives for the survival of the last herds of Asian eles in mountainous Laos. Cinephiles have extra reasons to book: once a year the Sofitel becomes the town’s social magnet for the Luang Prabang Film Festival, a buzzy celebration of Asian movies. From £178pn; www.sofitel-luangprabang.com