Lara Dunston 
Our local guide to The Mekong comes courtesy of Mason Florence, executive director of Mekong Tourism. Based in Asia for 20 years, Mason is a publisher, former guidebook writer, journalist, photographer, and tour guide. Few people know the Mekong better. It’s hard to envisage one person being able to provide a local guide to The … Read more
How to meet locals when you travel – does the world really need another story on the subject? Surely we’ve written enough on the topic? We’ve told you many times before that what we love most about travel is meeting locals and we’ve shared loads of tips on how to meet locals when you travel. … Read more
Where to stay in Luang Prabang in Laos? A decade ago your options would have been limited to guesthouses. For many years the UNESCO World Heritage-listed town was predominantly a backpacker destination with few choices for travellers looking for comfort and style. How things have changed. Things have most certainly changed in Luang Prabang on … Read more
The waiter who looked after us during the Amantaka cooking course we did on the organic farm in the Luang Prabang countryside was brilliant. His service was impeccable. He was so good at his job that when we asked him what his future plans were, whether he had a dream, we expected he would say … Read more
Best Lao khao soi in Luang Prabang is to be found in a simple, squat, open-fronted timber and corrugated iron shed, with a handful of wooden tables inside. There’s no sign and nothing whatsoever to identify the dilapidated eatery as Luang Prabang’s best Lao khao soi place but trust us, it’s worth the trouble to … Read more