Luang Prabang is one of the most beautiful cities in South-East Asia. It’s so petite and intimate that it can barely be called a city in fact. It sits upon a slight hill, in a lusciously green and exotic part of Laos, surrounded on three of its four sides by the Mekong River and the Nam Khan River, affording it beautiful views from everywhere you look. It has a very relaxed pace of life and the old city centre, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is filled with centuries-old Buddhist temples and quaint little wooden houses. It was in fact the capital of the Kingdom of Laos until the communist takeover in 1975, which explains why its elegant and regal appearance. It is a jewel in comparison to much of South-East Asia, and it’ll surely take your breath away. There’s a night market, shown here on this postcard, which sells all manner of local arts and crafts.

• Luang Prabang’s tourism website