DETAILS: Luang Prabang, Laos

GETTING THERE: Best bet is to fly to Bangkok (we found a $2,067 round-trip fare on United Airlines for August travel) and then take one of Bangkok Airways' daily nonstop flights to Luang Prabang (starts at $344 round trip for August travel; http://www.bangkokair.com). A visa ($50) is required for U.S. citizens; see http://www.laoembassy.com.

GETTING AROUND: Street signs and names are rare, but the main sights are within walking distance of one another. Tuk-tuks, little motorcycle-powered truckbeds with benches, are plentiful.

WHEN TO GO: The best time to visit is the dry season, November through February, though we still had rain.

HOW TO PAY: Some bigger businesses accept credit cards, but they often add a surcharge. Dollars and Thai baht are often accepted. We found one ATM (and heard about a second); ours was on Sisavangvong Road.

HOW TO FIT IN: A smile and the Laotian greeting "Sabbai Dee!" will go a long way. For a good tutorial in cultural do's and don'ts, see http://www.visit-laos.com.

WHERE TO STAY: We enjoyed our clean, basic, spacious bungalow overlooking the Nam Kahn River at Thongbay Guesthouses ($27; http://www.thongbay-guesthouses.com; cash only). In town, a number of old wooden homes have been turned into guesthouses. The upscale 3 Nagas (peak season $200 and up; http://www.alilahotels.com/3nagas) often receives kudos.

WHERE TO EAT: There are many restaurant choices. Standouts for us were Tum Tum Cheng (Sisavangvong/Sakkarin Road, near Wat Xieng Thong), where you can feast for $20 to $30 for two; Tamarind (across from Wat Nong; $12 for two; http://www.tamarindlaos.com), which serves traditional Laotian cuisine; and Lao Lao Garden (Kingkitsarat Road; $22 for two), where you barbecue slices of meat on a nifty little grill. Tamarind and Tum Tum Cheng offer cooking classes.

WHAT TO DO: At the Royal Palace (Sisavangvong Road; $3.33), don't miss the town's most famous resident, the ancient, 32-inch-tall gold Pra Bang Buddha; it's behind a door on the building's right-front corner. At the Royal Ballet Theater (palace grounds; $10), see dances that look like temple carvings come to life. Nonprofit Big Brother Mouse (near Wat Xieng Muan; http://www.bigbrothermouse.com) publishes books and holds classes where tourists help young locals learn English. Buy a pack of books ($7) to hand out.

Morning alms is a sacred ritual in which monks pass through the streets collecting cooked rice for their daily meal. Your lodging can help you with where, when and how to see them.

A bevy of operators offers tours, treks and river trips. We chose Tiger Trail (Sisavangvong Road; http://www.trekking-in-laos.com) because of its reputation for socially responsible tourism. Elephant ride, visit to Tad Sae waterfall and a so-so lunch was $35 per person; add kayaking or rafting for $10.

WHAT TO BUY: Wat Xieng Muan has a school teaching young monks traditional crafts. Look for carved wooden Buddhas in the tiny shop. The night market starts about 5 p.m. and covers side streets off Sisavangvong near the palace. Visit Kopnoi (Phommathay Road, http://www.madeinlaos.com) for stylish cotton and silk apparel, jewelry and gifts with fair-trade pricing.

INFO: Lao National Tourism Administration, http://www.tourismlaos.gov.la; UNESCO World Heritage listing on Luang Prabang, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/479.

-- G.K.