With sacred Mount Phousi as its backdrop, Amantaka lies in the centre of picturesque Luang Prabang, Laos’s spiritual capital. White-walled and green-shuttered, the period building retains all the genteel tranquillity of its French-Colonial past, with private pools and an expansive spa meeting the needs of contemporary travellers. Taking its name from tipitaka, meaning “the teaching of the Buddha”, Amantaka supplies guests with myriad suggestions for cultural and spiritual immersion in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – from giving alms to monks at dawn to navigating the fabled Mekong on Amantaka’s boat.