There's something magical about Luang Prabang, Laos.

Nestled at the confluence of the Mekong and Khan rivers, its natural beauty is ringed with tropical foliage and capped by lovely Mount Phousi.

It lacks the hucksters who crowd in on your personal space and the bustle of insane traffic and pollution that plague so many Southeast Asian towns.

A lyrical rhythm carries visitors through languid days, yet you can experience arts, culture, food, crafts or a spiritual retreat as well. Just open your eyes and heart.

The Lao people we met were gentle, gracious and unhurried. They moved gracefully with ready smiles and warm greetings of "sawat dee" to friends and foreigners alike. The saying "Lao people don't rush" is emblazoned on signs and T-shirts.

Named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, Luang Prabang's development is carefully controlled, keeping the pace relaxed and the tiny town precious. Zoning prevents construction of new hotels, allowing only the modification of existing mansions. Power and phone lines must be buried. Billboards and fast-food establishments are kept at bay.

In Luang Prabang, traditions and religion are honored and respected. More than 30 wats (temples) are lovingly maintained. Luang Prabang has a strong spiritual core.

There are surprisingly few cars in Luang Prabang. The transportation of choice is the tuk-tuk (taxi), moped or bicycle. You can comfortably walk alone from one end of town to the other with no fear. In fact, when one of our group members took a nasty fall in the night market and lost consciousness, she awoke to find seven Lao hovering over her, speaking gentle words, while Tiger balm magically appeared to soothe her cuts.

A few visitors refer to Luang Prabang as a hippie town, and it does have its share of British, German and American backpackers.

However it offers so much to the visitor of any age and culture. The town's cultural richness, fabulous food (a fusion of Southeast Asian and European cuisines), plethora of crafts and antiques and natural beauty make it a place I hope to return to again and again.

MAUI MEETS LAOS

I lucked out on this trip. Travels and Treasures owners Sandi and Earl Stoner of Kula, Maui, took a group of friends from Upcountry Maui to Luang Prabang, Laos and Myanmar (formerly Burma). My friend, Cheryl Tipton of Makawao, needed a roommate, and I grabbed the chance.

The Stoners have an ongoing love affair with Asia. They travel there so often and so extensively that they started a company to introduce others to their favorite places. They make a stop in Luang Prabang on every trip they take. They have hanai'd two bright, charming young men, Somchith Matthanongand and Xay Phongkeo, who act as tour guides, generously sharing their lives and their families with Island friends. The duo offered us opportunities to glimpse "real life," Lao-style.

Former Honolulu resident Peter Thomson Raub, who owned Toko Kain, an Asian import gallery in Kilohana Square, now lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He goes to Luang Prabang every chance he gets.

"I always have a sense of complete contentment when I am there," said Raub. "With nothing planned, I am happy to just walk through the town and absorb the quiet beauty of the place and the slow way of life that obviously contributes to the warmth of the Lao people."

Raub met up with us for a weekend to share his plentiful shopping secrets.

"Of course, I also love the superb craftsmanship of the Lao weavers," he said. "The silk quality is the best to be found in Southeast Asia, and the workmanship can be sublime. A beautiful place to unwind and be in the moment, I can sit for hours along the Mekong and watch the world go by."

On our first evening, we were tourists and climbed 422 steps to the Jade Pavilion at sunset. A little crowded, but it affords a gorgeous view and you can see several beautiful Buddhas and a Buddha footprint during the climb.

The night market is a must. It occupies the main thoroughfare, Sisavangvong Road, each evening from 5 to 10 p.m. and is a cacophony of color and crafts. Hmong women in bold headdresses eat sticky rice and nurse their babies while selling appliqued and embroidered items. Villagers representing many ethnicities sell handmade mulberry paper lanterns, wood carvings, silver filigree, handwoven fabrics and other crafts.

Bargaining is expected, but can feel awkward, as few prices begin at more than $1 to $10 for items that you know took days to make.

MEETING THE MONKS

Another experience not to be missed: Offering alms to the monks — there are about 400 of them in Luang Prabang — at 6 a.m. Somchith helped us purchase a basket of sticky rice but we should have bought two each.

We were too generous with our servings in the beginning and there were hundreds of monks in their beautiful rust and brown robes coming through in a solemn procession. We ran out before the little novices came along.

Be sure to take a shawl (or buy a beautiful silk one at the night market) to wear when in the presence of monks. It's not appropriate for a woman to show her shoulders or knees.

A brief bus ride away is a village where you can learn about silk production and see spinning and weaving. Rows of shops displayed so many silks it made our heads spin: scarves, shawls, table runners, napkins and yardage in natural and man-made dyes. All were colorfully displayed in bamboo shacks where looms peek out from under eaves, a treasure trove for this former fashion designer.

We also watched mulberry paper being made. One woman's job was to pick marigolds from a nearby bush to arrange in a pattern embedded into the paper. The papers are used to fashion fabulously shaped lanterns, sketchbooks, stationery and the most beautiful shopping bags, given to you with your purchase in nearly every shop in Luang Prabang.

BACI CEREMONY

Since the Stoners have become so close to Somchith, he insisted on inviting us to dinner at his home, where his multitude of siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins put on a Baci ceremony for us.

The ceremony begins with a beautiful arrangement of marigolds in the shape of a pagoda with reeds sticking out the top and white cotton strings hanging from them. After greetings and prayers, each adult family member takes two strings and ties one around each wrist of the visitors, sharing a wish for health and prosperity.

The custom is to wear the strings for at least three days, ensuring safe travels and good luck. We sat at long tables outside the family home and ate barbecued goat, banana flowers with vegetables, fish soup and sticky rice.

Another interesting and educational encounter was our cooking class with chef Chandra Vongsalavanh. Trained in Europe and throughout Southeast Asia, this elegant international chef shared with us the ingredients commonly used in Lao kitchens, from sticky rice to sesame seeds and curly beans.

The next day, his assistant took us to the morning market, where we purchased some of the ingredients we would use and learned more about the Lao way of shopping and cooking.

Vongsalavanh then took us into his kitchen, where all the preparation work was done and beautifully presented on condiment platters. We each chose a favorite dish from the menu and worked in pairs to prepare it. This gave us a feeling for how the ingredients come together, giving us the confidence to prepare the exotic dishes in our own kitchens at home in the Islands.

We sat down at a long, rough-hewn teak table, topped with banana leaves, and ate every delicious morsel we had cooked. What a grand feast.

TO GRANDMOTHER'S VILLAGE

The next day, we took a bus ride to Somchith's village, Ban Hatkip, two hours north of Luang Prabang and just 200 kilometers from the China border.

For one member of our group, Laos was her first experience traveling outside the United States. The first time she encountered a puka toilet was in Somchith's village. After we all briefed her, between giggles she handled it gracefully. Hand sanitizer is a helpful addition to one's pocket or fannypack.

Along the road, strong, graceful women hauled goods in baskets suspended from their foreheads: 10-foot stalks of bamboo, firewood, brooms, vegetables. The region is so poor that even an oxcart or horse-drawn cart is beyond most community budgets; Lao women take goods to and from the markets on their backs.

In the afternoon, we took a boat ride down the Namou River, where almost every mile is punctuated with river and village life. Fishermen use a variety of nets and traps. Women collect river weed to make the popular black crackers we ate whenever possible.

We stopped in Xay's village, Bam Don Nguene, which specializes in cotton spinning and weaving. In this village, accessible only by boat, a loom is visible under almost every home instead of a garage. I admired some gorgeous cotton a woman named Van was weaving on a loom under her living room and felt privileged to buy it right off her loom for 50 cents a meter. That set a precedent and our group essentially bought out all the cotton available in the village.

We watched barefoot boys playing a volleyball/soccer game with a homemade net and bamboo ball.

As we walked to the temple, the villagers followed us. They looked curiously at the blue eyes and extra inches. One of our group, John Hoxie, is 6-feet-8 and attracted attention everywhere we went. In the village, every keiki and kupuna wanted to have their picture taken with him.

We got back into our long boat to visit the enormous Pak Ou caves, where hundreds of gilded Buddhas have been left over centuries. Families continue to take Buddhas there during festivals; it's impossible to maintain an accurate count.

Farther up the river we visited the vast Phatok cave, where insurgents hid during the Vietnam War; hospitals, kitchens and barracks were reached with bamboo ladders.

HEALING TOUCH

A must-do while in Luang Prabang is massage. Cheryl and I luxuriated at Lotus du Lao Herbal Spa for two hours — one hour of foot massage and one hour of full body, all for $6. Others in the group liked the blind massage therapists at the Red Cross who charged about the same price.

The most touristy thing we did was to visit the Kuangsy waterfalls, a short bus ride from town. The ride there was lovely, with verdant rice paddies blanketing the hillsides. Here were eight caged bears and a tiger named Phet to pet. It's a fun place to people-watch as groups of women as well as Lao families enjoyed picnics beside the jade green pools.

The Wat Xieng Thong, a shimmering golden temple surrounded by serene bougainvillea and plumeria gardens, is probably the most famous of Luang Prabang's 30-plus wats. The temple's neighbor, the Royal Palace Museum, offers a glimpse into the lives of the country's royal families.

A special exhibition of dress worn by the various Lao tribes was especially fascinating and we were told that its scope will be doubled later this year.

Our day drew to a close with a traditional Lao dance concert in the museum ($15) .

Luang Prabang is one of those towns that beckons you to return. I'm already planning my next trip.

Reach Paula Rath at prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.