Le Sen Boutique Hotel where we are staying, is currently being assaulted by music from all sides. The Laotian melody I do not mind, it is the bass notes which really gets inside your skull. Things, I am assured by the French manergeress, will only get worse. It is a point she takes some pleasure in making. If I am going to suffer – as I have done since getting this job three years ago,  so are you.

The Laos New Year is celebrated over three days next week primarliy as a water festival but as with any party, music plays a key role – in Laos though and Luang Prabang in particular there seems to be a three day warm up period before the main event event with a dreadful mix of mid 90′ western pop mixed in with traditional Lao folk tunes remixed with a hefty dash of Black Sabbeth.

For the other 360 days of the year it would seems Luang Prabang justifiably earns it reputation as a quiet backwater set in the mountains of Northern Laos. Laid out mostly along a thin peninsular of land that lies at the tributary of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers it has been the perfect place to start our joint sabbaticals – mine from my job at Dulwich College and Louise from running her own business.

We have found our favourite restaurant – The Tamarind, surprisingly one of the few Laotian styled eateries to make the top ten places to eat – there is a strong French influence in the town. Among its specialites are a searingly hot buffulo dish – although pure heat is unusual in Lao food which is dominated by sweet and sour flavours brought by palm sugar, garlic, coriander, galangal, lemon grass and thai basil. There are several other aromatic herbs which simply have no equivalent in Britain.

Last night we enjoyed a festive shared meal with other like minded souls. As is traditional in Laos all the dishes – starters and mains arrived together and at a little less than $15 per head proved exceptional value. Sticky rice is the staple carbohydrate in Laos and it was served with tasting bowls of tomato chilli salsa, smoked aubergine paste. chilli green peper, wafer thin strips of dried river weed brushed covered in sesame ( much tastier than it sounds) and super spicy water buffalo skins. The main dish was beautifully soft tilapi – a river fish caught locally and steamed in banana leaves. Desert was more sticky rice – this time purple cooked in coconut milk and sugar served with ripe mango. Heaven on a plate.