We moored at one of these more sizeable settlements at the end of the day, a village on stilts that tiptoed along the riverbank, as the muddy waters became a glimmering stream of mercury in the setting sun. I spent the night in a wooden cabin accompanied by the tireless throb of crickets.

The villages became more numerous as we neared Luang Prabang on the second day. Some hid in the trees, others had cleared the forest to stand proud on a tableau of red-brown earth. The Mekong still swirled timelessly, the sun had burnt off its early mist shroud, and clouds of white butterflies quivered at the water’s edge.

In a passing dugout, a man squatted in the stern, his hand on the outboard, while a small, black pig stood up front looking straight ahead — as if he were the one who knew where they were going.

Great white cliffs appeared, gnarled faces on giant limestone hills. Within an hour, the pointy spire of a Buddhist stupa jabbed the sky from the top of one such sugar loaf, proclaiming our arrival at Luang Prabang.

My leisurely progress down the Mekong was a good introduction to a slow and unhurried town. Luang Prabang was sleepy, though not in a lethargic or sluggish way. It was simply calm and stress-free, much as you’d expect of a centre of Buddhism. It wasn’t just the orange-robed monks who walked the brick pavements for alms each morning, but their disposition set the scene for other inhabitants. In more ways than one. Historically, Luang Prabang emerged as a collection of hamlets, each centred on a Buddhist temple or wat.

The wats and their communities line the main, paved street, each divided from the next by a muddy lane leading down to the river. The impression is of a town arranged on a gridiron layout, but every block and its wat is effectively a separate entity, each with its village chief who still wields considerable influence. ()

LUANG PRABANG is not untouched by the modern era, but somehow it still feels like a world apart. Mopeds outnumbered bicycles on the roads, but there was a timeless quality about the gentle flow of traffic. The royal family has been swept away and their palace preserved for public scrutiny — old copies of Paris Match still cover the sideboard in the king’s reading room and a Pablo Casals record lies waiting on the wind-up gramophone — but the town retains a regal bearing.

The wats sparkled with brightly coloured lacquer and mirrored friezes, their low temple roofs thrown into relief by old colonial mansions and brick-and-stucco villas, some now converted into hotels and guesthouses. And the reminders of France didn’t stop there. Every other household seemed to own a poodle as a pet.

In many ways, this wasn’t really a town so much as a haven of peace and tranquillity that just happened to look like a town. It’s a tribute to the Laotian psyche that Buddhism still prevails. The monks receive political instruction along with their vows, but I got the sense the wats will still be operating for some time after the government has changed its creed.

Walking Luang Prabang’s relaxed streets was an exercise in perspective, on European life in the fast lane and our acceleration of time. Each evening I was drawn back to the banks of the swirling Mekong, the fluid magic wand that somehow retarded the hands of the clock. It felt as if I were still floating several days after leaving the barge.

• Nick Middleton was a guest of Audley Travel
• Page 3: Need to know
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• TRAVEL BRIEF

  Getting there: there are no direct flights between the UK or Ireland and Laos. A flight via Bangkok to Vientiane costs from £700. Consider buying a flight to Bangkok from about £400, then onward flights from there. Bangkok Airways (01293 596626, www.bangkokair.com) has flights from Bangkok to Luang Prabang from £150 return, or with an airpass, you can fly Bangkok- Vientiane-Luang Prabang-Bangkok, from £155.

  Where to stay: once a palace, the historic, century-old Villa Santi (00 856 71-252157, www.villasantihotel.com) has atmospheric doubles from £90. Or try The Grand (253851, www.grandluangprabang.com), which is set in peaceful gardens and has great views; doubles from £105.

  Tour operators: if time is short, Laos is easily combined with either Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam. Audley Travel (01869 276360, www.audleytravel.com) has a 12-day classic tour of Laos, from £1,625pp, with a two-day cruise on the Mekong, from the Golden Triangle in northern Thailand to Luang Prabang, and a stay in Vientiane. The price includes nonstop flights from Heathrow to Bangkok with EVA Air, regional connecting flights, B&B accommodation, private transfers and guided excursions. Or try Silk Road and Beyond (020 7371 3131, www.silkroadandbeyond.co.uk), Western & Oriental (0870 499 1111, www.westernoriental.com) or Cox & Kings (020 7873 5000, www.coxandkings.co.uk).

  When to go: it’s best to avoid the rainy season, which can cause difficulty getting around, and lasts from May to September.

  Getting a visa: a 15-day tourist visa is issued on arrival for £16.

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