Champasak, Laos

This gorgeous Siphandon hideaway, owned by a French count, occupies a heavenly spot on an island in the Mekong, facing the UNESCO-listed Vat Phou temple. Transfer is by catamaran. From the jetty, you step into a flower-filled garden enfolding a dozen pretty stilted bungalows with polished wood floors and beautiful Lao silk bedspreads.

The property’s focal point is an open-sided, colonial-style dining hall where fabulous Lao-European meals are served. From your table, you can gaze over the pool deck to the nearby river beach and sacred peak beyond – a spellbinding view at sunset, when herds of water buffalo plod home across the sand.