Kamu Lodge

Kamu Lodge is a 20-tent eco-lodge on the banks of the Mekong River, reachable only by boat from Luang Prabang, Laos. A private boat ride will bring you upstream on the Mekong from Luang Prabang, past the Pak Ou Caves and their thousands of Buddha statues, before pulling in at a sandbank in a valley of rice fields and forested hills. Twenty safari-style tents sit on raised bamboo platforms with thatched roofs, solar power for lights and fans, and a stone-walled bathroom with hot water. Each has a private veranda over the river. Meals are served in an open-sided pavilion on stilts among the paddy fields, cooked with produce from the neighbouring Kamu village.

Activities at Kamu Lodge include net fishing, rice planting, gold panning in the Mekong's silt, and lessons in bamboo weaving from Kamu artisans. Guided treks head into the hills, and a dollar from every guest goes to the village development fund. There's no WiFi and limited electricity, great for a digital detox.