Time is such a precious commodity these days; we’ve been led to believe that if we don’t maximise our scant vacation time by hitting all the major tourist must-dos, we’ve somehow failed. But travelling and living in Laos has taught me that slowing down adds richness to your experience – like seeing the world vividly in Technicolor.

Phnom Penh demands your attention from the moment you arrive. Vibrant, exciting and utterly unpredictable are just a few words to describe Cambodia’s capital. It’s a city of stark contrasts: slick SUVs share the road with old-world cyclos; visitors can relax in a posh cafe and think they are in Paris, or join the locals at a pop-up stall selling fried noodles.

Nestled in the foothills of the Phu Pasak mountain range of southern Laos, the ancient ruins of Wat Phou, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage site, have a special atmosphere to them, inspiring serenity and bliss in those who walk the sacred grounds. In addition to the site’s clear historical appeal, a trip to the ruins is essential for anyone with spiritual inclinations: the calm surroundings, the inherent mysticism and few visitors make it a great place to meditate.

Luang Prabang, the focus of this month’s Inside Word, was once the royal capital of ‘The Kingdom of a Million Elephants,’ retains the beauty of its regal and French colonial past. Well-preserved buildings and a plethora of glittering Buddhist temples nestle at the confluence of two picturesque rivers and against a backdrop of densely forested mountains.

With the recent launch of hotel- and tour-booking websites for Bangkok and Pattaya, whl.travel has taken another frog-leap forward toward becoming the leading travel-booking service in the Greater Mekong area. Through whl.travel, travellers now have access to an unprecedented number of accommodations and tours across the region, especially small- and medium-sized operations in off-the-radar destinations often poorly covered by the competition.