This estate is a very cosmopolitan enterprise, created in 2005 by a Swiss architect (Jean-Pierre Dovat), a local Luang businessman, (Khamphanh Inthavong) and a French consultant (Françoise Gouézou), all of whom shared a vision to create new villas which offered privacy tranquillity and style for visitors to the town they all loved.

There is a range of apartments and villas on the estate. All are newly built in traditional Lao style with modern flourishes. All have something to offer but The Luxury Travel Bible particularly likes the four-bedroom Sunset House on the river, or the 3-bedroom Maison Rouge with its 82 feet (25 metres) private pool. Less than a month before your arrival you can contact the Estate to rent a part of Sunset house if it isn't already booked, but we like the idea of exclusive rental or nothing. The newest offering from architect Dovat is Jade Suite, opened in the last quarter of 2009, with 860 square feet (80 square metres) of polished floor space. The estate offers long lets and some people stay for months.