IN ONLY ONE South-East Asian city I have visited can visitors walk around without fear of crime. The streets are paved with classic restaurants and teahouses, but the ubiquitous sights of McDonald’s banners and neon Coca-Cola signs are nowhere to be seen; corporate America is notably absent. The town centre is also the spiritual centre: a spectacular temple, said to enshrine the relics of the Buddha himself.

The markets are clean, odourless and well stocked. The hucksters are never aggressive, even smiling kindly when you say “no thank you” and wander away. Could you imagine such a scene in Kuta Beach or Hanoi?