Laos Discovery Tour – 14 Days

DAY 01: LUANG PRABANG - ARRIVAL (-/-/D)
On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to check in the hotel. You are free before transferring to a local family to enjoy a private Baci ceremony after sunset. The Baci ceremony as a traditional ritual of the Lao people expresses the spirituality of the country and is a highly memorable experience and a deep insight into Lao culture for the participants.
We then transfer back to the city center to have the first taste of Lao foods at one of the best restaurant in Luang Prabang.
The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang

DAY 02: LUANG PRABANG - KUANG SI WATERFALLS - SUNSET CRUISE (B/-/D)
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. From there, we will take a short visit to the morning local market near the Royal Palace. At the market, you can find anything from rice, to fresh vegetables, to steamed fish, frogs, and anything else that might be the day’s catch, just set up on the ground, this is what the locals do every day. This is really the chance for you to get a real flavor of the local culture.
After breakfast, we visit Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. Our next stop in the city is the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We will also take a look at the Traditional Art & Ethonology Center to learn about the many Lao ethnic groups. We then visit Wat Visoun, dating back to 1513 during the reign of King Wisunarat (Visoun), this is Luang Prabang’s oldest temple and was once home to the Prabang Buddhas.
Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, a Khmu village. This then takes us to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails.
Before returning to Luang Prabang, we stop to visit the Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park (closed on Tuesday), one of the must-visit spots, newly opened on January 2014.
Late afternoon, we will transfer to the boat pier to board on the Nava Mekong for the cruise along the Mekong River to admire the sun setting over the mountains. The authentic Lao lunch will be served on board together with some traditional Lao music and dance.
We arrive back in the city at around 08:00PM, transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang

Kuang Si Waterfalls

DAY 03: LUANG PRABANG - PAK OU CAVES - NONG KHIAW (B/-/-)
Our excursion to Northern Laos starts with boarding on the leisurely cruise upstream the Mekong River to visit Pak Ou Caves., two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by devoted pilgrims. En route, you will stop at Ban Muang Keo, a well-known village for its traditional Lao rice whisky distilling.
After lunch (your own account) at local restaurant overlooking the Mekong River and the caves, we will hop on our minivan to continue the trip up to Nong Khiaw, the small lovely town along the lazy Nam Ou River.
We will arrive there just in time to catch the sunset. Overnight in Nong Khiaw

DAY 04: NONG KHIAW - MUANG NGOI - MUANG KHUA - MUANG LA (B/L/D)
In the morning, we will hop on a leisurely long-tail boat upstream the Nam Ou River to Muang Khua, the small town, the small town along the way to Tay Trang Border with Vietnam. The scenery along the way is said to be the most beautiful part of the gently Nam Ou River. Along the way, we may make a short stop to enjoy the drink at one of the bars in Muang Ngoi overlooking the Nam Ou River. We arrive in Nong Khiaw just in time to catch the sunset before checking in your simple guesthouse.
The picnic lunch will be served on one of the best sand beach along the way.
We arrive in Muang Khua mid-afternoon; from there, we will be picked up and transfer directly to Muang La Resort, one of the best resort in Laos. This is the place for our excursion the next day, and where we will spend the next three nights. Overnight in Muang La

Muang Ngoi

Pak Ou Caves

DAY 05: MUANG LA - TIMELESS MOMENT WITH IKHO PEOPLE (B/-/D)
You leave The Resort following a picturesque route along the banks of the River Nam Pak, to visit two villages of the Ikhos people. The Ikhos are one of the most isolated communities in Laos and originate from Tibet and Yunnan Province in China. In their mountain village with houses built from bamboo and wood, you will learn about their way of life, their belief in the spirit world which affects everything they do and their unique method of dyeing their clothes using extracts from the plants of the forest. A truly unforgettable experience!
We transfer back to the resort at around lunch time; the rest of the day is free. Overnight at Muang La Resort

DAY 06: MUANG LA - FREE (B/-/D)
You are free to stroll around the resort or the nearby villages. There are also many optional activities for you to spend the day. Overnight at Muang La Resort

DAY 07: MUANG LA - OUDOMXAY - VIENTIANE (B/-/-)
After the breakfast at the hotel, we will bid the farewell to our lovely resort to transfer to Oudomxay, where we will take the flight to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
On arrival in Vientiane, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After a soft rest, we will stroll around to visit Lao national icon, That Luang Stupa, and we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.
The rest of the day is spent to explore some famous shop in the center of Vientiane including Carol Cassidy, where you will find the best silk in Laos.
A spectacular view over the Mekong River at sunset is a perfect way to finish the day. Overnight in Vientiane

DAY 08: VIENTIANE - PAKSE - DONE DAENG (B/-/-)
In the morning, we will first visit Wat Si Muang, which is very famous for its supernatural power before transferring out to the airport to take the short flight to Pakse, the biggest city of the Southern Laos.
Upon arrival, we will transfer to the province of Champasak before taking the small leisurely boat crossing the Mekong River to the island of Daeng, the home to the amazing La Folie Lodge, where we will spend our next 2 nights.

DAY 09: DONE DAENG - FREE (B/-/-)
You are free to explore the island on your own or just relax at the resort. Overnight at La Folie Lodge

Wat Si Muang

Vat Phou Cruise

DAY 10: DONE DAENG - VAT PHOU CRUISE (B/L/D)
We are free in the morning before taking the boat back to Champasak to board on the Vat Phou Cruise.
Upon boarding at the Vat Phou boat, we help you to your cabins to unpack, before serving lunch on deck. All meals are included on the Vat Phou Mekong cruise and our galley produces the finest of Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai dishes, lovingly prepared and beautifully presented. The highlight of the afternoon is the Vat Phou ruins – the majestic pre-Angkorian 10th century temple complex and our boat’s namesake. You have time to visit the museum at the ruins site, walk up to the highest temple and take as many photos as you would like. As dusk falls, we transfer you back to the Vat Phou boat for a chance to enjoy the tropical sunset on the deck. Dinner is served on board, while the boat docks for the night alongside a remote Laotian village. Overnight on board

DAY 11: VAT PHOU CRUISE (B/L/D)
Breakfast is on board as we set sail for the village of Huei Thamo. This is a small village a few minute walk away from the mysterious hidden forest temple of Oum Muong. Afterwards we rejoin the boat to continue our cruise southwards. Lunch is on the deck, while we leisurely sail closer to the wild paradise known as the 4,000 Islands All meals are included on the Vat Phou Mekong cruise and the galley produces the finest of Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai dishes, lovingly prepared and beautifully presented. Late afternoon we disembark from the boat to walk through Ban Deua Tia, a small Laotian Village where the traditional way of life has not changed in centuries, you will also visit the local school and share some time with the students.
Our day’s cruise finishes at the most northern tip of Don Khong, the largest inhabited island in the river archipelago. After dinner, the evening is yours to relax and enjoy.

Wat Luang Temple - Pakse

Champasak

DAY 12: VAT PHOU CRUISE – CHAMPASAK (B/L/-)
While you have breakfast on the deck, the Vat Phou boat cruises down the Mekong to the small village of Ban Veuthong, where you board a small boat to meander among the 4,000 Islands to Khone Island. You will visit the old French railway, the French colonial house and walk across the bridge that links Khone and Det Islands. Enjoy a lunch at a local restaurant on Don Khone Island along the banks of the river. This afternoon you will visit the Khone PhaPheng waterfalls, the “Niagara of the East”. After your visit to Phapheng waterfall you will be transferred back to Champasak, where we will spend our next two nights

DAY 13: CHAMPASAK - BOLAVEN PLATEAU - CHAMPASAK (B/-/-)
The next destination of our trip will be Bolaven Plateau. On our way we pass many lush plantations, hills, forests and villages. Part of our pleasure of travelling in this region is to observe the beautiful countryside and meet local people. We stop over at some of the nearby villages, home of the Kato hilltribe group. The hill tribe people are unfailingly friendly; welcoming you with waving hands and smilling faces. These ethnic minorities still retain their age and old cultural traditions and are recognisably distinct from each other by their dress. We continue our journey through the Paksong and Boloven Plateau. The Boloven Plateau is known for its cooler temperature being located high above the Mekong Valley. Rivers run off this high plateau in all directions and then plunge out to lush forests along in a series of spectacular surging waterfalls. The scenery around Tad Fan waterfall is spectacular with twin waterfalls plummeting into a deep gorge surrounded by flourishing vegetation. A trip to the plateau provides a refreshing break from the heat and allows you to see the cultivation of rich coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops that are grown in the area. This trip gives visitors the chance to venture off the beaten track and to discover some of the lesser-known areas of Laos, exploring the wild beauty of this southern region.
We transfer back to Champasak late afternoon.Overnight in Champasak

DAY 14: CHAMPASAK - PAKSE - DEPARTURE (B/-/-)
You are free before transferring back to Pakse to take the departure flight

End of services.

What's included ?

• Transportation with air-condition in private
• Accommodation in twin shared room
• Boat trip as stated in above sights
• English speaking guide
• Admission fee to indicated sights
• Meals as per program
• Gov’t tax and service charge
• Luggage handling and drinking waterr

What's Excluded ?

• Visa stamping fee on arrival
• All air tickets quoted separately
• Travel Insurance in all kinds
• Single room (quoted separately)
• Other foreign language guide
• Peak tourist season or special event rates
• Tip, drinks and other personal expenses

Additional Remarks:

• Itinerary is subject to change depending on the confirmed flights, road conditions, and room availability.
• Hotels listed in above might not be up to standard of your expectation, especially in the remote area where limitation of accommodation.
• Prices are subject to change in case of VAT or other tax increases and USD currency fluctuations