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Day 1: Luang Prabang arrival
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On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Overnight in Luang Prabang
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Day 2: Luang Prabang –full day city tour (B)
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Your full day city tour begins after breakfast, with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. We then enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. Today, we also visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham. Following lunch, we visit the Arts and Ethnology Centre to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures before we head out of town to see the weaving villages of Ban Xiengkhong and Ban Xienglek. We then return to the city for a visit to Wat Mai. Climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic view of the city at sunset and the Mekong River. The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang
Note: the Royal Palace Museum is closed on Tuesdays.
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Day 3: Kuang Si Waterfall (B)
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First we visit the morning Phousi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. 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, Khmu villages. This then takes us to the beautiful Khuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. Return to Luang Prabang, you are free in this afternoon.
Overnight in Luang Prabang
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Day 4: Luang Prabang – Nong Khiaw (boat)(B)
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Today we begin our boat adventure up the Nam Ou, enjoying the lush green forests and landscape. We will be able to stop off at a few villages and admire the breathtaking limestone karst scenery. Along the way we stop to visit the mysterious caves of Pak Ou, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by devoted pilgrims. Late afternoon we reach our destination for the night, Nong Khiaw.
Overnight in Nong Khiaw
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Day 5: Nong Khiaw – Muang Ngoi (B)
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This morning we take a boat up to Muang Ngoi, a picturesque little fishing village 1 hour upstream from Nong Khiaw. We then trek to the Tham Kang, where according to local legend, a Naga resides to the rear. We then continue through rice paddy fields onto the Lao Loum village of Ban Na, which is only accessible by foot, so retains much of its original character. After lunch, our last stop is the Thai Daeng village of Huay Sen, before we trek back to Muang Ngoi, through a mixture of forest and paddy field scenery. Before boarding the boat back to Nong Khiaw, you may wish to do as the locals do and bathe in the Nam Ou. We return to Nong Khiaw by early evening.
Overnight in Nong Khiaw
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Day 6: Nong Khiaw – Muang La (B)
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This morning we have time for a short walk to Tham Pha Thok, a limestone cave where villagers hid during the Indochina War. The caves offer a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. We then get back on the road, this time heading north to Muang La, a picturesque village famous for its hot springs, which you can enjoy, along with a massage at the wonderful Muang La Resort.
Overnight in Muang La.
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Day 7: Muang La – trek to ethnic minorities (B)
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Your minibus leaves at 9.30am and takes you on a short ascent through lush green bamboo forests. Upon arrival at the top of the hill, you begin your forest walk towards the first minority village inhabited by the Hmong, who originate from the mountains of Tibet. You will learn about their everyday way of life, more specifically the important role of animals in the village and the way they are tended, as well as discovering the daily lengthy rituals undertaken by the women and girls to adorn themselves in traditional tribal dress and make up. Next, you visit an old military camp which is a harsh reminder of the immense suffering of the Lao people during the Vietnam war, even though it passed for the most part unnoticed by the Western world. After this snapshot of the Hmong culture and way of life, you continue by road towards a village inhabited by the Akha tribe, also knows as the Ikho people, originating from Yunnan and Tibet. A walk through the village will enable you to discover more about this minority group who have remained very close to their traditional roots and methods, and your tour will finish with a delicious meal in the house of the village chief. After lunch you will continue to another Ikho village to discover more aspects of their culture and tradition, for example the methods they use to colour clothes with natural dyes extracted from local plants, and their belief in the spirit world which plays a major role in their everyday lives. Return to the resort at approximately 4.30pm.
Overnight in Muang La.
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Day 8: Muang La – Udomxay – Vientiane (Flight)(B)
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Following a leisurely morning we transfer to Udomxay for your flight to Vientiane. En route we have chances to visit the intriguing Pra Xack Kham Temple with its sacred Buddha image. The 400 years old legendary statue is said to have many supernatural powers, and is widely worshiped among the faithful local Buddhists. Upon arrival in Vientiane you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight in Vientiane
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Day 9: Vientiane – full day city tour (B)
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After breakfast, we explore Vientiane capital by visiting the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. En route to Lao’s national precious heritage, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, you will have the opportunity to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. In the afternoon we continue visiting the rest of Vientiane by foot, including Wat Ong Tue, Wat Inpeng and Wat Haisok. We pass by the major shopping area continuing to the Vientiane Central Market of Talad Sao and Talad Kouadin where various goods are displayed for sale; including fresh food, household goods, souvenirs, textiles, gold, silver and antiques. We return to the Mekong Riverside in the late afternoon to admire the sunset.
Overnight in Vientiane
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Day 10: Pakse –Bolevan Plateau – Kingfisher(Flight)(B)
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You will be transferred to the airport early this morning for your flight to Pakse. On arrival at Pakse, you will be met and taken by road west into the Bolevean Plateau. The Bolevean Plateau is known for its cooler temperature being located high above the Mekong Valley. The area is famous for its many waterfalls, and the most beautiful of these falls, Tad Fan, we visit. 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 observe the cultivation of rich coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops that can be seen en route. In the afternoon we arrive at Tad Lo, home to another scenic waterfall and numerous ethnic minority groups. We then head south to Xi Pian National Protected Area and the Kingfisher Ecolodge for the evening.
Overnight at Kingfisher
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Day 11: Kingfisher – Elephant Riders School (B)
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Today provides you with a unique opportunity to learn to ride an elephant through the Kingfisher ‘Elephant Riders School’. The morning is spent learning basic techniques, while the afternoon gives you the chance to put your new found skills into practice, by leading your new friend up Phou Asa Mountain.
Overnight at Kingfisher
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Day 12: Kingfisher – Wat Phou – Done Daeng (B)
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Today we leave Kingfisher Ecolodge and travel to the fascinating pre-Angkorian ruins of Wat Phu, one of Southeast Asia's most dramatically situated temples. We have time to explore these intriguing Khmer ruins, which are perched at the base of Mount Phu Kao. Following lunch, we continue our journey by long tail boat to Done Daeng, and home to La Folie Lodge where you have the rest of the day to relax or to explore the island.
Overnight on Done Daeng
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Day 13: Done Daeng – 4000 Islands and surrounding (B)
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After early morning breakfast, we head south by road and boat to Done Khone. Here we begin by re-tracing the French colonial-past at Ban Khone, where some old colonial houses still stand and glimpse the first Lao railway with its own locomotive. We continue our exploration of the area of the 4000 islands by boat and visit the beautiful Liphi waterfall, also known as the Samphamith, which forms a natural border between Lao and Cambodia.. We return to Ban Nakasang and drive to the famous waterfall of Khone Phapeng - the largest waterfall in South East Asia, also known as the 'Niagara of the east'.
Overnight on Done Daeng.
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Day 14: Done Daeng – Pakse departure (B)
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After breakfast; you will be transferred back to Pakse for catching a flight to Siem Reap-Cambodia or exiting Laos overland from the Chongmek International checkpoint to Ubon Ratchathani Thailand.
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