Best of Laos 12 days

Welcome to Laos’s capital. Vientiane retains an old-world charm that is becoming increasingly rare. With its wide, open boulevards and many golden temples, this sleepy city hardly feels like a modern capital.

Start your tour with the city’s oldest temple, Wat Sisaket - filled with thousands of miniature Buddha statues. Then explore the former royal temple, Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha. En route to the famous That Luang Stupa, stop to visit the imposing Patuxay Monument, known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.

Meals : No meal
Accomodation : Hotel in Vientiane.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then head north to the sleepy riverside hamlet of Vang Vieng, a small town next to the Nam Song River that is surrounded by jagged limestone karsts.

Upon arrival in Vang Vieng, become acquainted with the city on a brief tour before you check in to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the town.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Vang Vieng

Today we embark on the 7 to 8 hour journey by car to Phonsavan. Along the way enjoy the beautiful scenery and see local village life. Xieng Khouang, the gateway to the Plain of Jars, is a town that has been totally rebuilt after it was destroyed during the secret war in Laos. Later in the afternoon, we arrive at Phonsavan, the capital of the Xieng Khoung province. Take a city tour and have the option of visiting MAG, a humanitarian organization clearing the remnants of conflict for the benefit of local communities worldwide (the Mines Advisory Group). The evening is free for you to enjoy as you please.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Phonsavan

After breakfast, we will take a short trek to explore the mysterious Plain of Jars and the surrounding area. The jars are thought to be 2000 years old, although there is little proof to date them very accurately. Archaeologist still struggle to confirm the specific purpose of the jars. Were they used for funerary urns or to store rice wine? It remains a mystery until now. Observe local village life; visit a small monastery in Ban Xieng Di and pass areas that were important battlefields during the American war.

We continue on to Muang Khoun, the one place in the old provincial capital that was not been destroyed by American bombings.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Phonsavan

Following breakfast, drive to Luang Prabang (approx 6 or 7 hours) with a stopover for lunch at Sala Phou Khou. After lunch we continue on our way to Luang Prabang via Road 13 whilst enjoying the beautiful landscape.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

Following breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the former king’s palace, which is now a museum. The many items nicely displayed include rare furniture, traditional costumes, arts, jewelry, ornaments as well as working tools and utensils of the early part of the 20th century. Then we embark on a tour of this enthralling town to visit Wats Xieng Thong, the Golden City Monastery, which dates back to the 16th century and is considered to be the finest in Laos. Furthermore, we visit the fine temples of Wats Mai, Vixen, and the national Stupa of That Luang. Later that day, we adjourn to the Phousi Holy Hill to enjoy the marvelous panoramic views of the town at sunset.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang.

Optional: rising early at around 05.30AM to witness and participate in offering alms to hundreds of saffron-robed monks (the Buddhist monks) receive alms from local people – an awe-inspiring sight for many travelers.

Please tell your guide if you wish to make an offer so he/she can prepare some food for you. This early morning ritual dates back generations in Laos. Watch the town come to life in the morning and then return to hotel for breakfast

After breakfast, take a rural drive (30 km South) to visit Kuangsi Waterfall, though not very high but spectacular and really beautiful with its green surroundings as the preserved National park. We stop en-route to visit a fresh produced market namely Talad Phosy, and also visit Ban Na Oune, a small village of a hill-tribe group “Hmong”, probably the best-known minority group in Laos. Just before arriving at Kuangsi waterfall, there is another village of Khmu minority group, namely Ban Tha Pane that we will visit. Our picnic lunch is served at the shady park nearby Kuangsi waterfall. There is plenty of time for relaxing and a swim in cool water, before heading back to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon.

Afternoon, enjoy a sightseeing tour of the sacred city of temples; of which nearly fifty still remain in the town and surrounding areas. Visit National Museum, the former Royal Palace which houses the collection of valuables including the famous Prabang Buddha statue, gifts received from foreign dignitaries…etc, Wat Visoun, the 16th century temple served as a small museum for religious artifacts; Wat Aham, the early 19th century temple, whose two guardian figures at the foot of the steps which represent two characters from the Ramayana – Hanuman, the Monkey God and a fierce Yaksa; Wat Xiengthong, the 16th century temple, which more than any temples in Luang Prabang, epitomizes all the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture.

The rest of the day at your leisure, relaxing in one of the city’s many quirky cafés or strolling along the beautiful riverbank.

Meals : Breakfast & Lunch
Accomodation : Hotel in Luang Prabang

Today, we continue our city tour, seeing the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong, which nestles at the meeting of the Mekong and the Nam Khan River. The temple structures are decorated in various ways with gilded stuccoes and doorways. The main Sim has a marvelous 'tree of life' mosaic pattern on an outer wall. We then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a taste of the tranquil countryside and an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. Along the way, we stop at Ban Xang Hai to visit the rice wine distillation.

Upon disembarking, we drive to the famous weaving village of Ban Phanom where shoppers have a chance to try their hand at bargaining.

Accomodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

You will be transferred to the airport early this morning for your flight to Pakse. On arrival in Pakse,we transfer to Champasak to visit 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. We continue our journey by road to the 4000 Islands area, where you have the rest of the day to relax. 

Accomodation: Hotel in Khong Islands

After an early morning breakfast, we explore Khone Island. 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.

Board a local long-tail riverboat to reach the fishing village of Ban Phiengdy and continue by car to the magnificent Khone Phapheng Waterfall, which spans 14km in width of the mighty Mekong River. This waterall is listed as the world's widest waterfall. More akin to tumbling rapids than a waterfall from a Western perspective, it is still quite impressive, especially during the rainy season when the water is running fast and furious.

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.  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'.

Accomodation : Hotel in Donekhong Islands

Drive to the Suay minority village of Ban Khiat Ngong. The Suay men are traditionally engaged in elephant training, especially for the timber trade. Ban Khiat Ngong village has a community project offering basic but comfortable accommodation in the 240,000 square kilometer Xe Pien National Biodiversity Conservation Area, which consists of a combination of wetlands and highland primary rainforest. This day, explore the highlands and take an elephant ride trough the primitive jungle to visit the enigmatic ruins of Phou Asa Temple.

Picnic lunch. Return to Ban Khiet Ngong village, located in the wetland area. At sunset, short walk to reach the Ban Khiet Ngong pond and see myriads of birds flying back to their nests. Dinner and accommodation at the guest house.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Accomodation: Hotel in Bang Khiet Ngong village

Have breakfast at the hotel and then enjoy a free morning before driving to the Pakse Airport to catch your departure flight.

Meals: Breakfast

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