DAY 1 : LUANG PRABANG ARRIVAL (-/-/D)
Arrive at Luang Prabang airport and transfer to your hotel. (NOTE : kindly note that should you arrive early, an early check-in is not included and subject to hotel’s availability). Your guide will brief an orientation of the city along the way. Once checked in we leave you at your leisure.
Enjoy an afternoon walking tour of the town’s UNESCO World Heritage area visiting Wat Visun, Wat Aha and the beautiful Wat Xieng Thong. Late afternoon, walk up Phousi Hill for amazing views overlooking the town and the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. Explore the night markets where you can find handmade textiles and crafts produced by the local hill tribe communities surrounding Luang
DAY 2 : LUANG PRABANG / KHUANG SI (B/L/-)
Up early to experience the very special morning alms procession famous to this town where Buddhist monks walk in a line to receive ‘tat’ rice from the locals. Please approach this ceremony with respect. After breakfast at the hotel, travel by private car to the beautiful Khuang Si Waterfall, on the way stop to visit Hmong and Khmu villages. Here we learn about their way of life and the differences between Lao, Khmu and Hmong culture. Enjoy a refreshing swim at the waterfalls and visit the Bear Rescue Centre, an initiative that rescues bears from the Chinese black markets. Transfer back to town in the afternoon. The remainder of the day is at your leisure
DAY 3 : LUANG PRABANG / PAKBENG (B/L/-)
This morning board a private long tail boat for your journey up the mighty Mekong from Luang Prabang to Pak Beng. Travelling on the river is a unique and exciting way of discovering the mountainous scenery and rural minority villages of Northern Laos. The journey offers an opportunity to visit places otherwise virtually inaccessible. The journey lasts around 6 hours, with stops at riverside villages en route.
DAY 4 : PAKBENG / MUANG LA (B/L/-)
After breakfast you will be picked up from your lodge for the drive to Muang La. You will drive through some wonderful scenery, with numerous villages and scenic spots to stop off at along the way. This afternoon at leisure to stroll around the village, or just relax at the riverside retreat enjoying a massage or bathing in the hot springs.
DAY 5 : MUANG LA (B/L/-)
This morning depart the resort by 4x4 for a visit to Ikho and Hmong hill tribe villages, two prevalent minorities in Laos. Depart the lodge in the morning and follow a dirt track through spectacular scenery which ascends 1000m to a plateau. The first stop will be made at a beautiful Ikho village which is totally isolated, a community from Yunnan and Tibet which has retained many of their traditional customs. Enjoy lunch here with magnificent views over the untouched Northern Laos countryside. After lunch there will be a spectacular 45 minute walk along a hill tribe trail to the Hmong village of Ban Tauser. At the village there will be the opportunity to wander in and around the bamboo dwellings, and see locals going about their daily lives before returning to the lodge in the early afternoon. The evening can be spent relaxing in the natural hot springs, taking a traditional massage and enjoying the excellent local Lao cuisine in the restaurant.
DAY 6 : MUANG LA / NONG KHIAW (B/L/-)
After breakfast you will be driven to Muang Khua, where you will board a private boat for the spectacular journey downstream to Nong Khiaw. Spend the afternoon walking or cycling around Tham Pha Thok, a cave just over a mile outside Nong Khiaw where locals took shelter from bombings during the Second Indochina War
DAY 7 : NONG KHIAW / LUANG PRABANG (B/L/-)
After breakfast you will depart for Luang Prabang by boat. Enjoy the spectacular landscape on this section of the Nam Ou River as you head back to Luang Prabang. Along the way you will get a chance to see the daily activities of the local people on the riverbanks. You will stop for lunch on one of the riverside ‘beaches'. After lunch continue the boat ride until you reach Ban Pak Ou where you will cross the Mekong to reach the famous Pak Ou Caves, a revered religious site, and home to thousands of statues of the Buddha. Continue on down the Mekong River until you reach Luang Prabang in the afternoon. Upon arrival at the dock in Luang Prabang your guide and driver will transfer you to your hotel.
DAY 8 : LUANG PRABANG / XIENG KHUANG (B/L/-)
After breakfast at your hotel leave Luang Prabang for Phonsavan along a mountainous road with beautiful panoramic views. On the way you will pass through Khmu and Hmong villages and after a long ascent you will stop at Kiukhacham for refreshments. Afterwards continue on via the mountainous and windy road which affords breathtaking views. A stop will be made at Phoukhoun where you can see the market. This afternoon continue your drive through the mountains passing numerous Hmong villages. Eventually the mountains disappear giving way to small hills and peaceful countryside.
DAY 9 : PLAIN OF JARS (B/L/-)
After breakfast start your day with a visit to the local market and afterwards head for the mystical Plain of Jars. Scattered over the plain are hundreds of enormous clay jars, the legacy of an ancient civilisation and allegedly over 2000 years old. At the present time there is no satisfactory explanation as to how the clay jars found their way onto the plain, nor what purpose they served. Start your visit of the Plain of Jars at Site no. 2 which is located on 2 hill tops. From there visit site no.3 located in the midst of some rice fields. Afterwards drive a couple of miles to Muang Khoun, the former Xieng Khuang, which was destroyed by the war and has a few ruins remaining such as Wat Phiyawat, That Foun and That Chompet. From here take a walk to a Tai Dam village to see traditional Lao life. The Tam Dai still keep their distinctive cultural customs like their elaborately woven head-dresses. Lunch will be taken in a local restaurant. This afternoon return towards Phonsavan, passing a number of Hmong settlements, before you reach site no 1 which has the greatest number of jars and the biggest in size. After the day's exploration return to your hotel.
DAY 10 : PHONSAVAN / VIENTIANE (B/L/-)
An early start this morning, visiting the interesting Central Market, then board your flight to Vientiane. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Remainder of today is at leisure.Make a difference : have the option of visiting MAG, a humanitarian organization clearing the remnants of conflict for the benefit of local communities worldwide.
DAY 11 : VIENTIANE (B/L/-)
This morning visit the enchanting Wat Phra Keo, built in the 16th century by the royal family to hold the emerald Buddha and with an exquisite collection of religious art. Continue to the Siamese style Wat Si Saket and the That Luang Stupa, the bright golden monument which represents a lotus bud and is used as a symbol of the Lao nation. End the tour at the imposing Patuxay Monument, Vientiane's very own Arc de Triumph. The remainder of the day is at your leisure
DAY 12 : VIENTIANE / PAKSE / BOLAVEN PLATEAU (B/L/-)
After an early breakfast, we catch an early morning flight to Pakse. On arrival you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to our next destination, Tadlo. On the way we pass many lush plantations, rolling hills, forests and villages. Part of the pleasure of travelling in this region is observing the beautiful countryside and meeting the local people. We stop at some of the nearby villages, home
of the Kato hilltribe people. These people are very friendly and welcome you with waving hands and smiling faces. These ethnic minorities still retain their age old cultural traditions and are recognisably distinct from each other by their dress. We continue our journey through the Paksong and Bolaven Plateau. The Bolaven Plateau is known for its cooler temperature due to its location
high above the Mekong Valley. Rivers run off this plateau in all directions and then plunge into lush forests in a series of spectacular 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 observe the rich cultivation of coffee, tea, cardamon, bananas, and other crop plantations. It also allows you to venture off the beaten track and discover some of the lesser known areas of Laos, exploring the wild beauty of this southern region. Overnight in Tadlo
DAY 13 : BOLAVEN PLATEAU / DON KHONG ISLAND (B/L/-)
In the morning we enjoy the lush vegetation of Tadlo before driving back to Pakse. From here we enjoy a leisurely trip to the former royal capital of Champasak, our base for exploring the ruins of Wat Phou - 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. Wat Phu is one of the Lao World Heritage sites recognized by UNESCO in 2001. This wonderful archeological site of Khmer civilization dates back to the 9th century, predating the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia. A festival of this site is held yearly during the full moon in February and attracts numerous pilgrims from all over southern Laos. We then continue our journey by traditional motorboat to Dong Khong Island, the largest island in the South Mekong river region known as the 4000 islands. This region is one of the most scenic areas in Laos. Overnight on Dong Khong Island
DAY 14 : DON KHONG ISLAND / PAKSE (B/L/-)
After breakfast, we board a boat to Ban Hadsaikhoun and take a short drive to visit the breathtaking Khone Phapheng waterfall, the South East Asia’s biggest waterfall, known as the Niagara of the East. Afterward, we drive back to Pakse. Overnight in Pakse
DAY 15 : PAKSE DEPARTURE (B/L/-)
Our trip concludes after breakfast. This morning is free, before we transfer to the airport for our
flight