Laos Discovery

Welcome to Laos - the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital with its gleaming temple roofs, and colonial architecture. After the resting time you will have half day city tour to Wat Visoun, the shrine of Wat Aham and Wat Mai with five tiered roofs before going up with 329 steps to the top of Mountain Phousi for an exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa and to enjoy a beautiful sunset view of the city and its glowing reflection on the Mekong river.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Today we continue seeing Luang Prabang with the temple of Wat Xieng Thong, a magnificent piece of architecture, which nestles at the junction of the Mekong and the Nam Khan river. We embark on a boat for a leisurely trip on the Mekong river, stopping en route at Ban Xang Hai to see the production of and to sample the local rice wine. Upon leaving this village we pass through stunning mountain landscape to the mysterious Pak Ou caves. These two linked caves are crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes, all brought there by devout villagers. After the river trip we drive towards Ban Phanom, a small village known for its hand weaving. 

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

The exploration of Luang Prabang would be not complete without a visit to the National museum (close Tuesday) at the former Royal Palace. This interesting structure displays a lovely collection of treasures and artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings through the last sovereign. Leave the town through verdant and rugged scenery to visit some hill tribes at Ban Lao Soung and Ban Ou. We take a walk to the beautiful Khouang Si waterfalls, where water tumbles over multi tiered limestone formations into cool and crystal clear poolse. These waterfalls are also setting surrounded by dense forest. Back to Luang Prabang in the afternoon for overnight.

Today we leave this charming town for Xieng Khouang, an area with relics of Indochina second war between 1964 and 1973. These back roads are a great way to explore the real Laos with few footpints of travelers. The journey is long, but we can make stops as much as you can for relax or photos. In the afternoon there will be time to see the old capital of Muang Khoun Province and its' nearby villages. 

Overnight in Xiengkhuang.

The “Plan of Jars” is an impressive archaeological site where hundreds of large stone jars are scattered all over a plateau. These huge jars are supposedly over 2,000 years old, but most of archaeologists still question their purpose. We explore the site and some nearby villages of Hmong and Tai Dam hill tribes before heading to Vang Vieng, a small tranquil town nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. Its stunning scenery with a mixture of quiet atmosphere and limestone outcrops remains unspoiled. 
Overnight in Vang Vieng.

We start with a walk around the bustling central market and then take bamboo raft along the Namsong River with the limestone cliffs and valleys. Vang Vieng are home to numerous caves and the most famous one is Tham Jang used in the early 19th century in defense against the Chinese invaders. We also cross the river to Ban Huai Ngai, a very pleasant village where we can explore the different local lifestyles. In the afternoon we leave Vang Vieng for Vientiane, the capital located on the banks of the Mekong river with a mixture of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French influences.
Overnight in Vientiane.
 

Our full day sightseeing tour of Vientiane commences with a visit to Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple standing in Vientiane. This amazing structure features remarkable frescoes and Buddha statues. The following sight is the former royal temple of Haw Pha Kaew, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit the imposing Patouxai Monument well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triomphe before continuing to the great sacred structure and symbol of Laos, That Luang Stupa. We head out of town to see the Buddha Park, a scattered enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures on the Mekong riverside meadow, near the Friendship Bridge. There are approximately 200 religious images dating back over 500 years, which were created by a mysterious monk spreading his philosophy on life and revealing his ideas about the universe. Enjoy the spectacular view of over the Mekong river and overnight in Vientiane.

We depart early southbound for Khammouane province. Along the way we can make several stops for photos of the scenary of Lao countryside. We will arrive at Ban Na Hin, a village lo inside a valley surrounded by limestone mountain, and near the most beautiful mountain view point in Southern half of Laos. It is alsao the gateway to Khong Lor cave in the afternoon. Enjoy a short walk around this charming village and overnight in Ban Na Hin.
 

Today we take a short drive to Khong Lor, the amazing 7.5km-lengh cave formed by the Hinboun river, which flows through the cave all year round. Stop en route for a walk to That Mouang and That Namsanam waterfalls. We embark on a small boat for an impressive excursion through the main cave to the valley beyond and stopping to observe the stalactite formations. The cave is still used by local villages as an access route. 

Overnight in Ban Na Hin.

We leave Ban Na Hin and continue venturing in southern Laos. Next stop is Pakse, the capital city of the south. Along the way we make stop at Sananakhet, the fast growing town now becomes an important trade center between Vietnam and Laos, for lunch and resting. 
Overnight in Pakse.
 

The next destination is Tadlo. On our way we pass many lush plantations, hills and rain forests. We stop over at some of the nearby villages, home of the Kato hilltribe groups who still retain their old cultural traditions in decades. We continue our journey through the Paksong and Boloven plateau. The Boloven plateau is known for its cooler temperature by being located high above the sea level. Rivers run off from this plateau in all directions and then plunge out to the rain 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 gives you great chance to observe the cultivation of rich coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas as well as to venture off the beaten track and discover some of the untouched areas of Laos, exploring the wild beauty of this southern region. 

Overnight in Tadlo.

We leave Tadlo for Pakse and enjoy a leisurely trip to the former royal capital of Champasak, where we start exploring the ruins of Wat Phu, one of Southeast Asia's most dramatically situated temples. We also have time to discover these intriguing Khmer ruins, which are perched at the base of Mount Phu Kao. Wat Phu, one of the Lao World Heritages recognized by UNESCO, is 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 annually during the full moon in February and attracts numerous pilgrims from all over southern Laos. We continue our journey by motor boat to Don Khong, the largest island in the South Mekong river region known as the 4000 islands, one of the most scenic areas in Laos. 

Overnight in Don Khone Island.

We embark on a long tail boat to discover the widest section of the Mekong river, where during the dry season the waters recede and leave behind thousands of islets, giving this area a lovely name” Si Phan Done”. We explore the local peaceful villages of Ban Khone, where you will see an array of relics from the French colonial era and retrace the old colonial past, including old French colonial buildings and the remnants of the first Lao railway with it’s locomotive. We continue discover the 4000 islands area by boat at our leisure to visit the marvelous Liphi waterfall, also called the "Corridor of the Devil" one of the most beautiful waterfalls marking the end of Lao border to Cambodia. If we are lucky, we may even see the rare freshwater Irrawaddy Mekong dolphin at Ban Hang Khone.

Overnight in Done Khone Island.

After breakfast, we board a boat to Ban Nakasung and take a short drive to the Lao - Cambodia border, en route we visit the breathtaking Khone Phapheng waterfall, the South East Asia’s biggest waterfall. End of services and take Cambodia tours.