LAOS SPOTLIGHT

Experience the 7 days throughout Laos from the former royal capital of Luang Prabang from north through the abundance of temples and local cultures to south, further down the Mekong River to towns of Pakse and Champasak, where the Mekong fans out to create a land of 4,000 islands.

Private, Luxury & SIC tours of Indochina with TransViet Travel

HIGHLIGHT

• Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the old Royal city of Luang Prabang, home to dozens of temples and a way of life that has changed little over the years.
• See thousands of Buddha images in Pak Ou caves.
• Explore the Buddha Park, which is very famous for its supernatural power
• Learn about butterflies and local flora at Kuang Si falls butterfly park
• Enjoy the impressive experience of a 30 minutes elephant ride on the howdah (elephant seat) or on your elephant’s neck.
• Explore Tad Fan Waterfall, a picturesque twin chute waterfall and a coffee plantation in area
• Discover Wat Phou, a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site
• Embark on a long tail boat for venturing into the widest reach of the Mekong river in 4000 islands, where during the dry season the waters recede and leave behind thousands of islets
• Meet and interact with local ethnic minorities and catch a glimpse of their daily routine

ITINERARY

Day 1: LUANG PRABANG – ARRIVAL (Nil)

On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to check in the hotel.

After a soft rest, your city tour begins with a visit to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. After that, you will visit Royal Palace museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. From there, we ascend the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for the panoramic view of the city 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.

Day 2: LUANG PRABANG – PAK OU CAVES (NAVA MEKONG (Breakfast, Lunch)

Today, we will first visit the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene. After that, we embark on the leisurely cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside, before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine.

On arrival back in the city, we 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. From there we stroll around to visit Wat Aham, which was once the residence of Sangkharat, the supreme head of Lao Buddhism. Our last stop today is the Traditional Art and Ethnology Center to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 3: LUANG PRABANG – KUANG SI WATERFALLS – ELEPHANT EXPERIENCE (Breakfast)

After breakfast, we transfer directly 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, where you can have an optional 15 minute tour to learn about butterflies and local flora.

We then transfer to the nearby Elephant Camp, where we will enjoy the 30-minute elephant ride exploring the Mekong River.

Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, we will take a short visit to the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, where you will have a short tour so you get information about Silk, about weaver, about the Women that work in the Centre. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 4: LUANG PRABANG – PAKSE – BOLAVEN PLATEAU (Breakfast)

You are free before taking the flight to Pakse, the biggest city of the Southern Laos

(Flight should be QV513 LPQ PKZ 10:40 12:20 - exclude)

On arrival at the airport, we head east to Pakse and onto the Bolaven Plateau. The Bolaven Plateau is known for its cooler temperature being located high above the Mekong Valley. Stop at a tea plantation, followed by a brief visit to Tad Fan Waterfall, a picturesque twin chute waterfall. Last stop is at a coffee plantation before arriving at your destination for the evening. Overnight at Sinouk Coffee Resort.

Note: You can arrange flight by your own account or send us a request.

Day 5: BOLAVEN PLATEAU – WAT PHOU – DONE KHONG (Breakfast)

After breakfast, visit Tha Teng colourful ethnic minority food market. Next explore a couple of fascinating minority villages, Ban Bong Neua, an Alak village that boasts a sacrificial altar, and Ban Kokphung, a Katu village where they keep coffins under their houses. Arrive at the beautiful Tad Phaxuam waterfall by mid-morning, before leaving the Bolaven Plateau and continuing to Champasak by lunchtime.

In the afternoon visit Wat Phou, an ancient Khmer religious complex dating back to the 5th Century. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Wat Phou is a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple that sits amidst the rice fields and waterways of southern Laos. The temple was constructed in three levels: the bottom level is focused on the baray (water reservoir) and promenade, the second level features quadrangular pavilions and galleries of carvings, and the top level is the sanctuary itself. The temple was built by the rulers of the Khmer empire before the construction of Angkor Wat. The temple served as the most important economic and political centre of the region and still is one of the Lao people’s most revered temples.

After your visit, we continue in to Champasak to see samples of French colonial architecture before driving to Done Khong where you have the rest of the day to relax or to explore the island. Overnight in Done Khong Island.

Day 6: DONE KHONG – 4000 ISLANDS – DONE DAENG (Breakfast)

Heading out of town we embark on a long tail boat for venturing into the widest reach 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”. Upon arrival, 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 its locomotive.

We continue to discover the 4000 islands area by tuktuk and visit the marvelous Liphi waterfall, also called the "Corridor of the Devil" one of the most beautiful waterfalls marking Lao border with Cambodia. If we are lucky, we may even see the rare freshwater Irrawaddy Mekong dolphin at Ban Hang Khone. We return to the mainland at the fishing village of Ban Nakasang and drive further south to visit Khone Phapheng. Khone Phapheng is considered the largest waterfall by volume in South East Asia; this is a really impressive near the Lao-Cambodian border, set within an area which is teeming with wildlife, making this area one of the most breathtaking destinations in Laos.

Afterwards we drive back to Champasak and take the boat to Done Daeng, the peaceful island, home to the beautiful La Folie Lodge, where we will spend the night. Overnight in Done Daeng.

Day 7: DONE KHONG – PAKSE – DEPARTURE (Breakfast)

You are free to stroll around the island for your own exploration before transferring back to Pakse to take the departure flight. End of services.

INCLUSION

Meals

6 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch

Transport

Private transportation

Accommodation

Hotel ( 6 Nights)

Activities

Luang Prabang city tour
Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Caves
Luang Prabang – Kuang Si waterfalls
Luang Prabang – Pakse
Bolaven Plateau – Done Khong – Done Daeng

Guide

English speaking guide

Price

* Any group size greater than 8 pax, please contact us at inbound.sgn@transviet.com for better quotation
* Date and time correspond to Vietnam time zone (GMT+7)
* All prices are quoted in US$

Departure month

Hotel

Group

Valid From

Valid To

Hotel Star

Group Size

US$/Adult

01 Jan 2023

01 Jan 2030

✰✰✰

7 - 8 pax

667

OVERVIEW

HIGHLIGHT

ITINERARY

INCLUSION

Price

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