Ultimate Laos

DAY 1 > ARRIVAL IN VIENTIANE

On arrival, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Rest of day free.

Standard: 3* Hotel

Superior Class: 4* Hotel

First Class: 5* hotel

What’s included: Transportation, guide, bottle drinking water & accommodation

DAY 2 > VIENTIANE HALF DAY CITY TOUR AND FLIGHT TO LUANG PRABANG (B)

After breakfast, explore the ancient city of Vientiane, situated on a bend on the left bank of the Mekong. It is Laos’ capital and her largest city. Sightseeing tour of the city’s major historic sites including: religious museums of Wat Sisaket, Wat Ho Prakeo and That Luang Stupa, the single most important monument in Laos. Visit the Patouxay (Lao Arc de Triomphe), built quite recently in commemoration of those who died during the various wars and is today the landmark of Vientiane. Transfer to the airport for the late afternoon flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, meet your guide and transfer to the hotel for check in. (Late check-out in Vientiane is not inclusive.)

Standard: 3* Hotel

Superior Class: 4* Hotel

First Class: 5* hotel

What’s included: Transportation, guide, bottle drinking water, entrance fee, breakfast & accommodation

DAY 3 > LUANG PRABANG (B)

One of the highlights for most visitors to Laos is the former royal capital of Luang Prabang in the mountains of the north. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, in the 18th century Luang Prabang had over 65 wats (temples), 30 of which still survive intact today. There is little traffic on the streets of Luang Prabang and monks in orange robes carrying black umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun are a familiar sight. The Royal Palace, now the National Museum, was built in 1904 for King Sisavang Vong and retains many of its original features as well as an interesting assortment of gifts presented to Laos from various foreign nations. Luang Prabang’s best known temple is Vat Xieng Thong, built in 1560 with the low sweeping roof characteristic of Luang Prabang temple style. Take an interesting visit to ‘The Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre’ – the first exhibition space and fair trade store dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation, and presentation of the traditional arts and lifestyles of Laos. Travel to Phone Say village. Lying hidden along the Mekong River, just a few kilometres from Luang Prabang downtown, Phone Say appears to be one of the most intact traditional Lao villages in the area. Here almost 100% of women dwellers weave textiles, while men work mostly making fish traps and fishing on the Mekong River. This village cannot be reached by vehicle so involves a half hour easy walk from the main road but is worth the effort. Almost another world compared to the city. Transfer back to hotel for the night.

Standard: 3* Hotel

Superior Class: 4* Hotel

First Class: 5* hotel

What’s included: Transportation, guide, bottle drinking water, entrance fee, breakfast & accommodation

DAY 4 > LUANG PRABANG (BL)

Early morning, we join or watch the locals giving to the monks’ Alm Bowls for their collection of food. Return to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, travel on a long-tailed boat on the Mekong River to visit the mysterious Pak Ou Caves in the side of a lime stone cliff opposite the mouths of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. The sanctuaries at Pak Ou consist of two large caves, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images, which range from mere centimetres to two metres in height. En route, typical Laotian villages are barely visible behind a screen of foliage. Slender canoes bobbing by the shore and bamboo poles and floats mark the location of nets and fish traps. Lunch is at a local restaurant on the bank of the Mekong River. We make a stop at a weaving centre. Natural dyes and weaving techniques are symbolic of Lao textiles. Many visitors to Laos are overwhelmed by the beauty and quantity of textiles.  Our silk seminar answers some of the frequently asked questions regarding Lao textiles. Joanna and Veo (subject to their availability) are experienced speakers, having lectured in Australia, Singapore and USA. There may also be an opportunity to interact with Joanna Smith, a UK photographer who has been in Laos for seven years attempting to preserve the art of Laos traditional weaving.

Standard: 3* Hotel

Superior Class: 4* Hotel

First Class: 5* hotel

What’s included: Transportation, guide, bottle drinking water, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch & accommodation

Day 5: Luang Prabang – Pakse (B,L)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your morning flight Pakse. On arrival transfer to the Bolovens Plateau. We’ll visit the Tad Lo Waterfalls and continue through the jungle to the Tad Yuang & Tad Fane waterfalls: twin 120m falls formed by the Champy and Pak Koot rivers emerging from the dense jungle and thundering down into a deep gorge. From here, we visit local tea and/or a coffee plantations of the Bolavens Plateau. Coffee in Laos is cultivated almost exclusively on the Bolovens Plateau by around 20000 families who live in 250 villages in the area. The Plateau is also home to hill tribes such as Lavens.

Return to Pakse in the late afternoon and free time for the rest of the day.

What’s included: Transportation, guide, bottle drinking water, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch & accommodation

Accommodation:

Standard: 3* Hotel

Superior Class: 4* Hotel

First Class: 5* hotel

Day 6: Pakse – Wat Phou – Champassak

Transferred to the Mekong River. On arrival, board and a long-tail boat and sail downstream to Champassack , the former capital of Laos’ Southern Kingdom. On the way, we stop to visit Wat Phou Ngoy overlooking the Mekong before continuing towards Champassack viewing the daily lives of local fishermen and their families along the way. Lunch will be served on arrival at Champassack before we move on to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wat Phou. From here we return to Champassack, where there will be free time for the rest of the day.

What’s included: Transportation, guide, bottle drinking water, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch & accommodation.

Accommodation:

Standard: 3* Hotel

Superior Class: 4* Hotel

First Class: 5* hotel

Day 7: Champassak – Ban Hat Xai Khoun – Don Khone – Liphi Waterfall

Following breakfast, we return to the Mekong and take cross to the other side of the river to Ban Mouang, where we transfer overland (2 hours) to Ban Hat Xay Khoun. For here we sail through the famous 4000 Islands, where many shore birds and other wild life abound. En route, we will stop at one of the many beaches, where we take a break for lunch, where there will also be the options of swimming or fishing. In the afternoon, we continue to Don Khone and check in at our guesthouse. Free time will be available for the rest of the day for further exploring the islands whether by bicycle or on foot to visit the old colonial French bridge, the Liphi (Somphamit) waterfall, and to catch a beautiful sunset before dinner. Overnight at Don Khone.

What’s included: Transportation, guide, bottle drinking water, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch, dinner & accommodation

Accommodation:

Standard: 3* Hotel

Superior Class: 4* Hotel

First Class: 5* hotel

Day 8: Don Khone – Dolphin Area – Veunkham – Khone Phapheng – Pakse (B, L)

After breakfast, we sail downstream for roughly 20 minutes to see one of the world’s rarest mammals, the Irrawaddy Dolphin. Although these freshwater mammals are extremely shy, we visit a location where the chances of seing them are good and will spend an hour trying to spot and photograph them before continuing for another 30 minutes by boat to Veunkham, to view the widest waterfall in Southeast Asia at Khone Phapheng. Lunch will be served at the falls before we return to Pakse.

What’s included: Transportation, guide, bottle drinking water, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch & accommodation

Accommodation:

Standard: 3* Hotel

Superior Class: 4* Hotel

First Class: 5* hotel

Day 9: Pakse – Vientiane (B)

After breakfast transfer to the airport for your return flight to the Laotian capital city of Vientiane. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax or do some last minute shopping or explore the city on your own.

Accommodation:

Standard: 3* Hotel

Superior Class: 4* Hotel

First Class: 5* hotel

Day 10: Departure

At leisure until transfer to airport for your onward flight.

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Although it is our intention to operate the itinerary as detailed in the proposal, we cannot be held responsible for any last minute changes made as a result of climatic conditions, alterations to flight schedules or other operational factors.