On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel. If time permits, you will have half-day city tour. You are able to see the major temples of Vientiane including the oldest, Wat Sisaket, a temple of thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit Laos national icon, That Luang Stupa, and we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.
Meal Included: Lunch
Travel south along route 13. En route we stop at Prabaht Ponsan, an Ancient stupa dating back to the 15th Century. It is also home to the ancient Budhhas footprint, discovered in 1933, and now an important religious site in Laos. After lunch, you continue onwards into Khammoune province and into the mountainous area, where a stop at a view point near Khoun Kham offers a breathtaking view over the surrounding area. You eventually reach Ban Naphouak, where you board a local boat on the Hin Boun River. The journey upstream takes us past some stunning limestone karst scenery, as well as a number of villages with smiling waving children. Arrive at Sala Hin Boun late afternoon, at leisure, dinner and overnight at Sala Hin Boun.
Meal Included: Lunch
After breakfast at Sala Hin Boun Set off with boat upriver to Kong Lor village. Have a short visit to the village before boarding a smaller boat into the famous Kong Lor Cave. The boat is navigated through the cave, which is over 7km long and includes a spectacular cavern over 100m high. Have lunch in a remote village on the other side of the cave. Return to Sala Hin Boun before sunset.
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Today you set off by road to Naphouak, then by en route there will be a stop for lunch and a picturesque Lao Loum village. Late afternoon, you are picked up by car and transferred directly to Vientiane airport for your evening flight to Luang Prabang. Check in a hotel and overnight in Luang Prabang.
Meal Included: Lunch
You start the day with a visit to Phousi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Today you will visit local villages of corlorful Lao ethnic minority groups. Followed with a transfer to the beautiful Khuang Si Waterfall. Here you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. After that you will return to Luang Prabang for lunch. Your half day city tour in this afternoon begins with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. You then make for the magnificent Wat Xiengthongwith its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. If it is early enough you also have time to visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visounand the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai.
Meal Included: Lunch
The day starts with a visit to the Big Brother Mouse shop to select some books for the village where you are visiting. Head north by car along route 13, before taking an unpaved road to Ban Khia Luang village, visit the school, play with the kids and watch them enjoy their new books. You also take some time to explore the rest of the village. Lunch at the village, which can either be a western picnic lunch, or traditional Lao food such as sticky rice, fresh vegetables cooked by the villagers.
After lunch, you take a drive to Ban Khoklin, then board a private boat down the Nam Ou River for 30 minutes to Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims and continue down the Mekong River back to Luang Prabang, arriving back there by late afternoon.
Meal Included: Lunch
Free at leisure until your flight onwards or carry on with more “Travel Authentic Asia” impressive destinations.
Meal Included: N/A
