Unseen Vientiane

Arrive Vientiane. Your guide and private car will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

In the afternoon visit the home and workplace of designer and local expert Sandra Yuck. She will give a talk and different artisans will demonstrate the traditional methods used making Lao products. Observe the local artisans as they work creating silverware, wood carvings and products and silk weaving. This will take place in a beautiful traditional wood house located along the Mekong River with a lovely garden. Local refreshments will be served and any questions you may have will be answered. The money raised from this talk will go directly towards Peuan Mit a local charity and their project to help educate children about drugs and rehabilitate drug addicts in Laos.

In the evening enjoy a night tour of the capital discovering yet another side of this fascinating city. As the sun begins to set, your guide will take you to the evening food market where the lively sights and sounds of the dinner crowd mix with fantastic smells and flavors. Taste some local snacks and join the locals for a drink, if you wish. Continue to a nearby restaurant for a delicious dinner served in authentic Lao-style while enjoying a performance of traditional song and dance. Your guide will then suggest and accompany you to either a lounge-style bar for a drink in the laid-back, chic atmosphere or to a more lively local night club to dance the night away. After this exciting evening, return to your hotel for a good night’s rest.

Overnight in Vientiane.

Meals Included: Dinner

Enjoy a sleep-in and late breakfast at your hotel before starting the days activities.

Today your guide will be an English speaking monk who give you an inside view into Lao culture and traditions.

Buddhism has existed in the area now known to us as Lao People’s Democratic Republic for over six hundred years. Today you will receive answers to all the questions about Laos and its unique culture whilst exploring contemporary Lao Buddhism, its practices and traditions.

Your guide and private car will pick you up at your hotel at 0930 and transfer you to a temple known for over 450 years as a centre for Buddhist education. There, you will meet your tour guide – an English speaking monk who will host an educational session on Lao culture and traditions. You will learn about the relationship between Buddhism and Lao history, society, meditation, and any other topic that may interest you.

After the workshop enjoy lunch at Makphet, a vocational restaurant working to train street children in the hospitality industry. The fresh, delicious food is served in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

In the afternoon you will travel to one of the last remaining forest temples in Vientiane. There, you will take a private yoga lesson in the shade of the temple’s trees, learn about the temple’s herbal gardens, try the traditional sauna, practice meditation and then indulge in a traditional Lao massage.

In the evening you will have the unique opportunity to experience one of Laos’ oldest traditions, The Baci.  The purpose of the Baci, which is a mix of Animist and Buddhist beliefs, is to call back escaped spirits to the body. This is something that is very important before major events such as weddings, births, travel, welcoming friends and farewells.

Overnight in Vientiane.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Start the morning early making merit. At sunrise you have the opportunity to participate in the practice of giving alms to Lao Buddhist monks – a crucial activity of a monk’s day before returning to your hotel for breakfast.

Today you will travel outside of Vientiane to a forest temple renowned for its work in Engaged Buddhism, or Buddhism for development. At the forest temple, you will tour the temple’s herbal gardens and learn about their grassroots recycling techniques. You will contribute to the beauty of the temple’s garden by planting your own plants, or strolling through the gardens or for you practice meditation.

Your private car and driver will meet at the temple and transfer you to the airport for your departing flight.

Meals Included: Breakfast