Laos Complete Discovery

Right after landing on Luang Prabang Airport, you will be greeted and picked up and transferred to your hotel.  Once the heart and soul of the ancient kingdom of Laos, Luang Prabang is now a designated World Heritage-listed site. The city is filled with ornate temples, French colonial architecture and has a truly magical feel about it.

Today, after breakfast, you will visit the Royal Palace Museum, hosting a range of interesting artifacts. From there, you will begin your walking tour, taking in some of Luang Prabang’s hidden secrets and going down the quiet back lanes leading to Wat Xiengthong. Along the way, you will stop at Wat Chomkhong, known for its decorative carvings. This area contains a mix of beautiful old French Colonial buildings and traditional old Lao houses, which you will have time to admire, along with a stop at the small but charming Wat Phapai. Pass by the Fine Arts School to see some of the quality artwork on display. Your final visit is to magnificent Wat Xiengthong, with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, representing the classical Luang Prabang style. Get back to Luang Prabang for overnight.

An optional early start will give you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique to Laos – the only Buddhist nation still preserving the ritual. Then get back to your hotel for breakfast and enjoy a half day guided tour of the city and the weaving village, starting with a visit to Wat Visoun, known as ‘The Water Melon Stupa’ due to its shape. Continue to visit the Arts and Ethnology Centre which gives you further insight into the ethnic mix and culture of Laos. Then visit the weaving and textile villages of Ban Xangkhong and Ban Xienglek. In the afternoon, you will be free at leisure to climb up sacred Phusi Mountain to watch the sunset over the Mekong River before an overnight stay in Luang Prabang.

Today, take a drive 30 km south to visit Kuangsi Waterfall which, though not very high, is spectacular and beautiful with its green surroundings in a preserved national park, where you can swim, relax and soft trek to the top of the fall.  En route, stop to visit a fresh produce market, Talad Phosy, and also visit Ban Na Oune, a small village of the Hmong hill tribe, the best known minority group in Laos. Just before arriving at Kuangsi Waterfall, and visit a village of the Khmu minority group, Ban Tha Pane, followed by a picnic lunch at the shady park near the waterfall. There will be plenty of time for relaxing and a swim in the cool water, before head back to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. The rest of the day will be spent visiting various crafts shops, silver smiths and the Hmong market, where the embroidery works of Hmong women are on display. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, embark on a cruise up the Mekong River, which provides a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside on your way to the Pak Ou Caves, which are filled with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. Along the way, you will stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make a distillation of local rice wine. On your return trip, you will take a short drive to Ban Xang Khong, well known for its hand weaving. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Following breakfast, drive out of town to visit the elephant camp at Ban Ann. En route you will stop at the famous village of Ban Phom Nom, home to weavers and craftspeople who made souvenirs for the last king of Laos. Continue to the Henri Mouhot monument in Kang Noon. He was a Frenchman, best known for being credited with discovering Angkor Wat and who died of malaria while on his fourth trip to Laos. Then continue to the camp, and upon your arrival, enjoy around one hour elephants tour before returning to town in the afternoon. The rest of the day is for you to rest and relax or explore the town on your own.

After breakfast, free time on your own until your flight to Vientiane. Upon arrival, meet the tour guide and transfer to your hotel.  In the afternoon, start a tour of the major sights of the capital, including: Wat Sisaket (a temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues), the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo (previous home of the famous Emerald Buddha Image), the That Luang Stupa and the imposing Patuxay Monument (known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph). Overnight in Vientiane.

Take an early morning flight to Pakse, where you will be met and driven to Saravanh province via Tateng. The bubbling water and lush vegetation around Tad Fan Waterfall make for a spectacular view. Make a stop en route to observe the traditional local tea and coffee making activity and learn about life in the Boloven Plateau area. The cultivation of rich coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops are common, and visitors are encouraged to venture off the beaten path and explore some of the lesser-known areas of the region. Upon arrival at Tad Lo Waterfall, you will visit Alak, Nge and Katu villages. Then get back to Pakse for an overnight stay.

After breakfast, head for Khong Island and visit the pre-angkoran ruins of Wat Phu, one of Southeast Asia’s most dramatically situated temples. Explore these Khmer ruins, perched atop a hill, and which are one of two Laos World Heritage Sites recognized by UNESCO in 2001. This wonderful archeological site dates back to the 9th Century. Make your way past some of the 4000 islands in the region on your way to Don Khong for an overnight.

After breakfast, enjoy a visit to the surrounding countryside and board a long tail boat as you explore sites on your way to Liphi Waterfall or “the Corridor of the Devil”.  Observing local fishermen at work before returning to the mainland at Ban Nakasang on your way to visit Khone Phapheng, the biggest waterfall in Southeast Asia. Overnight in Pakse.

Spend your free time for further exploration in Pakse before transfer to Pakse Airport for your onward flight.