Itinerary
Day 1 Luang Prabang - Arrival
Upon arrival at the airport, meet our guide and transfer to your hotel for check in. Located in north central of Laos, Luang Prabang is former capital and UNESCO World heritage site of Laos. The small city boasts French colonial architectures, numerous Buddhist temples and natural landscapes along the banks of Nam Khan River. The rest of the day is your own free time at leisure.
Day 2 Luang Prabang - City Tour - Kuang Si Waterfalls
Get up at the crack of dawn to participate in one of the most sacred Lao tradition, the Alms Giving Ceremony. See silent lines of Buddhist monks in orange robes walking down the streets to collect alms from faithful residents.
After breakfast, we visit Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground which represents classical Laotian architecture. Then move on to some local villages of Lao ethnic minority including Ban Ouay - a Hmong village, Ban Ou - a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene - a Khmu village which are known for traditional handicrafts before drive to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails.
On the way back, visit the nearby Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park, one of the must-visit spots newly opened on January 2014. Return to Luang Prabang, ascend the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a stunning sunset view of the city and the Mekong River.
Day 3 Luang Prabang - Pak Ou Caves - Ban Chan
After breakfast, we board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of 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, stop at the village of Ban Xanghai where people make the local rice wine. On the way back, we pass the local village at Ban Chan famous for making pottery, then continue to see the royal temple at Wat Longkhoun and Ban Phanom, a village well known for its hand weaving.
Day 4 Luang Prabang - Pakse - Wat Phou - Champasak
In the morning, free to stroll around this charming town before taking the short flight to Pakse, the biggest city in the Southern Laos.
On arrival, transfer by car south to Champasak, former capital of kingdom Champask renowned for natural landscapes and cultural heritages. Then visit the fascinating pre-Angkorian ruins of Wat Phu, one of Southeast Asia's most dramatically situated temples. Continue to explore these intriguing Khmer ruins, which are perched at the base of Mount Phu Kao. The rest of the day is your free time in the province of Champasak.
Day 5 Champasak - 4000 Islands
In the morning, we will drive further south to Ban Nakasang where we will aboard a long-tail boat to visit 4000-island area. We explore the local peaceful villages of Ban Khone, where you can find 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.
Day 6 Done Khone - Khone Phapheng - Ban Khiet Ngong - Pakse
In the morning, we return to Ban Nakasang and drive to famous waterfalls of Khone Phapheng, the largest waterfall in South East Asia, dubbed as Niagara of the east. Afterwards, we stop in the village of Ban Khiet Ngong for an elephant back ride to mount Phou Asa, surmounted by the ancient citadel. Beyond we will have a panoramic view over the unspoilt area of Dong Houasao and the Mekong valley. Finally, we reach Pakse late afternoon.
Day 7 Pakse - Departure
In the morning, if time permits you can take a short visit to Ban Saphai on Done Kho Island (15Km to the north of Pakse), which is famous for its unique traditional living style of local villagers. We then transfer to the airport for the departure flight.
