Laos – North & South

Day 1: Arrival In Luang Prabang (–,–,D)

Upon arrival at Luang Prabang airport, arrange your own transfer to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. In the early evening, the guide will meet you and accompany you to a local restaurant for the welcome dinner. Meals: Dinner Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang Note: Check-in at the hotel from 14:00

Day 2: Luang Prabang (B,L,–)

The city of Luang Prabang is one of the most beautiful cities in Southeast Asia, with its perfect location at the meeting point of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers and at the foot of an age-old mountain range. Your discovery of Luang Prabang will take you into its most emblematic and culturally-rich sites. In order to fully appreciate your visit of this picturesque city, a guide will share all his knowledge of the city’s history, architecture, and culture with you. The Royal Palace, which nowadays houses the National Museum, has a huge collection of precious items which formerly belong to the royal family, and a large array of statuettes discovered in the temples of the region. Here, you can lay eyes on the Phrabang Buddha, considered as the most sacred artefact of Laos, and which has given its name to the city. Then step aboard a local motorboat to travel to the Pak Ou caves, the most famous Buddhist site around Luang Prabang. This beautiful excursion on the Mekong River, lined with steep karst cliffs and small villages, is the opportunity for you to observe the life lived on its banks. When you reach the caves after the boat ride and after you've climbed the stairs to the entrance, you will be amazed to find thousands of Buddha statues inside. In a beautiful location, not far from Pak Ou Caves, your lunch will be prepared by villagers and set up on a Sala – a traditional Lao bamboo platform with a roof – overlooking the river, giving you a chance to try some local food and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. Duration of the boat trip: 10 minutes After lunch, continue by boat for 2 hours back to Luang Prabang. Arrival in Luang Prabang, visit the Vat Mai, built at the end of the XVIII century, is a very respected shrine topped by a amazing roof. Meals: Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang Note: Royal Palace opening hours: every morning 8:00 – 11:30 (stop selling tickets at 11:00), every afternoon 13:30 – 16:00 (stop selling tickets at 15:30, except on Thursdays stop at 15:00).

Day 3: Luang Prabang – Hike To Kuang Sy Waterfalls (B,L,–)

In the early morning, at 5:30 you will travel with your guide to the temple to see the Tak Bath ceremony. During the ceremony, devoted residents of Luang Prabang kneel on the sidewalk, bearing food in their hands, which they offer to the monks as they walk by clad in their saffron-orange robes. Be drawn into this culturally significant moment, as it takes place in a peaceful and respectful manner, with no words exchanged between the monks and the inhabitants making the offerings. After this humbling experience, your guide will take you to a local market, a very animated place to be in the morning, to say the least. After the market tour, you’ll be taken to a welcoming local restaurant beside the Mekong river to try a soup designed to quell your hunger and give you energy for the day. If you’re not up to soup in the morning, you can also just enjoy a coffee while watching the daily routine of the residents. After this, you can return to your hotel for your full breakfast. Duration: Around 2h 30min Notes: Guests will travel to see Tak Bat ceremony from around 05:30 to 06:30 As a guest attending this tradition, you are recommended not to wear revealing clothing. Please do not cross the monk’s path and take photos from a distance to show your respect. Please also maintain a quiet atmosphere. The Khao Soi is only a tasting – guests can return to their hotel afterwards for breakfast should they wish. After breakfast, you will be picked up by your guide and then begin a short trip, travelling through the valley and passing local villages along the way. After reaching the Hmong ethnic community of Ban Long Lao Kao, you will have the opportunity to visit and take in the sights of the village. Then, start your walk to the famous Kuang Sy waterfalls, walking through vegetable gardens, rice fields and forests under the shade of hardwood trees, such as rosewood and ebony. After arriving at the Kuang Sy waterfalls, enjoy a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. Take a rest, or the chance to go swimming, before heading back to Luang Prabang. Rest of the day at leisure or visit the night market at your own pace. Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang Distance and duration of the hike: 8 kilometers - about 3h 30min; can be around 4-5 hours in rainy season Level:1

Day 4: Luang Prabang – Nong Khiaw (B,L,–)

This morning, travel from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw, then visit Nong Kiew view point. Situated on the banks of the peaceful Nam Ou River, Nong Khiaw is a charming town surrounded by some of the most fantastic limestone mountains in the north of Laos. Today, you will discover the beautiful natural environment with a hike to the top of the mountain along the small path. Enjoy the adventurous feeling of climbing at your own rhythm up a hill covered with a lush forest. Along the trail, you’ll find places to sit and rest on bamboo benches and get your breath back before continuing your upward exploration. On the way, there are ropes set up at some points that you can use to assist your effort. Perhaps a little breathless, but triumphant, you’ll be rewarded at the top of the mountain with a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of Nong Khiaw and the Ou River winding through the surrounding mountains! After a stop at the bamboo Sala at the top to contemplate the beauty of the viewpoint, you will go back to the town. Check in your hotel and spend the balance of the day free at leisure. Meals included:Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Overnight at hotel Duration of the hike Nong Kiew View Point : 4 kilometers - 2 to 3 hours (around 1h 30min to the viewpoint - 45 minutes to descend) Level : 1 (maybe a bit more if it is hot or the guests aren’t in good shape – it is 430m of ascent) Distance from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw: 137km, 3.5 - 4 hour driving

Day 5: Nong Khiaw – Muang Ngoi – Nong Khiaw (B,L,–)

Today, take a boat trip from Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoi. Your easy walk starts right from the center of Muang Ngoi. After the first 30 minutes you will have the chance to stop at Tam Khang Cave, the former sheltering cave for local villagers during the Indochina war (1960-1972). After visiting (and if you wish a short bath in the rock pool to cool off) you’ll walk further through lush vegetation and cross some rice paddies to reach Ban Na village. Here there is the possibility to explore community life by walking around the small village or enjoying the views of rice fields and the surrounding hills from a small restaurant terrace. After a pleasant relaxation break, it will be time to head back to Muang Ngoi. At a good time, take a boat transfer from Muang Ngoi back to Nong Khiaw. Meals Included :Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Nong Khiaw Duration of the boat from Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoi: 1.5 hour

Day 6: Nong Khiaw – Luang Prabang (B,–,–)

In the morning, you will travel from Nong Khiaw back to your hotel in Luang Prabang. Balance the day at leisure Meals included: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang Distance from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang: 137km, 3.5 - 4 hour driving Note: Hotel check-in time: 14:00 and check-out time: 12:00

Day 7: Luang Prabang – Pakse – Bolaven (B,–,–)

After checking out you will meet your guide and driver, and travel to Luang Prabang airport for your flight to Pakse. Upon arrival in Pakse airport, you will meet the guide and travel to the Bolaven with waterfalls tour. Bolaven is renowned for its altitude and subsequent cool weather. Offering a nice break from the heat of the lowlands during the dry season it is also famed for its coffee plantations and its myriad of waterfalls, each more stunning than the last. Located east of Pakse, you will have the opportunity to discover two of the most impressive falls of the Plateau. Emerging from the jungle, Tad Fan waterfalls are believed to be amongst the highest in the country, springing from a river forming two streams of water pouring down in parallel from 120 meters high. You will enjoy a short walk around to see the coffee plantation and catch a glimpse of the local workers, or do some shopping for traditional crafts if you feel like it. Your optional hike will continue to Tad Yuang waterfalls, cascading down from a gorge of 60 meters deep stretching through the surrounding National Biodiversity Conservation Area. After making your way down the stairs to the bottom, you will have the chance to admire the scenery offered by the natural environment from the viewing point, or relax at the panoramic restaurant, tasting the famous coffee. Distance and duration of the hike: 3.5 kilometers - 1h 15 min. Level: 0 Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel in Bolaven Transportation: From Pakse to Bolaven: 41 kilometers - 45 minutes Note: Check-out at the hotel will be 12:00 at latest

Day 8: Bolaven Full Day Mystic Mountain Coffee: Jeep Tour On Coffee Trail (B,L,–)

After breakfast, you’ll head to Paksong, the Laotian capital of coffee production and the gateway to the Bolaven plateau, located at an altitude of 1,300 meters. This region, as authentic as it is beautiful, is now inhabited by different Mon-Khmer ethnic groups but originally the French colonists planted coffee, banana and rubber trees there. Nowadays, the coffee produced on this land is globally recognized. The Bolaven area is rich in hidden treasures that are to be found off the beaten track, and you have to travel by Jeep to discover the best of them. You are welcomed by a passionate coffee farmer who will help you discover a magnificent and impressive waterfall where you can bathe and relax before he invites you to see his land. You can stride across his plantations and watch a traditional coffee roasting. Then, head off for a short walk to explore the small paths surrounded by plantations, fields and forest which eventually lead you to the lunch site, set amidst natural and restful scenery. Once you’ve had your fill of delicious local dishes, you will get back in your Jeep for a sensational excursion to the far reaches of the Bolaven plateau to visit remote bamboo villages from the Laven and Souay ethnic minorities where you will have the sensation of having stepped back in the time. Meals included: Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Bolaven Distance and duration: 20 kilometers from hotel in Bolaven. Duration: from 9:00 to 17:30

Day 9: Bolaven – Si Phan Don (B,L,–)

At leisure this morning and enjoy the stay in Bolaven. After leaving behind the splendid scenery of the Bolaven highlands, you will start to feel the temperature getting warmer as you head down to Pakse where you will have lunch. On the way, stop to see the local blacksmiths and to visit a tea/coffee shop. After lunch, enjoy a final few moments taking in this part of Southern Laos’ countryside before travelling by road to the island of Don Khong. Siphandone, the archipelago of 4,000 islands, is the perfect place to feel the laid-back atmosphere of Southern Laos. On the way, visit Vat Hatxaikhun and Ban Ponsaad. Meals: Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Don Khong island Distances: Bolaven - Pakse: 50 kilometers (1h). Pakse - Don Khong (Si Phan Done): 150 kilometers (3hrs).

Day 10: Si Phan Don – Local Experience In The Southern Islands (B,L,–)

After travelling by car to the south of Don Khong island you will visit a local family in a lowland Lao village to learn about the production of traditional homemade rice paper and rice noodles. Then, your journey will continue by boat to Don Som island where you will stop at Ban Thapho, and where the locals will teach you how to make farmers' hats with palm leaves, which can then be taken home as a handmade souvenir. After another short boat trip you will have the opportunity to stop and discover the old Keng Koum temple, which mixes Buddhist and Hindu influences, before continuing further down the Mekong River to Don Thorlathee island, where local villagers make their livings by selling handicrafts made by bamboo weaving. After one more short cruise to reach Don Xang island, you will be able to enjoy a stroll in a natural environment before continuing on to Don Khone island. In Don Khone island, you will begin with a visit to the famous Liphi waterfalls and the old locomotive from the French colonial era by Samlor or Tuk tuk. You can discover the local life and enjoy incredible views of the Mekong River. Then you will travel back to Don Khong island by car after crossing to the Nakasang boat pier on the mainland. Meals included: Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Don Khong Island

Day 11: Si Phan Don – Champasak (B,L,–)

Following breakfast, you will head back north to Champasak. Arrival in Champasak, visit Vat Phou temple Vat Phou is a pre-Angkorian temple complex listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. On arrival, you will transfer by electric car to the base of the sacred mount Phou Kao, passing two artificial lakes. From there, you’ll walk to the ancient axis which is demarcated by stone pillars leading to the first terrace and where silently stand the ruined Khmer Hindu palaces adorned with fine sculptures. From there, antique stairs bordered by frangipani trees climb up to a third temple with a unique structure dedicated to the Lord Shiva. Your exploration will continue behind the temple where you can see a natural spring and stone animal carvings before making your way back down to the entrance. Distance: From Champasak: 8 kilometers - 20 minutes. Duration of the visit: about 1h 30min Then, walk from Vat Muang Kang to Wat Phanon The countryside around Champasak is amongst the most charming in Laos. Let’s discover it today, with a walk starting at Vat Muang Kang, the oldest active temple in Champasak, which combines elements of French colonial and Lao Buddhist architecture. Located along the Mekong River, the site offers beautiful views and peaceful atmosphere. You can enjoy a stroll in the gardens where are scattered historical buildings and a wooden dormitory for the monks. From there, you will start to walk on a path shadowed by bamboo trees, passing through traditional villages where the local people make sticky rice boxes, handicrafts and food specialities. During the walk, you will enjoy picturesque sceneries on the mighty Mekong before arriving at Vat Phanon. At the end of the afternoon, embark the boat to Don Daeng Island and free time to enjoy the La Folie Lodge resort. Meals: Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Don Daeng island (La Folie Lodge) Transportation: Si Phan Don - Champasak: 150 kilometers - 3 hours.

Day 12: Departure Champasak – Pakse (B,–,–)

Depending to your departure flight, this morning is at leisure or to explore the nearby villages on foot at your own pace. Then you will embark the cruise from Don Daeng island back to Champasak, and travel Pakse airport for your departure flight. Meals: Breakfast Transportation: Champasak - Pakse airport: 40 kilometers - 50minutes. Note: Check-out at the hotel will be 12:00 at latest