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DAY 1: ARRIVE IN LUANG PRABANG
Arrive in
Luang Prabang, meet with the guide and
transfer to the hotel. As an ancient
capital city of Lane Xang (Land of the
Million Elephants) from 1354-1560 A.D.,
Luang Prabang is renowned for its
cultural and traditional values,
difficult to find in Southeast Asia.
UNESCO has listed Luang Prabang as the
World Heritage Site in 1995. Overnight
at the hotel.
DAY 2: LUANG PRABANG (B)
After breakfast at the hotel. Begin
your tour with the visit to
Wat Visoun,
the most ancient monastery in Luang
Prabang since 1513, famous for its
stone-carved “Watermelon” Stupa, called
That Mak Mo. Visit the nearby
Wat Aham,
or “the Monastery of the Opening Heart”,
renowned for its beautiful sim and roof
decoration; then to
Wat Xieng Thong,
perhaps the most beautiful and
spectacular temple in Luang Prabang with
its unique Laotian achitectural styles.
From here, walk down the main road or
“wat street” where many beautiful
temples line up on both sides of the
street. If time permits, stop at
Wat
Siboun Heuang,
Wat Si Moungkhoun,
Wat
Sop and
Wat Sene. Further on to
Luang
Prabang National Museum, once served as
a Royal Palace to the last king of Laos.
The museum is closed on Tuesday. Nearby,
visit Wat Mai (or New Temple), the
largest temple in Luang Prabang and one
of the most picturesque temple in Laos
with its five-tiered roof, veranda and
architecture. In late afternoon, visit
to Mount Phousi for sunset. You have to
climb up 328 steps from the gatte to the
top where a small temple lies. Mount
Phousi is 150 meters high, centrally
located in the center of the city and
offers a magnificent view of the entire
city and the nearby rivers. Overnight at
the hotel.
DAY 3: LUANG PRABANG - VANG VIENG(B)
Breakfast at the hotel. Travel
southward from Luang Prabang to Vang
Vieng by land, and enjoy the picturesque
scenery of Laos countryside and rural
life along the way. Experience a soft
and short trek through rice paddy fields
to visitBan Pha Thao where resides an
ethnic Hmong village and Tham Phao Cave.
Continue to Tham Xang Cave, literally
means “Elephant Cave”. Here you will
find the elephant carved stalactites
enhanced its name, the impressive Buddha
statues and a Buddha footprint. Arrive
in Vang Vieng for overnight.
DAY 4: VANG VIENG (B,L)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive 10
kilometers north of Vang Vieng to the
ethnic Khmu village of Vieng Samay where
you will start the exhilarating kayaking
on Nam Song River
along its small
rapids. Stop at the fantastic cave of
Tham Nam Thaem; this cave cuts straight
through the mountain, so when you emerge
on the other end of the range, you will
get a stunning view of the great valley
of Nam Kouang. Make a small trek through
a pass where you will have your
Lao-styled picnic lunch on the side of
the river bank. Continue kayaking to the
organic farm where mulberry tea and
fruit wines are grown and then onward
downstream to one of the biggest caves
in Vang Vieng, called
Tham Non Cave,
locally knowned as “The Magic Stone of
Vang Vieng” and home to a bat colony.
Make a final gentle paddling on the
river before returning to Vang Vieng for
sunset. Overnight in Vang Vieng
Remarks: Approximately: 15 minutes
transfer / 4 hours kayaking / 1 hour
caving / 1 hour hiking
Meals: Breakfast and Picnic Lunch
DAY 5: VANG VIENG - VIENTIANE (B)
Breakfast at the hotel. Start your
day with a visit to
Huay Mor where you
will visit the local fish market. Depart
from Vang Vieng and continue with a boat
trip along Nam Ngum Lake, a beautiful
lake, with river tributaries of the
Mekong and a man-made dam. Enjoy
Stopover at the salt field in Ban Keun.
Drive further south to the capital city
of Vientiane. Along the way, enjoy a
pleasant scenery of high green
mountains, limestone cliffs and Laos
countryside. Arrive in Vientiane, a
peaceful capital city of Laos, located
along the bank of Mekong River.
Vientiane became the capital of Laos
since 1563 and it is enchanting to see
classic Buddhist temples in Laotian
styles, old French colonial building,
wide boulevards, and an attractive
environment. Overnight in Vientiane.
DAY 6: VIENTIANE (B)
Breakfast at the hotel. Start
exploring Vientiane with the visit to
the amazing Buddha Park, or Xieng Khuan
- literally means “Spirit City”. Here
you can find large collection of
religious statues, covering from Buddha
images, Hindu gods, and many bizarre
sculptures, some of which could be dated
back over 500 years. Continue to the
magnificent Pha That Luang, a gleaming
golden stupa, revered as one of the most
sacred monuments in Laos and as a
national symbol of sacrifice and
unification. Visit the nearby religious
museum - Ho Pha Keo, the former royal
temple, once housed the Emerald Buddha
that was taken Bangkok; then onward
journey to Wat Si Saket, the oldest
temple in Vientiane, famous for its
cloistered walls and thousands of Buddha
relics and statues. Further on to
Patuxai, or “Victory Gate”, a monumental
arch resembling the Arc de Triomphe in
Paris. On top of Patuxai, get a
panoramic view of the city, park, and
boulevard in Vientiane. At the end,
visit the local market of Talat Sao
where you can find Lao people selling
their items. Overnight in Vientiane.
DAY 7: VIENTIANE DEPARTURE (B)
Breakfast at the hotel. You are free
at your own leisure for shopping or
sightseeing. Transfer from the hotel to
airport for your next destination.. |
