TRIP OVERVIEW
Laos Discovery tour will take you from the alluring sunset cruise in Luang Prabang, to the timeless natural beauties of Nong Khiaw. From the amazing cruise along the Nam Ou River from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw, which is no doubt the most beautiful part of the lazy Nam Ou River to the cruise exploring the mysteries of 4000 Island area. From Muang La to Done Daeng are the two most beautiful resorts of Laos. All makes your unique tour unforgettable.
Group Tour: Yes!
Dates: As you wish
Starts/Ends: Luang Prabang – Pakse (or overland to Cambodia)
Tour Type: Landscape & Adventure
Tour Tailor-Made: Absolutely Yes!
Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival - Luang Prabang
Day 02: Luang Prabang - Kuang Si Waterfall - Sunset Cruise
Day 03: Luang Prabang - Pak Ou Cave - Nong Khiaw
Day 04: Nong Khiaw - Muang Ngoi - Muang Khua - Muang La
Day 05: Muang La - Timeless Moment with Iko People
Day 06: Muang La – Free day
Day 07: Muang La - Oudomxay - Vientiane
Day 08: Vientiane - Pakse - Done Daeng
Day 09: Done Daeng – Free day
Day 10: Done Daeng – 4000 Islands
Day 11: Four Thousand Islands Relaxing Tour
Day 12: Four Thousand Islands
Day 13: Pak Song – Kato Village – Tad Lo Waterfall – Pakse
Day 14: Pakse – Departure
Day 01: Luang Prabang – Arrival
On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to check in the hotel. You are free before transferring to a local family to enjoy a private Baci ceremony after sunset. The Baci ceremony as a traditional ritual of the Lao people expresses the spirituality of the country and is a highly memorable experience and a deep insight into Lao culture for the participants.
We then transfer back to the city center to have the first taste of Lao foods at one of the best restaurants in Luang Prabang.
The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.
Overnight at Houny Vilai hotel 4* in Luang Prabang
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: dinner
Day 02: Luang Prabang – Kuang Si Waterfalls – Sunset Cruise
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. From there, we will take a short visit to the morning local market near the Royal Palace. At the market, you can find anything from rice, to fresh vegetables, to steamed fish, frogs, and anything else that might be the day’s catch, just set up on the ground, this is what the locals do every day. This is really the chance for you to get a real flavor of the local culture. After breakfast, we visit Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. Our next stop in the city is the magnificent Wat Xieng thong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We will also take a look at the Traditional Art Ethnology Center to learn about the many Lao ethnic groups. We then visit Wat Visoun, dating back to 1513 during the reign of King Wisunarat (Visoun), this is Luang Prabang’s oldest temple and was once home to the Prabang Buddhas.
Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, this then takes us to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails.
Before returning to Luang Prabang, we stop to visit the Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park (closed on Tuesday), one of the must-visit spots, newly opened on January 2014.
Late afternoon, we will transfer to the boat pier to board on the Nava Mekong for the cruise along the Mekong River to admire the sunset over the mountains. The authentic Lao lunch will be served on board together with some traditional Lao music and dance.
We arrive back in the city at around 08:00PM, transfer to your hotel.
Overnight at Houny Vilai hotel 4* in Luang Prabang
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel, lunch
Day 03:Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Cave – Nong Khiaw
Our excursion to Northern Laos starts with boarding on the leisurely cruise upstream the Mekong River to visit Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of golds lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by devoted pilgrims. En route, you will stop at Ban Xang Hay, a well-known village for its traditional Lao rice whisky distilling.
Lunch (your own account) at local restaurant overlooking the Mekong River and the caves, we will hop on our minivan to continue the trip up to Nong Khiaw, the small lovely town along the lazy Nam Ou River.
We will arrive there just in time to catch the sunset.
Overnight at Riverside Nong Khiaw resort in Nong Khiaw
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel, dinner
Day 04: Nong Khiaw – Muang Ngoi – Muang Khua
In the morning, we will departure at 09:00 am from Nong Khiaw to Muang Khua travel further up on the way to Muang Khua we would like to stop at minority Khmu tribes be long Name Ou riverside and very beautiful to journey this way we will hop on a leisurely long-tail boat upstream the Nam Ou River to Muang Khua, there are many of pretty Lao children and we will visit to donation to then, meaning we will give them some clothing, books, pens and some candy. One of the most scenic boat trips you can take in north of Laos, the small town along the way to Tay Trang Border with Vietnam. The scenery along the way is said to be the most beautiful part of the gently Nam Ou River.
Along the way, we may make a short stop visit local village end enjoy the drink at one of the bars in Muang Ngoi overlooking the Nam Ou River.
The picnic lunch will be served on one of the best sand beaches along the way, Nong Khiaw is very beautiful small town situated on the bank of the Nam Ou River and surrounded by mountains.
This afternoon we will take a slow boat along the Nam Ou River to visit a five remote village on the riverside, take your time in this beautiful area where you might be able to see local Khmu village living along the river. Ahead of us there was about 4–5-hour trip in narrow and long wooden boat and exploring the Nam Ou River for an unforgettable adventure boat trip.
We arrive in Muang Khua at 17:00 pm, check-in guesthouse and free walking around district.
The remains of the day are at your leisure to further explore our charming district.t
Overnight at guesthouse in Muang Khua
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel, lunch, dinner
Day 05: Muang Khua – Muang La – Nam Kat Yor La Pa Resort
Start our tour at 9:00 am, leave the guesthouse following a picturesque route along the banks of the River Nam Pak, to visit two villages of the Ikhos people. The Ikhos are one of the most isolated communities in Laos and originate from Tibet and Yunnan Province in China. In their mountain village with houses built from bamboo and wood, you will learn about their way of life, their belief in the spirit world which affects everything they do and their unique method of dyeing their clothes using extracts from the plants of the forest. A truly unforgettable experience!
Nam kat Yor la Pa, the protected forestry area along the Nam kat River. Situated in Oudomxay Province in the north astern Laos. This area is truly on of the most beautiful nature environments.
The rest of the day is free.
Overnight at Nam Kat Yor La Pa Resort in Oudomxay
o Assistance: private guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel
Day 06: Nam Kat Yor La Pa - Half-day Activities
You are free to walk around the resort or the nearby villages. There are also many optional activities for you to spend the day.
After your breakfast in Nam kat Yor la Pa resort, enjoy some activities a beautiful natural and the most beautiful environmental around you. Start at 09:30 our exploration around Nam kat Yor la Pa. We will drive resort car towards Nam kat waterfall about 5 km.
Reaching the entrance and we will trek pass the jungle and walk over 13 sky bridges about 1km. Take time at waterfall, enjoy your romantic swim it is very cool with time to cool in the crystal-clear, cool waters of Nam kat waterfall on a hot day, enjoy a swim in the beautiful, nature environment. Take time cool off the crystal-clear waters of Nam kat waterfall then you will return to trekking back.
Overnight at Nam Kat Yor La Pa Resort in Oudomxay
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel, lunch
Day 07: Nan Kat Yor La Pa – Vientiane Departure By Train
Free day at Resort until in the Afternoon we will bid the farewell to our lovely resort to transfer to train station in Oudomxay, where we will take the train to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Train D87 Departure time at 14:00 pm – Arrival 16:34 pm
On arrival in Vientiane, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After a soft rest, we will stroll around to visit Lao national icon, That Luang Stupa, and we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.
The rest of the day is spent to explore some famous shop in the center of Vientiane including Carol Cassidy, where you will find the best silk in Laos. A spectacular view over the Mekong River at sunset is a perfect way to finish the day.
Overnight at Sure stay hotel 4* in Vientiane
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel, lunch
Day 08: Vientiane – Pakse – Done Daeng
In the morning, we will first visit Wat Si Muang, which is very famous for its supernatural power before transferring out to the airport to take the short flight to Pakse, the biggest city of the Southern Laos.
Upon arrival, we will transfer to Buddha temple in Pakse was built in 2011. The atmosphere of the temple is magnificent, and there are many people come to pray in an endless stream. Climbing to the top the Buddha stupa, standing overlooking the Mekong River in the entire city.
After that’s take a 40 minutes driver to Champasak old capital in the pass before taking the small leisurely boat crossing the Mekong River to the island of Daeng, the home to the amazing La Folie Lodge, where we will spend our next 2 nights.
Overnight at La Folie Lodge in Daeng
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel, lunch
Day 09: Done Daeng – Free time
You are free to explore the island on your own or just relax at the resort.
Overnight at La Folie Lodge in Daeng
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel
Day 10: Done Daeng – 4000 Islands
After you breakfast in the hotel then we will drive to visit Wat Phou on the way we will visit some remote minority tribes.
Wat Phou was a part of the Khmer Empire centered on Angkor to the Southwest, at least as early as the reign of Yasovarman in the early 10th century.
During the decline of the Khmer empire in the 14th century, its people migrated to the river and around various sacred natural sites such as mountains. Springs or rivers that are of a religions and mystical symbolism still today
Khone Phapheng waterfall is the great sightseeing in southern of Laos. It is high for an attraction in Laos, absolutely fantastic experience visiting Khone Phapheng falls, the sheer power and beauty of the falls surrounding lush greenery added to the magical atmosphere. The amount of water moving through rapids is amazing and the history connected to the falls is also interesting.
Then we will take a slow boat across the Monkey River to Don Det is an island in the Mekong River in the Si Phan Don (Four Thousand islands) archipelago in Champasak Province of southern of Laos.
The remains of the day are at your leisure to further explore around Don Det.
Overnight at Seng Ahloune Resort in Don Det
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel, lunch, dinner
Day 11: 4000 Islands – Relaxing Tour
This is a small village a few minutes’ walk away from the mysterious hidden forest and waterfall, afterwards we rejoin the Cycling to visit Li Phi waterfall while we leisurely sail closer to the wild paradise known as the 4,000 Islands All meals are included on the Lao – Cambodia border and the galley produces the finest of Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai dishes, lovingly prepared and beautifully presented. Late afternoon we disembark from the boat to walk through small Laotian Village where the traditional way of life has not changed in centuries, you will also visit the local school and share some time with the students.
The evening is yours to relax and enjoy your wonderful time sunset cruise on the Mekong River in 4000 thousand islands.
Overnight at Seng Ahloune Resort in Don Det
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel, lunch, dinner
Day 12: 4000 Islands – Bolaven Plateau – Pakson
The next destination of our trip will be Bolaven Plateau. After your meal in the hotel starting our journey at 09:00am, enjoy your wonderful drive and safety to visit minority groups. This will give you a great opportunity to see all of Bolaven Plateau is famous and coffee plantations, exploring waterfalls and ethnic tribes. Learn about the history and culture from people who live there, while exploring one of the most beautiful areas southern of Laos.
On our way we pass many lush plantations, hills, forests and villages. Part of our pleasure of travelling in this region is to observe the beautiful countryside and meet local people. We stop over at some of the nearby villages, home of the Kato hilltribe group. The hill tribe people are unfailingly friendly; welcoming you with waving hands and smiling faces. These ethnic minorities still retain their age and old cultural traditions and are recognizably distinct from each other by their dress. We continue our journey through the Paksong and Boloven Plateau. The Boloven Plateau is known for its cooler temperature being located high above the Mekong Valley. Rivers run off this high plateau in all directions and then plunge out to lush forests along in a series of spectacular surging waterfalls. The scenery around Tad Fan waterfall is spectacular with twin waterfalls plummeting into a deep gorge surrounded by flourishing vegetation. A trip to the plateau provides a refreshing break from the heat and allows you to see the cultivation of rich coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops that are grown in the area. This trip gives visitors the chance to venture off the beaten track and to discover some of the lesser-known areas of Laos, exploring the wild beauty of this southern region.
Overnight at Sabaidee Valley Resort in Pak Song
o Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel
Day 13: Pak Song – Kato Village – Waterfall – Pakse
After you breakfast in the resort for start our tour at 09:00 am, Visit Tad Yueang waterfall this is a 30 m high, truly picturesque waterfall surrounded by beautiful nature, the waterfall is amazing to see the real life. It’s so much bigger than it looks in photos.
In raining season, it was extremely powerful with a lot of back spray. It was unable to walk all the way along the hiking path as we would’ve gotten soaked but it was still an incredible experience. There is a tail, step to take you down to the falls with Lookout points, it can be a little steep the melodious sound of the waterfall make you will stay for a couple hours, just relaxing and enjoying its beauty.
Then continues our diver with air-conditioned & music if you like it on the way we will stop to visit Kato village where our can learn about Kato tribe culture with local family life.
After that we will take a 20 minutes’ drive to Tad Lo waterfall where you have lunch about 12:00 O’clock. With time to cool in the crystal-clear, cool waters of Tad Lo waterfall on a hot day, enjoy a swim in the beautiful, nature environment. Take time cool off the crystal-clear waters of Tad Lo waterfall then you will return to Pakse fix you’re formatting so it reads together Pakse by minivan arriving at about 15:30 pm. We will arrive in city about 17:30 pm.
Cheak-in hotel and rest of day.
Overnight at Champasack Grand hotel in Pakse
Assistance: private tour guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel
Day 14: Paksong – Pakse – Departure
You are free time until transferring the departure flight
End of services.
o Assistance: private guide and driver
o Meals included: breakfast in hotel
Tour includes:
• Tours & transfers in private air-conditioned vehicles
• 2 mineral water/ day/ pax
• All accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotel
• 01 domestic flight tickets: Vientiane – Pakse & Trian Muang Xai – Vientian.
• Private English-speaking guide
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary with local foods (B= breakfast; L=Lunch; D = Dinner)
• Boat cruise as stated
• Entrance fees and permits for all sites visited
• Mineral Water and towel
• Government taxes & Service charges
Tour excludes:
• International airfare & airport tax
• Visa in Laos (available at the airport at 30 USD)
• Personal travel insurance
• Personal expenses such as Telephone and Laundry bills.
• Tips and gratuities