9-Day Laos Odyssey - Northern to Southern Laos: Luang Prabang, Pakse, and the 4000 Islands

Arrival atLuang Prabanginternational airport and meet your guide, then transferto your hotel. Check-in time is between 13h30-14h00. Time at leisure at hotel.Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel.

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning alms giving ritual to saffron clad monks. This tradition is unique to Laos,being the only Buddhist nation still preserving this procession. Visit fresh local marketsand back to hotel for breakfast.This morning, depart to visit Wat Visoun, the site of impressive Thad Makmostupa.The rounded dome is stylistically more Sinhalese than Lao The Continue tovisit Wat Aham. Then, visit to the most photographed temple,Wat Xiengthong.Located at the end of peninsular closed to the confluence of Mekong and Khan River.This afternoon, continue to formerRoyal Palace, now theNational Museum.VisitWat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief. During Pimai, the LaoNew Year, the Prabang normally housed in the Royal Palace Museum is brought andput on public display in this temple.
Nighttime is for your own discovering Luang Prabang night marketMeals on your own. Overnight in hotel

After breakfast, spend the morning exploring the rice culture and farmingexperience with some hands-on activities along the way. Be welcomed by thehospitable farmers who will show you how rice is grown and harvested. You canplant rice in the rice paddy together with the farmers while seeing the buffalosplough the rice paddies. Discover what rice can be used to produce differentproductsThis afternoon, driving through green rice paddies and farms. On your arrivalat theKuang Si waterfall, enjoy your short walking on trails of falls to visit the bearrescued centre. Enjoy spectacular views and surrounding of orchids inside the parkand falls cascade over many calcified tiers and down several hundred feet into aseries of cool, turquoise pools. Return to Luang Prabang.Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel

This morning, drive to Nong Khiew (~4h). Stop along the way to visit Nam Bakmarket and the weaving Ban Nayang village. Arrival in Nong Khiew. Lunch on yourown. In the afternoon, embark on long tail boat for a relaxing cruise (~1h30mns) on NamOu river. Enjoy the beauty of landscape along the banks of river. The cruise leadsyou to a village where you learn about local life and culture. Then continue cruisingto Muong Ngoy where you overnight in local guesthouse. Meals on your own. Overnight in guesthouse (Simple comfort)

After breakfast, embarking on boat to cruise back Nong Khiew, with a stop to visit anauthentic village Houi Hoy, located on the bank of Nam Ou river.Then, drive from Nong Khiew to Luang Prabang. On the way, visit Pak Oucaves atthe confluence of the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers. In these caves are displayed
hundreds of sacred centuries-old Buddha images which are the object ofpilgrimages during the Lao New Year festivities around mid-April. Continue drivingto Luang Prabang. Arrive and check in hotel in Luang Prabang.Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel

After breakfast, transfer to Luang Prabang airport for flight to Pakse (3 flights perweek) Welcomed by local guide in Pakse, then depart to visit Boloven Plateau. As soon asyou leave Pakse the road climbs in elevation as you ascend onto the Plateau. Thearea of Volcanic Rock makes for suburb tea and coffee plantations which thrive onthe rich soil and the cooler climate. Visit 2 beautiful waterfalls of region: Tad FaneWaterfall and Tad Yuang Waterfall. Driving back to Pakse and check in hotel. Time at leisure.Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel.

After breakfast, depart to Champassak and visit the temple ruins of Wat Phou(UNESCO World heritage site), a ruined Khmer Hindu temple complex. Thistemple is one of the oldest places of workship in Southeast Asia. Next, heading to 4000 islands area (Si PhanDonarea) to visit Khone Phabengwaterfalls characterised by thousands of islands and countless waterways. TheKhone falls one of the largest waterfalls in Southeast AsiaThen drive to Don Khong island. Spend your time to discovery the largest islandand most peaceful one in Si PhanDonarea, southern Laos. Check in hotel and timeat leisure.Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel

After breakfast, depart to Ban Nakasang village where you start a cruise (~30mns)on long tail boat to Khone Island. Arrival and begin re-tracing the French colonialtimes here as many remnants (old pier, stream railway, French buildings) stand still.
Continue to visit the gorgeous Liphi waterfall, which is a must-see for waterfall-lovers. Cruise back Nakasang village and take road to hotel in Pakse. Meals on your own. Overnight in the hotel.

After breakfast, free time until your transfer to the airport for your internationalflight.