8-Day Spirit Of Laos

On arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel by our tour guide and driver



After a short tour briefing, enjoy your Welcome Dinner.



Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, we visit the Royal Palace Museum which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. We begin our walking tour, by taking in some of Luang Prabang hidden secrets, we will venture through the quiet back lanes leading to Wat Xiengthong. We will also stop and admire Wat Mai and Wat Visoun, known as ‘The Water Melon Stupa’



In the afternoon we will stop at the Arts and Ethnology Centre which gives us a further insight into the ethnic mix and culture of Laos. We then visit the weaving and textile villages of Ban Xangkhong and Ban Xienglek. Our final stop of the day is a climb Mt Phousi, which offers a spectacular sunset and a panoramic view over Luang Prabang and the Mekong River.



Overnight in Luang Prabang.

The day starts with a visit to the Big Brother Mouse shop to select some books for our village visit. We then head north by car along route 13, before taking a unpaved road to Ban Khia Luang village. We then have ample time to visit the school, play with the kids and watch them enjoy their new books. We also take some time to explore the rest of the village, where you can see weaving and visit the local temple. We stop for lunch at the village, which can either be a western picnic lunch, or traditional Lao food such as sticky rice, laap and fresh vegetables cooked by the villagers.



After lunch we say good bye to the village and drive to Ban Khoklin, the drive will take us through some beautiful scenery of mountains and paddy fields. At Ban Khoklin we board a private boat down the Nam Ou river to Pak Ou Caves, the caves are crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. We will continue down the Mekong River to the picturesque village of Ban Chan, a pottery village. We will arrive back in Luang Prabang, late afternoon.



Overnight in Luang Prabang.

This morning you will be transferred to the airport in time for your flight to Vientiane, upon arrival in the capital you will be met and transferred to your hotel.



Your half day city tour, begins with a visit to the oldest, Wat Sisaket, home to thousands of miniature Buddha statues. We will also visit the former Royal Temple of Wat Prakeo. Visit the sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, and take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. Our final stop is a visit to the COPE exhibition centre which highlights the consequences of unexplored ordnance and mines to the general population. COPE is also a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities and trains local staff in prosthetic and orthotics.



Overnight Vientiane.

You will be transferred to the airport early this morning for the flight to Pakse.



Upon arrival you will be met and transferred directly onto a private traditional boat for a 2-hour cruise to Champassak. Disembark at the ancient town, of the Champa Kingdom; continue by car to Wat Phou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. Wat Phou is the site of ruins that were once part of a temple built sometime before Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. It contains some of the most Ancient Khmer architectures dating e back to the 7th century.



In the afternoon you will drive to Don Khong, an area of 4000 islands which is the widest point of the Mekong River during the rainy season, although during the dry months the river recedes, leaving behind thousands of islands and islets. This area of the river is also famous for being the home to the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins. En route, we visit the atmospheric ruins of the Khmer temple of Oup Mong at Ban Houei Tomo, located in the forest. Arrive at Khong Island via ferry early evening.



Overnight on Khong Island.

Following breakfast, we enjoy a visit to the surrounding countryside, and embark on a long tail boat tour to Don Khone, where we disembark. You have the option to explore the island by bicycle, and visit the remains of the French period architecture and Liphi Waterfall or "the Corridor of the Devil".



We return to the mainland at the fishing village of Ban Nakasang and drive further south to visit Khone Phapheng. Khone Phapheng is considered the largest waterfall by volume in South East Asia; this is a really impressive site near the Lao-Cambodian border, The site is also teeming with wildlife, making this area one of the most breathtaking destinations in Laos.



Then we drive back to Khong Island.

Today you will be taken by road east into the Bolaven Plateau.



The Bolaven Plateau is known for its cooler temperature being located high above the Mekong Valley. Our first stop is to visit Houey Ten, a Katu village specializing in knifemaking. We then stop tea plantation, followed by a stop at Tad Fan Waterfall, a picturesque twin chute waterfall. We then make a stop at a coffee plantation, en route to Tha Teng Market, a colourful ethnic minority food market.



Next we explore another interesting minority village, Ban Bong Neua, an Alak village, that boasts a sacrificial altar. We arrive at the beautiful Tadlo Waterfall in the afternoon, where you can relax and cool off in the pools below the waterfall. Later we head back to Pakse, stopping at Ban Houi Hun, an Alak weaving village. The Alak also store coffins under their houses as part of the traditional beliefs. Then we will stop at another picturesque waterfall, Paxuam, before arriving back in Pakse by late afternoon.



Enjoy your Farewell dinner this evening.



Overnight at Pakse.

After breakfast; there will be free time for your own exploration of Pakse Town. You will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight home.