Amazing Laos

The Luang Say boat leaves Huay Xay pier at 9.30am for a cruise down the Mekong River to Pakbeng. 
After one-hour journeying along the river, the boat stops at a traditional village. This is a chance to observe rural life along the Mekong and witness the daily life of ethnic minorities and their talented craftsmanship. 
Lunch is served on board in a buffet style with a selection of starters and main course from Laos’ main culinary delights as well as a choice of fish and meat dishes. 
The river cruise arrives at Luang Say Lodge near Pakbeng before sunset, giving plenty of time to refresh, enjoy the scenery of the river and admire the surrounding nature.
A Laotian dinner is served on the open air terrace overlooking the Mekong River.

After breakfast, head for the Pakbeng Elephant camp to participate in the daily bathing of the elephants. Then, enjoy a mini-trek with elephants during about 30 minutes and learn more about this endangered species.

After lunch at the hotel, depart Pakbeng and journey north, heading towards the remote province of Oudomxay.

Passing through Oudomxay, take note of how this once quiet town was transformed into an important trade hub. Upon arrival to the Muang La Resort, check in, relax and enjoy the views. Facilities include a spa, sauna and steam room. As the resort is built next to a natural hot spring, the staff happily fills a small pool every evening with the hot spring water.

Evenings are a real treat here, with 5 course set menus combining Asian and European influences.

Dinner and overnight in Muang La Resort
 

Begin the day with a departure just after breakfast for the entirely isolated Ikhos village. This ethnic group originates from Tibet and Yunnan and these villagers have seen very few foreigners. Because of this, the village will have an entirely unique feel. The guide will happily explain the daily life of the villagers and how they still follow ancient customs passed down through the centuries.

The site is located more than 1,000m above sea level, which proves to be the perfect place for a picnic lunch.

After lunch, leave the village for a 45-minute walk to the Hmong village of Ban Tauser. The remote route to the village leads to a viewpoint with a stunning 360° panorama. The Hmong originate in the high steppes of Tibet; a visit here will teach about their way of life, including the great importance of their livestock.

Return to the resort at the end of the day.

Dinner and overnight in Muang La Resort

After breakfast, drive approximately 2 hours to Muang Khua, a small town on the banks of the Nam Ou River. Arriving here, board a private longtail boat for the cruise down one of the most scenically beautiful stretches of river in Laos. Compared to the Mekong, the Nam Ou is considered more dramatic, wild and also has far less traffic.

Enjoy a delicious picnic lunch along the way and spot various local villages during the downstream cruise.

In the late afternoon, reach the destination of Nong Khiaw, famed for the dramatic limestone mountains which surround it. Disembark and check in to the accommodation on the banks of the Nam Ou River.

Enjoy some time at leisure (we suggest to try the sauna!) and don’t miss the sunset over the river!

Dinner will be served at the hotel.

Overnight in Nong Khiaw
 

After breakfast, we will transfer back to Luang Prabang. 
After about 20 minute drive, we will take a right turn at Ban Bom onto the dirt road to Ban Na Yang (12km from the main road), which is the Thai Lue minority village. This is the very unique village with the traditional house and hand-weaving technique. 
After that, we will transfer directly to Ban Pak Ou, where we will have lunch (your own account) at the riverside restaurant overlooking the Nam Ou River, and Mekong River. 
The afternoon will follow with the visit to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. 
We then take the boat downstream the Mekong River to the heritage city of Luang Prabang. Along the way, we have chance to visit some more village at Ban Muangkeo, which is famous for its traditional Lao rice whisky distilling. 
We arrive in Luang Prabang just in time to catch the sunset. Overnight in Luang Prabang
 

After breakfast, our guide will take you on an in-depth walking tour of the city with Mr. Francis Engelmann, who is the retired UNESCO specialist.
The walk is oriented towards the lesser known parts of the town including charming lanes showing the more traditional atmosphere of the heritage town. 
Along the way, we will see the four different types of buildings categorized by UNESCO. 
The first one is the traditional Lao house which is made from tropical hardwood or bamboo and built on stilts.
The second is a half wood and half cement house built after the arrival of the French. 
The third is the traditional French colonial building that are similar to those found in Vietnam and Cambodia. 
The last form of architecture you will see is the old Chinese shop houses that were built to be used for both commercial and residential purposes.
During the walk, it is you chance to ask any questions that you may have about Luang Prabang history or culture for our specialist before leaving him around noon time.
In the afternoon, we will visit some famous attractions inside city center including the oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. 
We then continue with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. From there, we walk to the nearby Wat Mai, which is one of Luang Prabang’s largest and most richly decorated temples.
Late afternoon, we climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic sunset view of the city and the Mekong River.  
The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. 
Overnight in Luang Prabang

Wake up as the sun rises, we will prepare to join the most sacred tradition of Laos, the daily morning alms giving, which dates to the 14th century. More than 200 Buddhist monks depart from various temple to gather their daily meal from the faithful residents sitting quietly on the streets.
We then visit the temporary morning market near the former Royal Palace. Just set on the ground, the local people come here to barter their day’s catch from rice, to vegetable, to fish, or chicken. 
After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit UXO Visitor Center (closed on Saturday, and Sunday), where you can find the documentation about the secret war in Laos.
Then transfer directly to the beautiful Kuang Si, which is the biggest waterfall in the Luang Prabang area with three tiers leading to a 50-metre drop into spectacular azure pools before flowing downstream. The pools also make great swimming holes and are very popular with both tourists and locals
There is also the chance to walk to the nearby village of Ban Thapene, and explore the hidden waterfalls, which is rarely visited by other tourists
If you wish, take a short visit to the Bear Rescue Center, which houses a couple of dozen animals rescued from the hands of poachers and traffickers.
After visiting Kuang Si waterfalls, you can visit the nearby Butterflies Park, where you can enjoy the afternoon tea with the homemade cookies whilst relaxing inside the green peaceful garden full of colorful butterflies.
On the way back to Luang Prabang, we will take a short visit to the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, set serenely close to the Mekong, this beautiful, traditionally styled workshop, where weavers, spinners and batik makers produce top-quality fabrics, offers free tours every half-hour. This is also one of the best spots to admire the sunset in Luang Prabang
Transfer back to your hotel late afternoon. Overnight in Luang Prabang

After picking you up from town or your hotel we will leave Luang Prabang around 08:30 for the nearby village of Xieng Lom. Upon arrival you are invited to have coffee or tea as your guide for the day provides an in-depth introduction to elephant behavior and the ways we should interact with them.
A quick boat ride across the Nam Khan River will deliver you to the waiting elephants. You will be introduced to your new friends and feed them some special treats - a sure way to begin an instant friendship.
Enjoy observing elephants from the river bank as Mahouts wash them in the Nam Khan river. You can experience elephants washing, swimming and playing in the water. Please note this is voluntary activity for the elephants and Mandalao does not force them to get in the water. (On cold days the elephants are less likely to want to get wet.)
After 2 hours crossing through a beautiful stretch of traditional Lao gardens you will arrive at the jungle-covered Huay Nok stream. As you walk alongside the elephants and crisscross through the cool water you will experience a profound sense of understanding, respect, and caring for these amazing animals. As you prepare to start your walk back to MandaLao, you will bid farewell to your new friends with more treats and goodbye hugs.
When you get back to MandaLao, you will head to the restaurant and enjoy a delicious fresh Lao meal made from our own organically grown produce. There you can relax, kick-back, and process the day’s experiences on the veranda overlooking the river and misty mountains.
Following lunch, we will walk to the nearby beautiful Chateau Orientale Resort, where we will spend the night.

You are free to stroll around the resort for your own exploration or just stay relax by the riverbank.
There are plenty of activities on site such as kayaking, or cycling offered by the resort.
Overnight at Chateau Orientale
 

After departing at 8:30 am from your hotel, transfer to Nahm Dong park, which locates in Ban Xiengmouk, 10Km from city center.
Arriving at the park, we will have a short welcome by the park manager before joining the morning activities here.
We will first start with the Zipline flying over the jungle and the waterfalls admiring the amazing evergreen scenery. The zipline will take about 1 hour. 
Then we will walk back via the jungle trail crossing some flying bridges, small streams, and clear natural pools, where you can take a refresh splash if you wish so.
The picnic lunch will be served at the viewpoint where you can spread your view over the region, including the view of mount Phousi in the city center.
You can either spend the rest of the afternoon stroll around the park, relax by one of the huts at the camp, or enjoy the fresh cool clear natural pools.
We then walk to the nearby hidden charm of Hillside Resort where you will spend the rest of the day relax by the inviting pool or walk around to explore the surrounding area.
Overnight at Hillside Resort

Free for the whole day for your own exploration for just relax to enjoy your last day in Laos.
Overnight at Hillside Resort 
 

In the morning, we travel by road south to Vang Vieng. Our intrepid journey will be strenuous as we drive along one of the most scenic region of Laos. The road is now good enough for our drive. 
Along the way, we will make a stop to visit a local school if it is the weekdays (if not, there are still plenty of chance to watch them playing on the ground). 
After about one-hour drive, we will have chance to enjoy the panoramic view at the highest peak of the area, which is more than 2000 meter high. 
From there, we will drive to visit Pha Hom market, where we can find various offer of wild animals. We will also stop at Ban Phouhin Lekphay to see the life of Khmu hill-tribe. 
We will make another photo stop at Phatang Mountain view point to admire the beautiful scenery before reaching the town of Vang Vieng.
Upon arrival, we still have time to visit the cave of Tham Jang, which was used in the early 19th century in defense against the Chinese invaders. 
From the cave, we can admire the panoramic view over the town of Vang Vieng and the nearby area whilst the sun is setting. 
Overnight in Vang Vieng

The limestone cliffs and valleys surrounding the resort complex of Vang Vieng are home to numerous caves and caverns. 
The most famous of these caves is Tham Jang, which was used by the local people as a refuge from Chinese invaders 200 years ago. 
Your tour continues by crossing the Nam Song River for a short drive to Tham Pou Kham (Golden Crab Cave). After passing through a small entrance hole you descend 100 meters into the ground. 
You have ample time to visit Blue Lagoon, which is a great spot to relax and cool off before transferring back to Vang Vieng
Take a local long tail boat (2 people per boat) to cruise for approximately 30 minutes upstream on the Nam Song River, enjoying the beautiful scenery as you go.
Then transfer to Ban Tha Heua to spend the night.
 

You are free to stroll around the resort for your own exploration.
There are plenty of water activities available to book on spot.
Overnight in Ban Thaheua
 

Wake up early today, you never want to miss the serene sunrise over the peaceful lake. Our guide will escort you to the nearby area to watch the local villagers preparing for their busy day.
After breakfast, we will join the 2-hour kayaking around the lake of Nam Ngum to the nearby islets on the lake or the local villages. 
In the afternoon, we bid farewell to the lake and drive to Vientiane. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, this capital conjures up exotic images, with a curious mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French influences. 
Upon arrival, check in your hotel in town. Free for the rest of the day to stroll around this charming town, the most laid-back capital of Asia.
Overnight in Vientiane
 

In the morning, we will first visit Wat Si Muang, which is very famous for its supernatural power. We then transfer out to see Buddha Park, an enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures on the Mekong Riverside meadow, close to the Friendship Bridge. There are approximately 200 religious images dating back over 500 years, which were created by a mysterious monk spreading his philosophy on life and revealing his ideas about the universe. 
In the afternoon, we see the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket, the temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to Lao’s national icon, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop enroute to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. A spectacular view over the Mekong River at sunset is a perfect way to finish the day. Overnight in Vientiane 

You are free to stroll around the resort for your own exploration.
There are plenty of water activities available to book on spot.
Overnight in Vientiane 
 

You are free to stroll around the town for your own exploration before taking the departure flight