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Day 1. Luang Prabang – Arrival
Welcome to Laos!
Arrival at Luang Prabang Airport. Welcomed by local guide and transfer to hotel for check-in. Time at leisure.
Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang
Included meal: Not included
Day 2. Luang Prabang - City tour by tuk-tuk (B)
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 morning market and back to hotel for breakfast
This morning, take tuk-tuk to visit Wat Visoun, the site of impressive Thad Makmo stupa. The rounded dome is stylistically more Sinhalese than Lao. Continue to visit Wat Aham and Wat Sene Temple.
Visit Wat Xieng Thong further emphasizes the uniqueness of Luang Prabang, its several roofs sweeping low to the ground. See also the impressive "tree of life" mosaic here. The gilt panel on the exterior of the chapel depicts semi-erotic episodes from the Ramayana.
This afternoon, visit Wat May built in 1796, the five-tiered roof of the wooden Sim (chapel) epitomizes the graceful Luang Prabang architectural style. Next, heading to the Traditional Art & Ethnology Center, enjoy 30-minute tour of TAEC's exhibitions by trained museum tour guides provides insight into Laos' ethnic cultures, their traditions, and customs. This is a chance to learn more about Laos' diverse ethnic groups and ask questions about life in Laos' countryside.
Then, time for your own exploration at night market.
Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang
Included meal: Breakfast
Day 3. Luang Prabang - Pak Ou - Making lantern in Ban Xang Khong village (B)
Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer to the pier where you board a traditional long trail boat, for a relaxing cruise upstream on the mighty Mekong River. Enjoy stunning mountain scenery and witness the simple rural lifestyles. You will reach Pak Ou caves at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers. In these 2 caves are displayed hundreds of sacred centuries-old Buddha images which are the object of pilgrimages during the Lao New Year festivities around mid-April.
Cruise back Luang Prabang. Stop and visit Ban Xangkhong, where you can jump into making your own lantern with local expert. Transfer back to hotel. Time at leisure.
Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang
Included meal: Breakfast
Day 4. Luang Prabang - Living Land Farm - Kuang Si (B/L)
After breakfast, spend the morning exploring the rice culture and farming experience with some hands-on activities along the way. Be welcomed by the hospitable farmers who will show you how rice is grown and harvested. You can plant rice in the rice paddy together with the farmers while seeing the buffalos plough the rice paddies. Discover what rice can be used to produce different products.
After lunch in living land farm, driving through green rice paddies and farms. On your arrival at the Kuang Si waterfall, enjoy your short walking on trails of falls to visit the bear rescued centre. Enjoy spectacular views and surrounding of orchids inside the park and falls cascade over many calcified tiers and down several hundred feet into a series of cool, turquoise pools. Visit butterflies park before return to hotel and time at leisure.
Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang
Included meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5. Luang Prabang - elephant camp - train to Vientiane/ street food (B)
After breakfast, depart to Elephant Village camp:
- On arrival: Welcome greeting and participate in a short briefing about elephants
- Elephant Feeding: Get up close and personal with elephants
- Explore Elephant Village: Visit our elephant hospital, museum, gallery and dung paper making facility!
- Learn to communicate: Enjoy the impressive experience of being a Mahout and how they communicate.
Transfer to train station and catch train to Vientiane. Welcomed by local guide and driver in Vientiane. Transfer to hotel for check-in. After resting time, take a walking tour and admire sunset on the bank of Mekong river. Stop to visit the colorful Night Market next to the river and taste some local street food (on your own account). Back to hotel.
Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel in Vientiane
Included meal: Breakfast
Day 6. Vientiane - City tour (B)
This morning, we start our city tour by visiting the oldest Wat Sisaket which houses thousands of tiny Buddha images and row after row of seated Buddhas. Our next destination is Haw Phra Kaew, the royal temple that once enshrined the Emerald Buddha. Today it is a museum where there resides a tremendous collection of religious art.
Vientiane’s own Victory Monument, which looks like the Arc de Triumph. This was built at the end of the Indochina wars with money rumored to be American, and earmarked for the airport’s new runway. This is the departing Americans dubbed this monument the vertical runway! Have a look at the lovely arches inside the monument.
Our final destination is the svelte and golden Pha That Luang, the most important national monument in Laos - a symbol of Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty. The stupa of this temple is 40m high and covered with gold that can be seen from kilometers away.
In the afternoon, transfer to the amazing Buddha Park (also called Wat Xieng Khouane) which is definitely worth a visit during your tour to the capital of a million elephants. Upon arrival, take your time to explore more than 200 religious statues, including an enormous 40-meter-long reclining Buddha.
The best spot for photography here is a 6-meter-high building near the entrance of the park, called the Pumpkin Tower, divided into 3 levels: Hell, Earth and Paradise. On the top of this tower, you will have a great panorama of the entire Xieng Khouane Park. Driving back to hotel.
Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel in Vientiane
Included meal: Breakfast
Day 7. Vientiane – Depart (B)
Breakfast at hotel.
Time at leisure until the transfer to airport for the departure flight.
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Accommodation: Check out time is before 12.00PM
Included meal: Breakfast
Tour Inclusion:
- Transportation with A/C as program
- Accommodation with daily breakfast as program
- Local English speaking guide as program
- Meals as stated in the itinerary
- All sightseeing tickets as program
- Tissues and water on coach
- Boat trip as program (if any)
Tour Exclusion:
- Personal expenses, tips and gratuities (suggest 5 - 7 USD/client/day for tour guide and driver)
- Domestic & international flight tickets (on request)
- Travel insurance, personal insurance
- Beverage
- Laos Visa service ( if any)
- Other services not mentioned above
- International flights & departure taxes (if any)
- Peak season or public holidays surcharge (if any)
