15-Day Laos Adventure: From Northern Highlands to Southern Islands

Breakfast at the hotel, departure for Mouang Sing, former first capital of the principality "LU"

During the journey, stop to visit the villages of different ethnic groups in Ban Lak Khammai, Ban Kolakham, Ban Thin That and finally the city of Muang Sing and its surroundings.

Overnight in Muang Sing.

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning, we will visit Mouang Sing morning market, at the gates of China and Burma, which remains a meeting place where hill tribes come to exchange agricultural products and news. Then ride by minibus and walk in the villages of ethnic minorities: Yao, Akkha, Lanten, located around Muang Sing.

Arrival at the hotel end of the day.

Overnight in Muang Sing

Breakfast at the hotel.

Then, we take the road south to Oudomxay, also a province populated by ethnic minorities. We pass Ban Na Teui, Namor, Ban Tawan, ... who are populated by Lao Houei, Yao, Lanten, Hmong.

Arrival in Muang Xay- capital of the province and transfer to the hotel.

Overnight in Oudomxay

Breakfast at the hotel. Today, we will drive to Mouang Khoua via Muang La.

Muang La is located in the middle of the forest and surrounded by mountains.

Arriving in Mouang Khoua, although it is called Mouang (town), is a village, which is buried in the spectacular landscape of the Nam Ou Valley.

Overnight in Muang Khoua in a local guest-house.

Breakfast at hotel,  this morning you will enjoy a boat trip to Nong Khaiw were we transfer to road transport for the drive to the World Heritage town of Luang Prabang. 

Along the way we visit the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, these caves are an ancient pilgrimage site and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha images left there over hundreds of years. You will visit too Ban Xang Hai village or Whisky village in Luang Prabang 

Arriving in Laung Prabang afternoon we check in to our hotel and your evening is free to explore or relax at your hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

This morning you have the option and opportunity to rise early and participate in the daily morning ritual of Alms Giving, you will experience saffron-clad monks collecting offerings or ‘Alms’ from faithful local residents. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the daily procession.

Today, after breakfast at your hotel we will head off to see some of the highlights of Luang Prabang including a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts from the Royal period in Luang Prabang. We are seeing the city’s oldest temples, the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roof sweeping low to the ground, representing classical Lao architecture, the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Sene

We head out of town to see the weaving villages of Ban Xiengkhong and Ban Xienglek

After relaxing at your hotel to let you lunch settle we will pay a late afternoon visit the Arts and Ethnology Centre to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures. Overnight in Luang PraBang

 You can enjoy a coffee at the center’s café if you chose before our climb to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred gilded stupa and to enjoy the panoramic view of the city and the sun setting over the Mekong River. 

Descanting the mountain your will find yourself in the midst of the famous Luang Prabang Night Market, where you can find a unique selection of handmade textiles and handicrafts locally made by both ethnic Lao and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang

This morning we drive to Khouangsi Waterfall stopping along the way to visit the morning Phousi Market, this where all locals of Luang Prabang come to do their daily shopping.  You will see a variety of local foodstuffs and products including dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, fish, vegetables and fruit, everything needed for daily life in Laos.

On arrival at the Khouangsi Waterfall you will have the opportunity to cool off with a refreshing swim in the topaz pools below the falls, walk along the forest trails and visit the Bear Sanctuary. On the way back to Luang Prabang, a small stop at Ban Tha Pan village to share a moment of life with the Kamu people. Then visit the village of Ban Ou where live Lao Loum, ethnic majority of Laos.

Finally, meet the Hmong people at Ban Na Ouane village. This tribe has its origins in the mountains of southern China. They have an oral tradition, there is no written record of their history except in the writings of people who met them. We will have a short drive to Ban Phanom, a village famous for its hand weaving.

After that you will take the high speed train to Vang Vieng  18h20 – 19h12

Arrival in Vang Vieng. Transfert to your hotel

Overnight in Vang Vieng

We depart Vang Vieng and cross the bridge over the Nam Song River before starting the day by cycling past rice paddies toward the first view point, an excellent place for a few pictures. After this we head off through the karst range of the Nam Song & Vang Vieng. After a short ride we have a steep hike up to Dok Ngern, the Silver Flower Cave. Explore the hidden corridors, filled with an endless array of stalagmites and stalactites!

From here the trail gets a bit rough as we cycle along the narrow valley of the Houay San stream until Pha Deng ‘red cliff’ comes into view on our right. We will stop here for a short break and to take some pictures.

We continue until we arrive in the first village, on the banks of the Nam Kouang River. Here the road heads south and runs alongside the Nam Kouang; we will follow this road until we reach one of the Blue Lagoons. We will take a break here and you will have a chance to relax, swim and take some photos. We then cycle back to Vang Vieng in time for sunset. 

Overnight Vang Vieng

This morning we start the day with a walk around the local market. We board our boat for a relaxing trip on the Nam Song River, exploring the breathtaking mountain landscape and stopping to explore the famous Tham Jang Cave, used in the early 19th century in defense against the Chinese invaders

Afternoon, you will take the Lao High Speed Train to Vientiane 14h45-15h45. Arrival in Vientiane, transfert to your hotel. After that you will visit the main shopping district

Heading for the waterfront your evening is free to enjoy a few drinks watching the sunset over the Mekong River, explore the Night Market and take in some of the city’s nightlife. Overnight in Vientiane

This morning we head out to see the major highlight. You are seeing the major temples of Vientiane including the oldest, Wat Sisaket, with its thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit the national icon of Laos, That Luang Stupa, stopping along the way to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph

Afternoon, we drive south from Vientiane city to see the Buddha Park, an enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures set in parkland on the banks of the Mekong close to the Friendship Bridge. Here we find over 200 religious images dating back some 500 years faithfully recreated by a mysterious Biddhist monk.

Your evening is free to explore the Night Market and sample some local cuisine at one of the many restaurants the town has to offer. Overnight in Vientiane

This morning, transfer to airpot for your flight to Pakse. On arrival at Pakse, we head for the refreshing mountain climate on the Bolevan Plateau.  The area is famous for its many waterfalls and we will visit two of the best, Tad Fan, with it’s impressive twin falls cascading over 100 metres to the valley floor below and Tad Ngeuan, with it’s prisitine pools for taking a refreshing dip and coffee shop and plantation where you can sample some real Lao coffee. 

Along the way you will see the rich soils of the region being cultivated for coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops before we arrive at Tad Lo, home to another scenic waterfall and numerous ethnic minority groups and visit the villages of Alak, Nge, and Katu before before checking in Tad Lo. Overnight in Tad Lo.

After an early breakfast, we head down the montains towards Champasak and the 4000 islands area.  Passing through Pakse town we cross the Mekong River by ferry to visit the fascinating pre-Angkorian ruins of Wat Phu, one of Southeast Asia's most dramatically situated mountain top temples.

We continue our journey by road to Don Khong, the largest island in the South Mekong river region known as the 4000 islands, one of the most scenic areas in Laos. Overnight in Don Khong

After breakfast this morning we board our long tail boat and cruise south through the 4000 islands region to Done Khone. 

After checking in at our hotel we retrace the island’s French colonial-past at Ban Khone with it’s old colonial houses still standing and a glimpse the first Lao railway with its own locomotive. We also visit the beautiful Liphi waterfall, also known as the Samphamith or “Corridor of the Devil”, which forms a natural border between Lao and Cambodia.

Overnight in Don Khong

This morning we board a local boat to Ban Nakasung and take a short drive to the Laos– Cambodia border, stopping along the way to explore the breathtaking Khone Phapheng waterfall, South East Asia’s largest waterfall, also known as the Niagara of the East.

The trip ends after transfer to the Laos-Cambodia border at Veukham or Dong Kalor border crossing