Laos in style

Upon arrival in Luang Prabang you will be greeted by our tourguide and driver then be transfer to the hotel, check in, the rest of the day is at leisure.

This morning you depart Luang Prabang and drive for around 1 ½ hours north to the village of Ban Don Ngurn. You then board your private boat for a cruise down the beautiful Nam Ou River. Along the way you pass by stunning limestone karst scenery before stopping for a delicious picnic hamper (wine included), organized by one of Luang Prabangs best restaurants. You’ll enjoy lunch on the banks of the Nam Ou with fantastic views.

In the afternoon you continue your cruise with a stop at Ban Vanglae, a Lu tribe village where traditional weaving and dyeing takes place. You continue by boat before reaching the Mekong River where there is time to visit the sacred Pak Ou Caves crammed with thousands of Buddha images. Continue your cruise down to Luang Prabang arriving there by early evening.

The day starts with an introductory tour of the Shangri Lao elephant camp where your guide will teach you about elephants. You can talk with the veterinarian, feed the elephants and relax by the riverside.

Your morning expedition begins with an elephant ride through diverse landscape. After crossing the river, the trail enters jungle and then teak forest over the hills to the beautiful Tad Sae Waterfall. Along the way you can stop to see the amazing scenery of the Nam Khan River Valley. There is chance to rest at the Tad Sae Waterfall and enjoy this beautiful place with its fantastic limestone formations and turquoise blue pools in the forest. The Huay Sae stream ends here falling over several cascades into the Nam Khan River so you have the option to swim in the natural pools.

Down at the Nam Khan River, a luxury bamboo raft awaits with a typical Lao lunch on board, relax and watch the traditional village life of farmers and fishermen along the river as you enjoy lunch. On arrival at the Shangri Lao camp your guide with transfer you back to your hotel.

This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your short flight to Vientiane. On arrival, you will be met by your guide and driver and begin a short city tour. The tour begin’s with a visit to the oldest wat in Vientiane, Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Brakeo, which now serves as a museum of arts and antiques. You then travel up Lanexang Avenue where you will have the opportunity to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxai Monument, which resembles its Parisian inspiration, the Arc de Triomphe. The climb to the top offers great views over Vientiane. Following lunch, you participate in a traditional ‘Baci Ceremony’. This tradition is very important for Lao people before major events such as weddings, births, travel or when welcoming friends, to bring good luck.

In the afternoon the final visit of the day will be to the excellent COPE exhibition centre, highlighting a much overlooked aspect of Laos and a major problem many of the local people face on a day to day basis in the form of unexploded ordnance as a result of heavy bombing campaigns during the Vietnam War area.

You will be transferred to the airport early this morning, for an express check in, onto your flight to Pakse. Upon arrival in Pakse you will be driven a short distance to the boat pier, where you will board a private traditional boat for a 2 hour cruise to Champassak. On arrival in Champassak there is chance to visit Wat Phou, an ancient Khmer religious complex dating back to the 5th Century. This dramatically sited temple is one of the highlights of any trip to Laos. After stopping to visit Wat Phou the boat will take you across to Don Daeng Island, in time for lunch. You’ll have the rest of the day to relax, or explore this peaceful island. Your accommodation for the next 3 nights is at La Folie Lodge where you can either stay in one of their delightful rooms or in a beautiful private villa, overlooking the Mekong River.

Today you can enjoy a whole day at leisure, relax by the pool or hire bicycles to explore the island and its enchanting little villages.

Depending on your departure flight, you may have free time at leisure, before crossing back to the mainland by boat, then onto Pakse for your departure flight.