Inside Laos

- 15 Days

Laos Tours - great for culture

Tour Highlights

  • Visit the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas
  • Soak up the atmosphere of faded colonial French architecture
  • Fly over the most scenic mountain scenery in Asia
  • Visit Wat Phou and soak up the atmosphere of the temple ruins
  • Take a boat journey to the Khone Phapheng falls

Experience the quiet charms of the ‘Kingdom of a Million Elephants’ on this in-depth journey. Your adventure begins in the heart of the Golden Triangle, in Thailand’s Chiang Rai. From here we travel down the Mekong River by wooden barge into Laos. Spend the night in a remote but comfortable ecolodge, visit a sacred cave and explore the temples of Luang Prabang. The cryptic Plain of Jars will stir your imagination, while the rustic charm of the capital, Vientiane, will captivate. In the far south, get off the main tourist route and witness the breathtaking beauty of the Bolaven Plateau and the stunning 4,000 Islands. An above average level of fitness is required.

Included: 14 night tour with accommodation, (3 nights basic), with breakfast, 3 lunches and 2 dinners. Flights as specified, all road transport by air conditioned vehicles, all sightseeing as specified (excluding entrance fees), Western tour leader (7 or more travelers) and local English-speaking guides throughout, arrival and departure transfers.

Not Included: International flights. For additional expenses see trip details.

Accommodation: Wiang Inn Hotel - Chiang. Pakbeng Lodge - Pakbeng. Kamu Lodge - Kamu. Sala Prabang Hotel - Luang Prabang. Vansana Hotel Plain of Jars - Phonsavan. Novotel Hotel - Vientiane. Tad Fane Resort - Bolaven Plateau. Auberge Sala Done Khong - Khong Island. Pakse Hotel - Pakse. Silom Serene Hotel - Bangkok.

This has been the best ever experience. I am now officially in love with Indochina – thanks to this tour.

Mr P.Samm

Prices:

Please call for 2009 prices.

Prices based on twinshare.

Full Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai in the Golden Triangle, easily accessible by plane from Bangkok, is the starting point for our journey into Laos. Meet your tour leader at evening welcome drinks and receive your tour briefing for tomorrow’s departure for the ‘Land of a Million Elephants’.
Stay 1 night: Wiang Inn Hotel

Day 2-4: Mekong Adventure

We travel by boat down the incredible Mekong to atmospheric Pakbeng. On the way we stop at remote hill tribe villages, allowing us to learn something of Laos’s fascinating minorities. At a Kamu eco-resort stay in unique lodgings, mingle with villagers and go panning for gold and fishing. On our approach to Luang Prabang we visit the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas, then glide into the former capital of the great ‘Lane Xang’ kingdom.
Stay 1 night: Pakbeng Lodge
Stay 1 night: Kamu Lodge

Day 5-7: Luang Prabang

With its mountainous backdrop and riverside setting, Luang Prabang has a unique and special charm. Visit golden wats and monasteries and soak up the atmosphere of faded colonial French architecture. We visit the beautiful Kuang Si falls, take part in a fun cooking class, then get to know enchanting Luang Prabang in depth. You will have ample free time to explore the wealth of interesting architecture, shop at delightful handicraft outlets or feast at the famous patisseries.
Stay 3 nights: Sala Prabang

Day 8-9: The Plain Of Jars & Vientiane

We fly to the Plain of Jars over some of the most scenic mountain scenery in Asia. Here we explore the origins of mysterious stone jars, as well as remnants from the Indochina wars. In Vientiane – Asia’s most laid-back capital – visit golden That Luang, the remarkable Wat Sisaket and the Laotian equivalent of the Arc de Triomphe, the Patuxai monument.
Stay 1 night: Vansana Hotel Plain of Jars
Stay 2 nights: Novotel Hotel

Day 10-11: Bolaven Plateau & Wat Phou

We fly to Pakse, the main town in the south and populated largely by industrious Vietnamese. We move on to explore coffee plantations and hill tribe villages in the cooler climes of the Bolaven Plateau, home of the Laven minority. Our lodge overlooks the imposing Tad Fane falls and is surrounded by a wild coffee plantation. At Wat Phou near Champasak we soak up the atmosphere of the pre-Angkorian temple ruins, one of Asia’s most significant historic sites, before continuing on to Khong Island.
Stay 1 night: Tad Fane Resort

Day 12-13: Khong Island and the 4,000 Islands

Explore Khong Island, one of the 4,000 islands in this wide stretch of the mighty Mekong. Take in idyllic island surrounds before a boat journey to an old French railway and Khone Phapheng falls, the largest on the Mekong. If luck is on our side, we might catch a glimpse of the remarkable freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin before returning to Khong Island and our lodge for the night.
Stay 2 nights: Auberge Sala Done Khong

Day 14-15: Preah Vihear Temple and return to Bangkok

We bid farewell to the ‘Land of a Million Elephants’ with a short elephant trek and a crossing into Thailand. Before returning to the Thai capital we make a side trip to an imposing Khmer temple, Preah Vihear, straddling the Cambodian border. Enjoy a farewell dinner in Bangkok and on day 15, transfer to the airport for your onward travels.
Stay 1 night: Pakse Hotel
Stay 1 night: Silom Serene Hotel