Richness & Splendors of Laos - 10 Days / 9 Nights

Day 1 - Arrive Luang Prabang

Welcome to Luang Prabang, the cultural and spiritual heart of Laos. Orientate yourself with a guided walk through the city and a climb to Mount Phousi at dusk to enjoy the panoramic views. As darkness approaches, join the hundreads of tourists and locals who search the stalls of the night market for unique hill tribe handicrafts.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 2 - Luang Prabang (B)

After your breakfast, visit the understated Royal Palace, which is now the National Museum to unlock some of the secrets of Luang Prabang's past. Continue along through the city's brilliant temples and tree-lined avenues. Explore the rich diversity of Laos with a tour of the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre before finishing up your day with sunset at Wat Chompet.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 3 - Luang Prabang - Kuang Si Waterfall - Luang Prabang (B,L)

A visit to the morning market starts your day where you will buy local ingredients for your Lao Cooking Class. A hands-on experience, your professional chef will guide you through the creation of some of Laos' best cuisine. After a delicious lunch of your own dishes, travel through the countryside, dotted with ethnic minority villages, to the Kuang Sii waterfalls. Should you wish, enjoy a swim in the refreshing waters or a take a short walk to the top of the falls.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 4 - Luang Prabang - Pak Ou - Kamu Lodge (B,L,D)

Should you wish, take an early morning to witness the long lines of orange-robed monks leaving their pagodas to receive offerings of food from Luang Prabang residents. After breakfast, travel by boat along the Mekong River to the Kamu Lodge, a unique ecolodge where guests can experience the rural life of the Laos people. En route, stop at the Pak Ou caves. Here you will find thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues crammed into caves carved out of a towering limestone cliff.

Overnight at Kamu Lodge.

Day 5 - Kamu Lodge - Luang Prabang - Vientiane (B)

Spend the morning at the Lodge, perhaps trying your hand at planting rice, fishing, or panning for gold. Return by water in the afternoon to Luang Prabang. Visit the Heritage Information Center where an interactive tour will provide valuable insight in to the preservation and conservation going on in the city. Visit a weaving village to watch traditional Lao textiles being created before your short flight to Vientiane, the capital city.

Overnight in Vientiane.

Day 6 - Vientiane (B)

After breakfast, embark on a full days' city tour to discover the wonders of this quiet capital city. Situated on the banks of the Mekong River, the various wats and monuments of city are complemented by beautiful tree-line boulevards and French Colonial Architecture. From the golden stupa of That Luang to the unusual Patuxay monument, you will uncover the beauty of Vientiane.

Overnight in Vientiane

Day 7 - Vientiane - Pakse - Bolovens - Pakse (B)

Fly south to the town of Pakse, the most important town in Southern Laos. Pakse is an interesting small town with some colonial and Chinese buildings and a huge local market. But the highlight of the area is the Bolovens Plateau where you will visit towering waterfalls, lush tea and coffee plantations, and cool, fresh mountain air. Return to Pakse in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Pakse

Day 8 - Pakse - Wat Phou - Elephant Ride - Khong Island (B)

Travel south to the enigmatic Wat Phou, a Pre-Angkorian temple which is terraced in to three levels and set amongst rice fields. Continue to a small Lao village where you will get the chance to travel on through the jungle on one of the region's most spectacular animals, the Asian Elephant. Travel on through the wetland and forests to reach Khong Island, part of Laos' 4000 islands. Here, the spectacular scenery and laid-back locals will leave you with a true sense of serenity.

Overnight in Khong Island

Day 9 - Khong Island - Siphandon - Pakse (B)

Travel by local boat through the 4000 Islands region, witnessing local fishermen, stunning waterfalls, palm-fringed villages, and bamboo forests along the way. As you approach the Cambodian border, stop at Khone waterfalls, the only section of the Mekong that is not navigable by boat. Return to the exotic evening market in Pakse for your last night in this special region of Laos.

Overnight in Pakse.

Day 10 - Pakse - Departure (B)

After breakfast transfer either to the Thai border or to the airport for your onward flight.