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Laos in-depth 13 Days

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Hanoi Voyages > Panorama > Laos in-depth 13 Days
HIGHLIGHTS

Experience the ancient religious capital

Luang Prabang is where Buddhism can be seen all around you. Monks are walking barefoot and lots of old temples are found around the town.

Discover nature and unwind yourself

Get close to nature and the beautiful waterfall Khuang Sy and visit ethnic people in minority villages just outside Luang Prabang. Cruise down the Mekong River in a traditional wooden boat, while you experience the small hidden villages that are located next to the river. On Khong Island, times stand still. Take a bicycle inland to see the paddy fields and temples while relaxing in a place with few tourists.

Discover the capital

Take a walk around Vientiane and discover the capital, which is home to the most significant national monuments in Laos. Walk through coffee and tea plantations in the Bolovens Plateau, as well as finding stunning waterfalls that strew along the roads.

ITINERARY

Day 1Luang Prabang - Arrival

  • A Hanoi Voyages representative will welcome you when you arrive at the airport and transfer you to your arranged accommodation where check-in time is 2:00 pm.

  • Let the excitement commence!

Highlight experience: Traditional Lao food

Day 2Luang Prabang - Highlights

Uncover the ancient religious capital of Laos, and be surprised by its serenity and spirituality by tuk tuk:

  • Experience unforgettable moments by attending the procession of barefoot monks, who silently collect alms, dressed in their saffron robes, as they walk the streets of the city to collect their food.
  • Marvel at the Wat Xieng Thong, is the center of a small religious complex, considered the most beautiful Buddhist temple in Luang Prabang because of its elegant roof down to the bunk ground  and the temple of Wat Visoun, the oldest temple in Luang Prabang, it houses numerous gold statues of Buddha.
  • Meander through the That Makmo, stone stupa and Vat Aham, a major shrines in the city dedicated to the ancestors of Laos.
  • Explore the National Museum (former Royal Palace) which displays a collection of personal artifacts of the royal family and the temple of Wat Mai, Buddhist temple, the largest and most richly decorated temples of Luang Prabang was the residence of a Buddhist patriarch before 1975.
  • Stroll into the market before Darat to climb Mount Phousi where you will discover a panoramic view of the ancient royal capital and the Mekong River at sunset.
  • Attend an outstanding Baci ceremony and traditional dance show.

Overnight at hotel in Luang Prabang.

Highlight experience: Panoramic view from the Mountain of Phousi

Day 3Luang Prabang - Khuang Sy waterfall - Ethnic minority villages

Departure to the beautiful waterfall Khuang Sy to discover stunning nature and meet ethnic people in their traditional house made of bamboo, wood and palm leaves:

  • En route, visit minority villages such as H’mong village of Ban Thinkeo and Khmu village of Ban Thapaene.
    Visit the weaving village of Ban Xang Khong where traditional product also called Saa paper made from mulberry leaves.
  • Swim in a natural pools nested in the lush tropical vegetation at Khuang Sy waterfall.
  • See Ock Pop Tok Textile and meet the owner, he will explain his Cooperation in projects with small villages with regard to the rearing of silkworms, the silk production, weaving, dyes. Laos silk: SILK WILD 100% scale.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Highlight experience: Visit the ethnic minority village

Day 4Luang Prabang - CRUISE - KAMU LODGE - Luang Prabang

Explore a lively riverside scenery, set on the banks of the Mekong River on board a traditional wooden boat.

  • Visit two sacred caves of Pak Ou Cave of Tham Ting Cave Tham Phoum. Highly venerated caves in Laos and housing thousands of statues. The caves offer a magnificent view over the Mekong, which in this place mixes its waters with those dark, transparent Nam Ou river.
  • Up Kamu Lodge, keep cruising for about 1 hour 30 through landscapes of great beauty. A wilderness where the rainforest invaded the shores.
  • Embark on Kamu Lodge, an eco-lodge in the heart of the Laotian countryside, on an exceptional site, in total harmony with nature.
  • Participate in activities (optional) such as planting rice, gold panning and fishing in the Mekong and visit the village inhabited by the ethnic “Kamu” to experience its origin and authenticity.

Overnight in Kamu Lodge.

Highlight experience: Participate in local life of Kamu Lodge

Day 5Kamu Lodge - Luang Prabang

  • Return to Luang Prabang by boat after a relaxing morning
  • Stroll street in Luang Prabang at your free time
  • Settle into a flight from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. Arrive and be welcomed by our guide and be transferred to your arranged accommodation.

Overnight at hotel in Vientiane

Highlight experience: Personal welcome dinner by Hanoi Voyages representative in Lao

Day 6Luang Prabang - Ban Phanom - Tomb of Henri Mouhot - Tad Sae Waterfall

Departure for the village of Ban Phanom: Small village weavers, charming and famous for its weaving methods which are based on typical motifs Laos ancestral knowledge and often unique to each family.

  • Continue to reach the tomb of Henry Mouhot, this young explorer Franche-Comte in 1858 which set out alone to explore the banks of the Mekong. He rediscovered Angkor, it was the first to reveal to the world before dying exhausted to Luang Prabang in 1861 at age 33.
  • Here on the banks of the Nam Khan River, you will be able to swim in the fresh water coming down from the mountains. Continue heading north to the village of Ban Nonsavat to access the Tiger Trail Elephant Camp & Adventure Camp, which aims to conserve Asian elephants.
  • Get a cool off at the waterfalls of Tad Sae before returning to Luang Prabang.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Highlight experience: Swim in Nam Khan River

Day 7Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng

  • Departure for the town of Vang Vieng, appealing in its natural karst formations sugarloaf.
  • A 170 kms from Vientiane, a beautiful road surrounded by rice fields and mountains.
  • Stop in a village and visit a tea plantation.
  • Approach Vang Vieng, boarding on the Nam Song River to reach the hotel.

Overnight in Vang Vieng

Highlight experience: Vang Vieng off-the-beaten-track discovery

Day 8Vang Vieng - Vientiane

  • In the morning visit the local market and discovering the triangle rock caves of Tham Sang.
  • Cave elephant called Tham Sang, the Tham Hoi, the Tham Loup, and Tham Nam.
    Stop at the historic site of Vang Xang.
  • Transfer to Vientiane, with a scheduled stop on route to visit a village.
  • Arrive in the capital in the late afternoon, relax at the hotel or stroll on Khua Din market spending time to settle at a sidewalk cafe to watch the banks of the Mekong golden brown.

Highlight experience: Grab a coffee beside the banks of Mekong River

Day 9 Vientiane - Highlights on tuk tuk

Marvel at the main attractions of the capital city such as temples and monuments:

  • Vat Sisaket is the only temple in Vientiane that has not been destroyed by the Siamese in the raid of incendiary 1828.
  • Phrakeo Ho, the former royal chapel where was kept the Emerald Buddha, the palladium of the Kingdom of Lane Xang.
  • Patouxay, the triumphal arch built in 1959 is a large golden stupa of That Luang, founded by King Setthathirath in 1566 and symbol of Lao sovereignty and Buddhist religion. It is supposed to contain a hair of Buddha.
  • Temple Wat Si Muang, the most visited temple in Vientiane, is considered the seat of the guardian spirit of the city.
  • Relax in the monastery of Wat Sokpaluang to assess in a quiet steam bath and massage. Amidst a large park, a hut on stilts as a steam room. A large outdoor heated pot a decoction of herbs and aromatic plants and, through a pipe system, steam is circulated in the steam room.
  • Enjoy dinner with the folk dance show.

Overnight in Vientiane

Highlight experience: Steam bath and massage spa in Wat Sokpaluang

Day 10Vientiane - Thakkek - Savanakhet

Get your trekking boots on and hike to the mountain area and swim in the jungle.

  • Transfer to Bach Ma National park and stop on on the way at An Bang Village, known as the City of Ghosts. A graveyard where villages compete to build increasingly lavish and elaborate tombs for their ancestors. Admire the colorful and stunning architecture before getting back on the road.
  • Visit Bach Ma’s Information Center to learn about the ecological system of the national park before driving up to the mountain and check inn at your hotel.
  • Trek along the trails to Ngu Ho (Five Lakes), relax and swim in the jungle.
  • Enjoy a picnic lunch in the jungle and trek through the forest to the stunning Rhododendron waterfalls.
  • In the evening, join the campfire and discover the sounds of Mother Nature by night.

Highlight experience: Trek along a pristine waterfall trail

Day 11Savanakhet - Boloven plateau - Ethnic villages

Watch the beautiful scenery in Central Vietnam counting sunrise and stunning nature at the Hai Van Pass.

  • Get up early to walk to Back Ma Summit, located 1.450m above sea level to enjoy a spectacular sunrise and panorama view of the Tam Giang Lagoon and Lang Co Beach.
  • Explore a tunnel constructed during the Vietnam War for hiding before attacking US helicopters at the peak of Bach Ma.
  • Stop at the top of the Hai Van Pass to get a breathtaking view of a mix between the jungle and ocean. The perfect place for a highlight picture of your tour around Vietnam.

Highlight experience: Stunning sunset and panorama over lagoons and beaches.

Day 12Pakse - Wat Phou - Khong Island

Cruise on the Mekong river to local Champasak, the former capital of the Kingdom of Champasak to explore its rich cultural heritage includes ancient temple ruins, French colonial architecture and its stunning nature:

  • Visit Vat Phou temple, the temple of the mountain and a former Khmer ruins sacred place of the 9th century, heritage site by UNESCO in 2001.
  • Plunge into the wonderful peaceful landscape of the “4000 islands”.

Overnight in Khong island.

Highlight experience: Vat Phou temple discovery

Day 13Khong Island - Highlights - Departure

Delve into the 4000 island, explore the lives of its inhabitants from hectic industry to peaceful contemplation and observe the French colonial style architecture.

  • Discover the village of Bang Khong to see the Wat Keo Phouang protected by seven head of Naga.
  • Stroll local market where palm sugar is traded enormously.
  • Pursuit to Khone island, which preserves old colonial mansions of the French period.
  • Feel the pray of the two waterfalls: Li Phi falls, “Phantom of the abyss” and Phapheng the spectacular waterfalls, the largest in Southeast Asia.
  • Point out river dolphins if lucky enough.

Return to Pakse and enjoy your free time until your transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Highlight experience: Li Phi falls and Phapheng falls exploration

What makes our tailor-made holidays different?

  • Unique activities and places
  • Itinerary crafted by you, and us, local experts
  • Hand-picked authentic experiences
  • Well-selected accommodation with spirit
  • Adjusted to your budget and your time
  • Private assistant and English speaking guides

Entrust us with your dream

Together we will create it

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EXTENSION

BEACH BREAK - SIHANOUKVILLE
Mandalay - Bagan - Cruise
BANGKOK DISCOVERY - THAILAND

Lounge on the beach and let the sand kiss your toes!
Sure, Sihanoukville (ក្រុងព្រះសីហនុ) would never win first prize in a pretty-town competition. But despite the rapid and mostly unwanted development, it has remained the jumping-off point for the best of Cambodia’s white-sand beaches and castaway-cool southern islands!

Day 1 – ARRIVE IN SIHANOUKVILLE Ready your senses for something truly exceptional? Sihanoukville is worth the wait. This destination is the perfect tropical paradise for your getaway. Wide boulevards and white sandy beaches signal relaxation and happiness, the Ochheuteal and Serendipity beach is an attractive seaside stopover.

Day 2 – TREKKING – WATERFALLS The Kbal Chhay Waterfalls are a tiered, 14-metre drop in the middle of extensive forests, with loads of food stalls, picnic spots, hammocks and local shops selling all manner of useless stuff to help you while away a very relaxing few hours in between splashes.

Day 3 – DIVING OR SNORKELLING The best time of year to go diving or snorkelling in and around Sihanoukville is December to April when the dry season and currents mean that visibility is at its best. On the other hand, while conditions might be less ideal in quiet months you’ll get more of that ocean all to yourself. Cambodia does offer some of the cheapest scuba-diving in the region in some of the least crowded waters.

DAY 1. MANDALAY – SAGAING & AVA
Board the luxurious cruise on the riverside of Mandalay. Today you will head to Sagaing and the former royal capital of Ava.

DAY 2. AVA – YANDERBO The cruise will continue to the village, Yanderbo. You can explore the village on foot while looking at the techniques and skills to produce a variety of pots. Try making one of your own. The evening has an open air cinema under the stars on the sun deck showing classic movies.
DAY 3. PAKOKKU – BAGAN  The stop of today is the old trading town on the western riverbank of the Ayeyarwady, Pakkoku. Right before arrival, you will see the longest bridge in Myanmar. This town is known for its small industries like Cherrot-rolling factory and producer of flip-flops.

Pakokku is also well known for the production of tobacco, so if you look for buying Burmese cigars, this is the place. In the afternoon you reach Bagan, the city with over 2.000 temples, stupas and pagodas, where you will visit the most remarkable once.
DAY 4. BAGAN The morning starts at the Nyaung-U market, which is a Burmese market where everything is offered. After the market, you visit the revered Shwezigon Pagoda and stop at a lacquerware workshop, which is a must-see of long-standing, fascinating craftsmanship. In the afternoon you can see an exploration of Myinkaba Village, where the Manuha Pagoda from 1059 is located.
DAY 5. BAGAN Enjoy a last breakfast on board before your cruise ends and your journey on the land of Ancient Capitals is over or can be continued with one of our other extensions offered.




 

BANGKOK – A vibrant city / 3 days 2 nights
Spice your holidays by stepping in a vibrant city, mixing modernity and spirituality. Stroll around golden temples and palaces. Get a shopping session through all of the markets of the city, and end your trip experiencing the Thai lifestyle for three days.
Day 1 – BANGKOK – ARRIVAL Spice your holidays and step into the vibrant city of Bangkok. After a short flight from Phnom Penh, settle in your hotel and start your Thai adventure. Relax and enjoy the amenities of your hotel before having dinner on the rooftop of one of Bangkok’s skyscrapers.

Day 2 – BANGKOK – HIGHLIGHTS After breakfast, visit the highlights of the city such as the Grand Royal Palace complex which includes the Royal Palace and the magnificent Wat Phra Kaew (known for the Statue of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Pho, a giant house of the lying Buddha or the Beautiful part of the Khlong with a mix of old wooden houses and new modern mansion. In the evening enjoy a drink on the rooftop of a bar and have a taste of Bangkok’s nightlife.
Day 3 – BANGKOK – MARKETS
After breakfast, relish the taste of the local snack and photograph the Maeklong railway market, slow down on the waterway to the picturesque floating market of Damnoen Saduak and experience the vibrancy of Bangkok daily routine.


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Handpicking tea in Vietnam

TRAVEL NOTE

TIME TO VISIT LAOS

HIGHLAND

Oct - Jan
Oct - Jan
”Jan
May - Oct
Temperatures in the mountains of Xieng Khuang may plummet to 0°C
10°C (50°F)
The “green season” (rain season) in Laos enjoys a mild shower quickly
following by bright sunshine and lush greenery between
flowing waterfalls and flourishing wildlife
31°C (86°F)
more rainfall in the highland of Laos
30°C (86°F)

LOWLAND

Oct - Jan
Oct - Jan
Jan - May
May - Oct
The lowest temperatures of the lowland
20°C (68°F)
The highest temperatures occur in the humid, low lying regions of the
Mekong River Valley during March and April
38°C (100°F)
Daytime temperatures during the rainy season average
30°C (86°F)

More information on best time to visit Laos here

PHYSICAL LEVEL

Cycling Tour:
Level:
This is a middle-level Cycling Tour, appropriate for kids over 6 years old
Kayaking Tour:
Level:
This is a low-level Kayaking Tour, appropriate for kids over 6 years old.

PASSPORT AND VISA

You can get the visa on arrival in Laos at all entry points to Laos. At the airport in Luang Prabang and Passé or Wattay (Vientiane) or any land border crossings.

  • You will get a single entry tourist visa which allows a stay up to 30 days
  • Your passport must be valid 6 months after the expected date of your departure from the country
  • You will need your passport, a completed form, two passport-size photos (4×6 cm), and around USD 30
  • When you arrive, please go straight to the window marked visa on arrival. It should be at the arrival channel.

For more information regarding visa for Laos, refer to this page.

WHAT TO PACK

To make sure you will enjoy all of the activities included in this trip without missing of anything, here is a short list of what you should bring with you:
– Trekking shoes (or running shoes)
– Sunscreen
– Sunglasses
– A raincoat
– Insect repellant

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Trip to Viet Nam
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Highly recommended
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Thanks to Hanoi Voyages and especially to Mrs Thuy who was so kind with my group of 10 people. I organized the route and they prepared and contracted everything for us. If I ever come back to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar or Thailand I’ll deal with them again.

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