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Luang Prabang - Xiengkhouang - Vientiane - Pakse 10 Days
offered by supplier M18327 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 10
day(s)
Group Size: 10
- 50
people
Destination(s):
Laos
Specialty Categories:
Cultural Journey
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 1700 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 2700 US Dollar (USD)
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Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival - Luang Prabang.
Meet upon arrival, you are welcome to Luang Prabang, the ancient first capital of Lane Xang kingdom, the center of religious life in Laos and today the World Heritage City. Transfer to your hotel for check-in. In the afternoon, we take a sightseeing tour of the sacred city of temples, of which nearly fifty temples still remain in the town and surrounding areas. Visit Wat Mai, Wat Visoun, the 16th century temple served as a small museum for religious artifacts; Wat Aham, the early 19th century temple, whose two guardian figures at the foot of the steps which represent two characters from the Ramayana - Hanuman, the Monkey God and a fierce Yaksa; Wat Xiengthong, the 16th century temple which, more than any temples in Luang Prabang, epitomizes all the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture; Phousi Hill, the 328 steps leads to the summit of Phousi hill that dominates the sky-line of Luang Prabang overlooking the finest panoramic view in the whole Luang Prabang. We explore Street Night Bazaar, where you can find the lovely collection and handmade textile by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 2: Luang Prabang - Pakou - Luang Prabang.
Following breakfast, we depart hotel to the boat landing, and take an excursion (a few hours) by boat, upstream on the Mekong to visit Pak Ou cave in the side of a lime stone cliff and opposite of the mouth of the Mekong and Ou rivers. The sanctuaries at Pak Ou consist of two large caves, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images, which range from mere centimeter to two meters in height. En route, Lao typical villages are barely visible behind a screen of foliage. Slender canoes bobbing by the shore, bamboo poles and floats mark the location of nets and fish traps. Our first stop will be at Ban Xanghai, a well-known village for Lao traditional rice whisky, namely Laoh-Khao to be distilled. We are welcome to taste and also take it away. We have lunch at a riverside restaurant. We arrive back at Luang Prabang in late afternoon, and continue to drive outskirt of town to visit Ban Xangkhong, a well-known village for its wood paper making and also Lao silk weaving with natural dyes.
Day 3: Luang Prabang - Khouangsi Waterfalls.
This morning you may want to wake up early and participate in the daily early morning ritual of saffron-clad monks with their black Alms-giving bowls being given offerings from the local people, including the ubiquitous sticky rice. Breakfast, you will visit the morning Phosi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weaving. After breakfast, we visit the National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign, Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit the Ban Ouay, Hmong Hill tribe, Ban Ou, Lowland Lao and Ban Thapene of Khmu village. Continue driving to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can splash around in the pools or walk along the forest paths, return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon and continue to Ban Phanom, a well known weaving village, return to the city by late evening for observing the sunset at Wat Siphouthabath. Overnight in Luang Prabang. Includes: (B).
Day 4: Luang Prabang - Xiengkhouang (Road).
After breakfast, we are driving overland on up Hill Mountain with splendid natural scenery to Xiengkhouang, where was devastated by American bombing between 1964 and 1973. Upon arrival, we transfer out to visit the Plain of Jars, an impressive archaeological site where hundreds of large stone jars are littered all over the plateau. If time permits, we are seeing the old capital of Muang Khoun [if time permits] and the nearby villages, home to the Hmong hill tribe people. They have an interesting local culture and a colorful history. Overnight in Phonsavanh. Includes: (B), (L), (D).
Day 5: Xiengkhouang.
Breakfast at hotel, we visit Central Market and drive (10 km SE of Phonesavanh) to visit the Plain of Jars, the archaeological stone Jars, which dated back at least 2000 years ago and also continue to visit the Plain of Jars (size 2.3). En-route we visit villages of Hmong minority group, where we can learn more about their housing, living and working conditions which are completely different from others. In the afternoon, we drive to Muang Khoune, the old capital of Xiengkhouang, which was heavily damaged during the war, but there are still some former French settlement and hospital to be seen well as the damaged famous temple of Wat Phia Wat.
Day 6: Xiengkhouang- Vientiane - City Tour.
Breakfast at hotel, before waving good bye to Xiengkhouang, it is also interesting to visit both food and central markets in town. Transfer to airport for departure by QV flight to Vientiane, the city of the moon - an ancient city, situated on the bend on the left bank of the Mekong as the largest city and the capital of Laos. Arrive in Vientiane and transfer to hotel for check-in. In the afternoon, we take a sightseeing tour of Vientiane, to visit religious museums of Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple to have been survived from the Siamese war of 1828 and its cloister contains more than 8000 Buddha statues; Wat Ho Prakeo, the former home-temple of the Emerald Buddha statue or Pra Keo, but today it contains a collection of Buddha statues, antiques and all artifacts found in around Vientiane; That Luang Stupa, the single most important monument in Laos, which was built to cover the original small stupa containing a piece of the chest bone of Buddha; Patouxay (Arch de Triumph), built quite recently in commemoration of those who died during the wars in the past and it is today as the land-mark of Vientiane. By late afternoon observing sunset by Mekong. Overnight in Vientiane. Includes: (B).
Day 7: Vientiane - Pakse - Khong (Flight).
Early morning transfer to the airport for short flight to Pakse we take a short drive to the boat landing, and ride about 1 hours downstream on the Mekong river, through beautiful scenery with mountains range and also local villages along the Mekong valleys to Champasack, the nearest town to the fantastic archaeological sight of Wat Phou. Arrive in Champasack, continue by car about 15mn drive to visit Wat Phou, a site of ancient religious significance in one of the most spectacular regions of Laos. Lunch is served at local restaurant in Champasack. Continue by car about 2hrs drive to get to Khong Island, the 4.000 Islands, where the Mekong reaches up to 14km wide during the rainy season. Don Khong is the largest of the Mekong Islands at 16 km long and 8 km wide and its capital is Muang Khong, a small former French settlement. We take a small ferry boat to cross to Khong Island and check-in at hotel.
Day 8: Khong Island - Surrounding (Boat).
Today, we enjoy a cruise venturing into the widest reach of the Mekong River from where thousands of islets jut out in dry season, giving this area a lovely name "Siphandon." Along the way, we stop at the Liphi waterfalls and the fisherman village of Ban Khone. On return, we take a short drive to the Lao-Cambodia border at Weukham and the sight of Khone Phapheng, which both South East Asia's biggest waterfalls. Overnight in Khong Island. Includes: (B).
Day 9: Khong Island - Tad fan - Pakse.
Breakfast and return to Pakse on the way we stop to visit Khonephapheng, the most impressive Mekong waterfall in Laos and it is reputed as the biggest waterfall in Southeast Asia and the widest one in the world. And continue Tad Fan, through Bolaven plateau where famous tea and coffee plantation and other lush vegetation and red surface of basaltic soil are incredible all along the way. En route, there are some opportunities to explore a part of Bolaven plateau and return to Pakse by late evening. Overnight in Pakse.
Day 10: Pakse - Departure.
After breakfast, there is free time for your own exploration of Pakse Town before catching either flight to Siem Reap-Cambodia or overland exit the Chongmek International checkpoint to Ubon Ratsathani Thailand. Includes: (B).
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
Laos
Cultural Journey
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