Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. When you fly in you will see the green from the country around you, and you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. After lunch, take a guided walking tour to That Stupa national monument, the National Museum, Wat Sisaket - the oldest temple in Vientiane – and the Ho Phra art museum.
Day 2: In the morning, visit a humanitarian project which works with children living on the streets, to understand about the issues facing the poorest people in the city and appreciate what is being done to help them. They also have a training restaurant where you can have lunch. In the afternoon, walk to the independence monument (which looks very much like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris but without the traffic!), where you can climb the steps to the top and see the view over the city.
Day 3: This morning you will drive to Vang Vieng, famed for its intricate network of limestone caves. There will be several stops on the way to see some Buddhas carved out of rocks in the forest, and one of the minority villages. A packed lunch is included. We will spend some time exploring the caves before continuing to our peaceful guesthouse on the outskirts of town, away from the tourist hordes.
Day 4: A beautiful drive to Phonesavan, the site of the Plain of Jars, travelling through the mountains. On the way, stop at a cave that was used as a hospital during the time the Americans were fighting the Vietnamese – Laos, although neutral, was bombed repeatedly during this time and suffered many casualties.
Day 5: Visit the market in the morning, to see all the fruit and vegetables available (and maybe even try a few) Continue to visit some of the Jar sites - covering an area of around 50km, with jars of up to 3 meters high, they continue to baffle historians. Recent theory is that they are funeral urns – the larger the jar, the more important the person – but other historical artifacts found in the area have brought the experts no closer to understanding the
civilization that created them.
Day 6: Travel to Luang Prabang. This is a very scenic trip - driving through many mountains, and you can stop to see the tea plantations. Also you will probably see many different kind of ethnic groups walking besides the road. On arrival, it will be possible to go for a traditional Laos massage, before visiting the night market – an opportunity to buy some beautiful locally-made items at very reasonable prices.
Day 7: Take a boat trip up the Mekong River to the famous caves of Pak Ou - housing thousands of retired Buddha statues. We will have a packed lunch here (included) overlooking the river. In the afternoon, visit the Kwang Xi
Waterfall, where you can have a swim surrounded by jungle.
Day 8: In the morning, visit the Royal Palace museum for a guided tour to learn about the history of the Royal Family. After lunch, transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
From GB £735 per person for a private trip for two people.
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
Laos
Local Culture
Cultural Journey
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