LAOS
ITINERARY IN BRIEF
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN LUANG PRABANG
DAY 2: LUANG PRABANG - PAK OU - LUANG PRABANG
DAY 3: LUANG PRABANG - KUANGSI WATERFALLS
DAY 4: LUANG PRABANG - PAKSE flight - TADLO
DAY 5: TAD LO - WAT PHOU - KHONG ISLAND
DAY 6: KHONG ISLAND - KHONE ISLAND - CHAMPASAK
DAY 7: CHAMPASAK - PAKSE - DEPARTURE
DAY 1 - LUANG PRABANG
Once you arrive you will be welcomed and accompanied to your hotel. Overnight stay in Luang Prabang.
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OPTIONAL - BACI CEREMONY:
In the late afternoon you will be accompanied to a local house to take part in the Basi ceremony. Basi is an ancient ritual that derives from animism and which is celebrated to hunt evil spirits and propitiate luck, often held by the village leaders or by real shamans. The ritual is celebrated in an authentic and traditional way and it ends with the custom of tying white cotton bracelets on the wrists as a symbol of protection. Laotians believe that a human being is a union of thirty-two organs, each has a spirit or Khuan (the Laotian word for spirit) to protect them. These spirits often wander out of the body causing an imbalance of the soul which could lead to illness. The binding of the white cotton bracelet on the wrist represents the binding of the 32 spirits to the body, bringing them back into harmony and bringing luck and prosperity.
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DAY 2 - PAK OU
On this day, immediately after breakfast, you will visit Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of the Million Elephants Kingdom, this wonderful town has been for centuries one of the largest Buddhist centers in the region. Becoming a UNESCO heritage site in 1995, Luang Prabang still maintains its timeless atmosphere among its spectacular temples and beautiful French colonial-style buildings. You will begin your city tour with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, where you will immerse yourself in the everyday life of the last Royal families who ruled Laos before the Phatet Lao took power. Then we will visit the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its particular roof which is an example of the typical classic architecture of the Lanexang style. Today you will also visit the beautiful Wat Mai and the stupa of Wat Visoun, immediately afterwards you will go to the Arts and Ethnology Center to better understand which ethnic minorities populate Laos and what their customs and traditions are. After lunch you will board a boat for a wonderful cruise on the Mekong River in the direction of the Pak Ou Caves, the two caves joined by a path in the forest, with the particularity of preserving thousands of golden statuettes of various shapes and sizes, representing the Buddha; these statuettes were left here by the faithful on pilgrimage from the 14th century onwards. On the way back we will stop at the village of Ban Muangkeo, famous for its textile works and the production of rice whiskey. Overnight stay in Luang Prabang.
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DAY 3 - KUANG SI WATERFALLS
On this day, after breakfast you will leave by car for the Living Lands Farm, where you will meet the farmer who will explain the various processes of harvesting and producing rice. You will be invited to interact and experience each phase of the rice harvest, learning how the rice is traditionally grown in a very interactive way. The tour ends with a tasting of traditional rice-based foods. You will be able to further appreciate rice and admire the people of Laos who to this day continue to harvest rice without modern machinery. In the afternoon you will go to the spectacular and famous Kuang Si waterfalls where you can cool off with a pleasant swim in one of the many natural pools of crystal clear water or take a walk along the paths of the forest that surrounds the waterfalls. Near the waterfall it is also possible to visit the Bear Rescue Center, an organization that protects a particular specimen of Asian bear. Before returning to the city you will stop at the Butterfly Park where you can admire splendid specimens of butterflies. Overnight stay Luang Prabang.
OPTIONAL - PETANQUE AND DINNER IN LOCAL RESTAURANT:
In Laos it is called Petanque, and actually it is a game of bowls very popular among Laotians that represents a unique and fun way to get in touch with the local people in an authentic and fun way. After a few games and having a few beers with the locals, we will go to a local restaurant called "SinDat", most commonly a Lao BBQ very popular with locals in an area out of the tourist circuit.
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DAY 4 - PAKSE
On this day, after breakfast you will be transferred to Luang Prabang airport for your flight to Pakse. Once you reach your destination you will be welcome and you will immediately begin your adventure in the south of Laos heading towards Boulevan Plateau, a cool plateau overlooking the Mekong valley where you will visit a tea plantation and follow the majestic Tad Fan waterfall. Stop at a coffee plantation where apart from the walk through the plantations you will see how coffee beans are processed before being sold on the market. In the following stops you will visit two ethnic minority villages, the first will be Ban Bong Neua or an Alak village and the second will be Ban Kokphung or a Katu village, both famous for their tradition of leaving coffins under their homes. In the afternoon you will reach Tad Lo, where another wonderful waterfall awaits you, you can spend the rest of the day in total relaxation or take a bath in one of its natural pools. Overnight stay in Tadlo.
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DAY 5 - WAT PHOU
After breakfast you will visit the majestic Paxuam waterfall, after which you will go up by car and you will be transferred via Pakse to the beautiful pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Phou, considered one of the most beautiful temples in South East Asia. Ancient Khmer outpost, Wat Phou which later became an important Buddhist place of worship over the centuries; the structures date back to the 11th century AD although the place was considered sacred from the 5th century AD. The complex is built at the base of Mount Phou Khao considered sacred for its form reminiscent of the Linga (phallic form). After lunch you will continue your road trip towards 4000 Islands area. You will arrive in Khong Island in the afternoon. Overnight stay in Khong Island.
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DAY 6 - KHONE ISLAND
After breakfast you will board a traditional boat that will take you to discover the 4,000 islands. The first stop will be at the beautiful Khone Island, where once you arrive, you will have the opportunity to admire several colonial houses, the first Laotian railway station with its locomotives made to bypass the natural barrier of the waterfalls during the era of French colonialism and the flourishing trade with China. Afterwards you will reach the beautiful Liphi waterfall, also known as Samphamith, which forms a natural border line between Laos and Cambodia. From here you will take a small boat to be able to observe closely (if lucky!) the only specimens in the world of freshwater dolphins. From Khone Island you will take the boat that will take you to the mainland and then reach the famous Khone Phapeng waterfalls or the largest waterfalls in South East Asia, also known as 'Niagara of the east'. As soon as you finish this visit you will return by land to Ban Muang where you will reach Champasak on board of a ferry. Overnight stay in Champasak.
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DAY 7 - DEPARTURE
Depending on the time of your departure flight you will be accompanied to Pakse airport.