The land of the Secrets

Welcome to Laos, the warm heart of Indochina. This afternoon, we will take a tour through Luang Prabang and explore some of the most interesting sights of this world heritage town on the Mekong. Luang Prabang, located at the confluence of the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers, is probably the most beautiful city in the whole of South East Asia. The historical buildings are well preserved and the medieval ambience also remains intact. On a short sightseeing tour we will visit Wat Visunalat, Wat Aham, and walk up the Phousi Mountain for a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding landscape. In the evening we will explore the colorful night market and take a rest in a small, but charming local hotel in Luang Prabang old town.

This morning we visit the former Royal Palace and the National Museum (closed on Tuesday and Sunday afternoon) and the famous Wat Xieng Thong Temple, the city's most magnificent temple on the bank of the Mekong. Then, we catch a traditional long boat trip up the Mekong River to visit the famous Pak Ou cave. The upper section of the cave is part of a limestone cave staffed with Buddha images of all styles and sizes. En route, we will also visit Ban Muangkeo, a village known for making Lao traditional rice whisky and Ban Xang Khong, known for its wood paper making and also Lao silk weavings and natural dyes. In the evening we suggest you trying some of the excellent Laos food prepared by local restaurants, ask your guide for a nice place to go.

On our visit to the Elephant Park Project we get an interesting introduction to another part of history. The "land of a million Elephants" as Laos was called many years before is slowly losing its biggest animals, the Elephants. The Project protects these animals and integrates them into tourism activities. Here the Elephants found a new home in Laos. We go out for a ride, enjoy the natural scenery and go on a short boat ride to visit the Tad Sae waterfalls. A really wonderful day.

After breakfast we make our way over the mountains to Xieng Khouang, the province which is best-known for having been heavily bombed during Indochina War. But, of course, it is also famous for the historic Plain of Jars. The journey takes about 8 hours and we can make some stops at villages to observe the rural life of local people, including ethnic minorities such as the Hmong people. Arrival in Phonsavanh, the capital of Xieng Khouang province, and check into your hotel.

After breakfast at hotel we drive over the plains to visit the Plain of Jars site 1 before continuing to drive to the Plain of Jars 2. Here we have time to find out more about the still unclear history of the stone Jars here which dated back to about 2000 years ago. In the afternoon, we drive about 1 hour to visit Muang Khoun, the old capital of Xieng Khouang where we will see some ruins left over from the war.

After your breakfast we will visit the local market to get an insight into the Lao life on the land. Later (depending on flight time) we drive to Xieng Khouang airport for a short flight to Vientiane. Upon arrival in the Capital we start our afternoon tour around Vientiane, begining with a visit the religious museums of Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple surviving from the Siamese war of 1828; Also the Pha That Luang, the most sacred monument in Laos.

Depending on your preferences, we would like to offer you various (not included in below price) optional excursions today. One option is to visit the artistic Buddha Park, outside of Vientiane, which is a journey into buddhist art and scultures, a great half day visit, which gives you a free afternoon to explore more in Vientiane.

Alternatively we offer you to join a tour to Lao natural wonders. The Vientiane Orchid Tour is a superb recommendation. We recommend you to join this educational excursion to a protected area to explore the natural habitat of wild Orchids.

You may also enjoy the day of more sightseeing in Vientiane.

Today we end this short but intense journey through Laos. A driver will bring you to the airport for your flight or to the friendship bridge to cross border to Thailand. Tour ends in Vientiane.