6DAYS,LUANG PRABANG CULINARY DELIGHTS

Itinerary

DAY 1:LUANG PRABANG (D)

Our guide will meet you upon arrival and transfer you to your hotel, where you’ll have time to freshen up.

 

This afternoon, take a half-day orientation tour of the city. Ascend the stairs of Mt. Phousi and take in the spectacular view as the sun sets over the city. On the way back to the hotel, you can stop off at the hill tribe evening market to see the vast array of locally produced goods.

 

Next, participate in a traditional Baci ceremony. These ceremonies are deeply rooted in the Laos culture and are used to celebrate a special occasion- whether a wedding, an annual festival, or as a welcome. You’ll dine tonight at L’Elephant, Luang Prabang’s top restaurant, housed in a French colonial-style building.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

 

Meals included on this day: Dinner

 

DAY 2:LUANG PRABANG(B,L)

Take a full-day guided tour of magical Luang Prabang. Begin at the National Museum, housed in the former Royal Palace, where you can learn about the history of Laos and of many of the places and buildings you’ll see (Note: closed on Tuesdays). Continue to Wat Mai which is famed for its golden bas-relief. Have a proper Lao lunch at the family-run Tamarind Restaurant, where the friendly staff explains the history and ingredients of the food they serve.

 

At the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre you’ll learn more about Laos’ culture and its great diversity of hill tribes. Continue to the holiest temple in the city, Wat Visoun. This temple was rebuilt in 1887 and its courtyard contains the distinctive Watermelon stupa, named after its resemblance to the fruit. Explore the city on your own this evening and find a restaurant to suit you from the great choice available.

 

Overnight in Luang Prabang

 

Meals included on this day: Breakfast, Lunch

 

DAY 3:LUANG PRABANG-OCK POP TOK-LUANG PRABANG(B,L,D)

If you’re an early-riser you can go to watch as residents of the city offer food to long lines of orange robe clad monks who disembark from pagodas in this, their magical morning ritual (5.30am).

 

Today, take part in a weaving course and learn about this craft which is central to Lao culture. Learn about the raising of silkworms and the use of natural dyes. You’ll also get the chance to try your hand at weaving and spinning. Your lunch today is at Un Petit Nit.

 

This afternoon, attend a cooking class run by one of the city’s most famous restaurants. Here, the chefs will show you how to make four Lao dishes, from which you will choose three you would like to make yourself. With expert guidance you will make your three chosen dishes and eat them for lunch. You’ll also be given a Lao cook book, filled with delicious recipes and with ideas on how Lao ingredients can be used in different types of cuisine.

 

Overnight in Luang Prabang

 

Meals included on this day: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

DAY 4:LUANG PRABANG-KAMU LODGE(B,L,D)

After breakfast, cruise to the Pak Ou Caves, known locally a ‘Tam Ting’. These two caves are carved out of a huge limestone cliff and are filled with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues, some only a few centimeters tall and some as tall as a person. These caves are an important Buddhist pilgrimage site and you will see many people visiting them during Pii Mai, Lao New Year. Continue upriver to your destination, the Kamu Lodge. At the lodge you’ll stay in a private canvas tent complete with solar-powered hot water and electricity. The tents contain bamboo furniture and are protected from the elements by thatched roofs.

 

Have welcome drinks at the lodge before choosing which activities you’d like to participate in:

 

• Rice planting and harvesting in surrounding rice fields.
• Gold panning (January to June) in the Mekong. Anything you find is yours!
• Traditional fishing techniques. You can sample your catch for dinner!
• Local village visit.
• Archery contest.

 

Overnight in Kamu Lodge

 

Meals included on this day: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

DAY 5:KAMU LODGE-LUANG PRABANG(B,L)

 

After breakfast, relax at the lodge before taking a boat back to Luang Prabang. We’ll take a stop to see how traditional rice alcohol or ‘Lao Lao’ is made at the village of Ban Baw. Arrive in Luang Prabang around midday and take lunch at Son Phao restaurant.

 

Visit Big Brother Mouse shop this afternoon. This association publishes books in Lao and English and distributes them to the areas where they are most needed, particularly the Lao countryside. Their aim is to improve overall literacy rates in the country. Meet the people who write, design and publish the books. You can also help by providing ideas or suggestions for books. If you know English you can assist them in reviewing and editing their texts. After the shop visit you’ll take some books to a local village and donate them to a local school. Head back to Luang Prabang afterwards, where the rest of the afternoon is free at your leisure.

 

Overnight in Luang Prabang

 

Meals included on this day: Breakfast, Lunch

 

DAY 6:LUANG PRABANG(B)

If there’s time you can learn more about the work of UNESCO in Luang Prabang at the Heritage Information Centre (closed on Sundays).

 

Your driver will meet you at the hotel for transfer to your onward flight.

 

Meals included on this day: Breakfast