8 DAYS, FORGOTTEN LAOS

Itinerary

ITINERARY IN DETAILS:

DAY1.   BANGKOK – CHIANGRAI

Arrive in Chiangrai airport. You will be met and transferred to your hotel. Remain of the day is at leisure,. Overnight in Chiangrai.

DAY2.   CHIANGRAI – HOUEISAY – PAKBENG
This morning you have an early morning transfer from the hotel to Chiang Khong, the exit point from Thailand. After passing through immigration, you cross the Mekong River to HoueiSay in Laos where your guide will be waiting for you at the immigration point. After completing border formalities, you board theLuangSay Cruise (join boat) ready for the trip downriver. Serene, timeless Laos is one of Asia's most unvisited, unchanged countries. This once-powerful kingdom known as Lane Xang (Million Elephants) was founded in the 14th century with the help of the Khmers, and it went on to become one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia until its demise in the late 19th century. Bisected and bordered by the Mekong River, omnipresent symbol of Indochina, Laos today is an amalgam of cultural influences; Theravada Buddhism, animism, France, and the socialist ideal. It is a peaceful place, and the legendary hospitality, resilience and friendliness of the Lao people is much in evidence. Laos is Old Asia preserved. As your journey downriver you will stop at some tribal minority villages such as the Hmong, Yao and Khmu. Overnight in LuangSay Lodge. (B, L, D)

DAY3.   PAKBENG – LUANG PRABANG
Breakfast, as you sail downriver, you will pass areas of un-spoilt forest with little villages along the riverbanks and perhaps the odd elephant or two with his mahout. You visit a fishing village and a rice winemaking village and perhaps even taste some of the infamous beverage known as Lao wine. You also visit the Pak-Ou caves with their thousands of Buddha statues. You arrive in Luang Prabang around sunset and transfer to your hotel. This evening. You can take a stroll around this enchanting little town. Overnight in Luang Prabang (B, L)

DAY4.   LUANG PRABANG – CITY TOURS
Breakfast, we are exploring this charming city of UNESCO world heritage site, The Luang Prabang is a small, dream-like town on the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, in a beautiful mountain setting. From 1353 until 1545 it was the capital of Lane Xang before power was transferred to Vientiane. Despite the move Luang Prabang remained the seat of monarchical power and when the kingdom broke up in 1694, one of the deceased king's grandsons established a rival kingdom to those in Vientiane and Champassak. Though weakened, the Luang Prabang royalty endured until 1975, when after the reign of 63 kings it was formally dissolved. You spend the day exploring the temples and sites in what is called one of the last Shangri-La’s of Southeast Asia. You will visit Wat Xiang Thong, the most important Buddhist monastery in the country, Wat Visoun, Wat Khili and Wat Mai. Later, visit the former Royal Palace, now a National Museum where you will find ornate, gilded and brocaded reception rooms, as well as Buddha and Atacular artifacts including the Prabang, a large holy image, which was given in the 14th century by the Khmers to King Fa Ngum. At sunset climb the nearby temple-topped hill of Phousi where you'll catch a lovely view out over the town and the river. Overnight in Luang Prabang (B)

DAY5.   LUANG PRABANG – KHOUANGSI WATERFALL
Breakfast; this morning you may want to rise 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. From there 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 weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional handicrafts, and today you will visit local village of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay and Ban Thapene and the weaving village of Ban Phanom. Time permitting you may also wish to drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can splash around in the pools or walk along the forest paths, overnight in Luang Prabang (B)

DAY6.   LUANG PRABANG – VIENTIANE
After a leisurely breakfast, you begin the drive south to Vientiane, on the way, drop off visiting minority villages along 13th north route, via Vang Vieng where unspoiled natural resources remained and enjoying the view of mountain and beautiful landscape. After a short stop, we are heading out to Vientiane, a capital city of Laos, built by the French on the site of Wieng Chan, the 16th century capital of Lane Xang. Wieng Chan was already bristling by the time Europe was emerging from obscurity, and today is a small bustling city that retains an air of Its French colonial past. Overnight in Vientiane. (B)

DAY7.   VIENTIANE – CITY TOURS
Breakfast, AM: this morning you begin your sightseeing with a visit to the market. The market is a wildly colorful and olfactory delight - amid baskets piled with rice, eggs, and tea, ducks, pigs and fish both alive and dead, are food stalls selling noodles, soup, and 'food to go' wrapped in banana leaves, existing cheek by jowl with sellers of jasmine, orchids, and marigolds - the latter being woven into garlands for temple offerings. From there you begin a Walking Tour of the city's old Wats beginning with the venerable Wat Sisaket with its many wall niches holding small Buddha, Wat Prakeo - a former royal temple, the major Wats of Wat Mixai, Wat Ong Tu, Wat Haisok and Wat In Paeng, ending with some French colonial houses. PM: you pay a visit to the studio of Carol Cassidy, an American who has done much to advance the Lao weaving tradition. Later this afternoon you visit That Luang Stupa, a national symbol of Lao sovereignty and a Buddhist shrine, overnight in Vientiane. (B)

DAY8.   VIENTIANE – DEPARTURE
Breakfast, you are free for your own discovery until transfer to departure. (B)