Spirit of Laos 8 Days Exploring:

Luang Prabang - Big Brother Mouse – Ban Khia Luang – Pak Ou Caves: We start the day with a visit to the Big Brother Mouse shop in town to select some children’s books for our village visit. We then head north by car along Route 13, before taking an unpaved road to Ban Khia Luang. Here you will have ample time to visit the school, play with the kids and watch them enjoy their new books. You will also see the village women at their weaving looms and visit the local temple. 

For lunch we have a choice of a western picnic lunch or a traditional Lao meal of sticky rice, laap and fresh vegetables cooked by the villagers.

Saying goodbye to the village we drive to Ban Khoklin, taking us through some beautiful mountain scenery and paddy fields. At Ban Khoklin we board a private boat down the Nam Ou River for 30 minutes to Pak Ou Caves. These caves are an ancient pilgrimage site and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha images left there over hundreds of years.

Continuing down the Mekong River we will arrive back to Luang Prabang by late afternoon. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang - Khuang Si Waterfall: After breakfast we begin our journey to Kuang Sii Waterfall stopping along the way to visit the morning Phousi Market, this where all the locals of Luang Prabang come to do their daily shopping.  You will see a variety of local foodstuffs and products including dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, fish, vegetables and fruit, everything needed for daily life in Laos.

On arrival at the Kuang Sii Falls you will have the opportunity to cool off with a refreshing swim in the topaz pools below the falls, walk along the forest trails and visit the Bear Sanctuary.

Returning to Luang Prabang your afternoon is free to explore or relax at the hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang – Vientiane – half day city tour: This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Vientiane, upon arrival in the capital you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
 
This afternoon’s city tour enables you to see the major temples of Vientiane including the oldest, Wat Sisaket, with it’s thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image.

We also visit the national icon of Laos, That Luang Stupa, stopping along the way to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.

Your evening is free to explore the city, take a stroll along the waterfront or relax at the hotel. Overnight in Vientiane

Vientiane – Pakse – Tad Lo: You have an early this morning for your flight to Pakse. On arrival at Pakse we head for the refreshing mountain climate on the Bolevan Plateau.  The area is famous for its many waterfalls and we will visit two of the best, Tad Fan, with it’s impressive twin falls cascading over 100 metres to the valley floor below and Tad Ngeuan, with it’s pristine pools for taking a refreshing dip and coffee shop and plantation where you can sample some real Lao coffee. 

Along the way you will see the rich soils of the region being cultivated for coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops before we arrive at Tad Lo, home to another scenic waterfall and numerous ethnic minority groups. We visit the villages of Alak, Nge, and Katu before overnighting in Tad Lo. Overnight in Tad Lo

Tad Lo – Wat Phou – 4000 Islands: After an early breakfast, we head down the mountains towards Champasak and the 4000 islands area.  Passing through Pakse town we cross the Mekong River by ferry to visit the fascinating pre-Angkorian ruins of Wat Phu, one of Southeast Asia's most dramatically situated mountain top temples.

Following lunch we continue our journey by car & long tail boat to the 4000 Islands, where you have the rest of the day to relax. Overnight in 4000 Islands area

4000 Islands and surrounding: After an early breakfast we head south by road and boat to Done Khone.  Here we retrace the island’s French colonial-past at Ban Khone with it’s old colonial houses still standing and a glimpse the first Lao railway with its own locomotive. We continue our exploration of the area by boat and visit the beautiful Liphi waterfall, also known as the Samphamith, which forms a natural border between Lao and Cambodia.

We return to Ban Nakasang and drive to the famous waterfall of Khone Phapeng, the largest waterfall in South East Asia, also known as the 'Niagara of the east'. Overnight in 4000 Islands area.

4000 Islands – Pakse - Departure: After breakfast you will be transferred back to Pakse for your flight to Cambodia or to exit Laos overland via Chongmek International Checkpoint to Ubon Ratchathani Thailand.