North & South of Laos

Laos is full of cultural attractions and natural wonders: temples that reflect the past 500 years of Buddhist architecture, massive clay jars that defy easy explanation, caves crammed full of Buddha images, and so much more. This tour will give you an opportunity to explore North and South of Laos covering major cultural and historical highlights.

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Duration: 6 days/5 nights

Tour Code: MLHL05

Tour Valid: Until December 30th, 2013

Highlights: Luang Prabang - Kuang Si Waterfall - Pak Ou Caves - Pakse - Wat Phu - 4000 Islands - Pakse

• Day 1 - Luang Prabang Arrival

  Place Transport: Airplane->Car 
  Meals: Dinner

  On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Stay overnight in Luang Prabang.
  

  Day 2 - Luang Prabang City Tour

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  After breakfast, our full day city tour begins with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. We then enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We also visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham.
  Following lunch, we visit the Arts and Ethnology Centre to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures before we head out of town to see the weaving villages of Ban Xiengkhong and Ban Xienglek. We then return to the city for a visit to Wat Mai. We then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic view of the city at sunset and the Mekong River. The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Stay overnight in Luang Prabang.

  Note: the Royal Palace Museum is closed on Tuesdays. 

  Day 3 - Luang Prabang –Khuang Si Waterfall and Pak Ou Caves

  Place Transport: Car->Boat 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Firstly, we visit the morning Phousi 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 crafts, and today, you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay- a Hmong village, Ban Ou- a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene- Khmu villages. This then takes us to the beautiful Khuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. We then return to Luang Prabang.
  
  This afternoon, we embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. Two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai where they make the local rice wine. On return, we disembark the boat to visit traditional villages, and continue taking a short drive to Ban Phanom- a village famous for its hand weaving. Stay overnight in Luang Prabang.

  Day 4 - Luang Prabang – Pakse – Wat Phu – 4000 Islands

  Place Transport: Airplane->Car->Boat 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  You will be transferred to the airport this morning for your flight to Pakse. On arrival in Pakse, we drive to Champassak and visit the fascinating pre-Angkorian ruins of Wat Phu- one of Southeast Asia's most dramatically situated temples. We have time to explore these intriguing Khmer ruins which are perched at the base of Mount Phu Kao. Following lunch, we continue our journey by long tail boat to Si Phan Done where you have the rest of the day to relax or to explore the island. Stay overnight in Si Phan Done area.

  Day 5 - 4000 Islands and surrounding

  Place Transport: Boat 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  After an early morning breakfast, we head south by road and boat to Done Khone. Here, we begin by re-tracing the French colonial-past at Ban Khone where some old colonial houses still stand and glimpse the first Lao railway with its own locomotive. We continue our exploration of the area of the 4000 islands by boat and visit the beautiful Liphi waterfall which is known as the Samphamith. It forms a natural border between Lao and Cambodia. After that, 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'. Stay overnight in Si Phan Done area.

  Day 6 - 4000 Islands – Pakse Departure

  Place Transport: Car->Airplane 
  Meals: Breakfast

  After breakfast, you will be transferred back to Pakse for catching your flight.

  The Tour Inclusion:

  - 05 Nights Accommodation with breakfast.

  - Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above.

  - Domestic flight tickets, including domestic airport taxes.

  - Boat cruises as specified in the program.

  - The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary.

  - Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the program.

  - Meals (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available.

  The Tour Exclusion:

  - International flight tickets and airport tax. Visas.

  - Dinners, except as specified above.

  - Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.

  - Surcharge for peak season (if any) & other not mentioned in the above detail program

  Additional Information

  Importance note

  - The itinerary is just a sample of our tours; we'll be pleased to design similar programs with dates and itinerary customized to your personal preferences in Tailor Made Tours section. Rates may vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.

  What to bring?

  - Sun Block, Wide brim hat, Camera + Film, Comfortable shoes, Rain gear, Warm clothes, original Passport...

  How to start?

  - MinMax Travel is a fully escorted tour and best-available all year round; the only thing you need to prepare in advance is the international air-ticket from/to your country.

   - If you don’t have enough time to complete visa before your departure, we will help you to obtain Laos Visa on arrival easily (getting visa at the airport, on your arrival).