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Day 1: Luang Prabang
On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, enjoy a brief orientation tour of the spiritual capital of Laos before climbing to the top of Mount Phousi to enjoy a panoramic view of the city. In the evening you will get the chance to shop at the hill tribe market.
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Day 2: Luang Prabang
Begin with a visit to the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum. Continue on foot to Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief, Wat Sensoukarahm, and Wat Xieng Thong, Laos’ most photographed temple. Continue to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, a museum dedicated to exploring the rich diversity of Laos’ ethnic minorities. Cross the Mekong for a walk on the opposite riverside and a climb to Wat Chompet for a different view of the city for sunset. (L)
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Day 3: Cooking Class and Kuang Si Waterfall
After breakfast, transfer to Tum Tum Chung Restaurant to enjoy a Lao Cooking Class. Visit the market, learn how to shop and cut the different ingredients, spices and vegetables. Learn how to roll spring rolls and wrap meat in banana leaves and learn the history of Lao cooking. Enjoy dishes that you have prepared. In the afternoon, travel to Kuang Si Waterfall, south west of Luang Prabang with stops enroute to visit some ethnic minority villages. Kuang Si waterfalls also hosts a rescue centre for black bears which aims to raise awareness for the protection of this endangered species. (B)(L)
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Day 4: Luang Prabang – Kamu Lodge
For early-risers there is a very special dawn visit to witness the long lines of orange-robed monks receive offerings of food from Luang Prabang residents. After breakfast, you will embark on the Nava Boat for a trip up the Mekong River to visit the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. Continue upriver for one hour to reach the Kamu Lodge. Located in a unique setting Kamu Lodge offers original activities such as; rice planting, gold panning and fishing in the Mekong. This eco-oriented lodge provides a very different Laos experience. (B)(L)(D)
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Day 5: Vientiane Kamu Lodge – Luang Prabang – Vientiane
After a relaxing morning at the lodge, return to Luang Prabang by boat. In the afternoon, visit the Heritage Information Centre to learn about the architecture of traditional Lao houses. Then, transfer to a weaving village where traditional Lao textiles are woven and where mulberry paper is made. Stop at Wat Pa Phon Pao, a forest retreat before transferring to the airport for your flight to Vientiane. (B)
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Day 6: Vientiane
Your tour of Vientiane begins at the serene Wat Sisaket, one of the most beautiful temples in the capital. Continue to the nearby Wat Phra Keo, and the Presidential Palace and stop at Wat Simuang, the most popular temple in Vientiane. In the afternoon, continue to the Patuxay monument, Laos’ version of the Arc de Triomphe, where you can climb the stairs for sweeping panoramic views of the city. Next, your tour takes you to That Luang, the holiest site in Laos. End your day along the banks of the Mekong River as the sun begins to set. (B)
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Day 7: Vientiane – Pakse – Boloven Plateau
Depart early to the airport for your flight to Pakse. On arrival take a short tour of the city and then drive east to the Boloven Plateau via Tad Lo, an area of three separate waterfalls. In the afternoon, continue to Tad Yuang and Tad Fane waterfalls. These twin waterfalls stand 120m high and are sure to impress. On return to Pakse, visit a tea and/or a coffee plantation. The beans grown in this region have become one of the most famous coffees in the world, which is sometimes called the “Champagne of coffee”. (B)
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Day 8: Pakse – Wat Phou – Elephant Ride – Khong Island
After breakfast, transfer by road to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wat Phou, a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple that sits amidst the rice fields and waterways of southern Laos. Return to Champassak, and continue on to Ban Nong Bune, a wood carving village, to enjoy lunch with the villagers. The small Lao village of Ban Kiet Ngong is the starting point for your 90 minute elephant ride. Afterwards continue on to Khong Island, the start of the 4000 Islands Region. (B)(L)
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Day 9: Khong Island – Siphandon – Pakse
In the morning visit Don Det and Don Khone, two very quiet islands without cars and electricity only in the evening. The islands played an important role during the French Colonial rule as they linked Laos to Cambodia and Southern Vietnam. Continue to Lippi falls wedged between Done Khone Island and the Cambodian border. After a stroll through the palm-fringed villages near Lippi, continue to the southernmost part of Laos and the imposing Khone Papheng waterfalls. Return to Pakse. (B)
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Day 10: Pakse
After breakfast transfer either to the Thai border or to the airport.