Amazing Laos - 6 Days - LOB02

Upon arrival in the Laotian capital Vientiane your guide will welcome you and take you to your hotel for check-in. Lunch at a local restaurant before a sightseeing tour of Vientiane. Visit the religious museum of WatSisaket, the oldest temple to have survived the Siamese war of 1828. Its cloister contains more than 8000 Buddha statues. Yo then continue to Wat Ho Prakeo, that once housed the Emerald Buddha statue Prakeo. Today it contains a collection of Buddha statues, antiques andexcavated artifacts from around Vientiane.That LuangStupa, national symbol of Laosis the single most important monument and was originally built to cover a smaller stupa containing a piece of Buddha’s chest bone.Patouxay, known as Vientiane’s Arch de Triumph, built recently in commemoration of those who died during the wars will be the endpoint of the tour. Overnight in Vientiane.

Breakfast at the hotel and free time until your flight to Xieng Khuang, at 1:20pm. XiengKhuang was devastated by American bombings between 1964 and 1973. From the airport you will head straight to the Plain of Jars, an impressive archaeological site where hundreds of large stone jars are littered all over a plateau. In the afternoon you will visit the old capital of MuangKhoun Province and a nearby villages, home to the Hmong hill tribe and Tai Dam people. They have an interesting local culture and a colorful history. Overnight in XiengKhoung

In the early morning, you will visit the central market of Phonsavanh to watch various hill tribesbarter for and exchange merchandise. Then drive 306km to Luang Prabang(6-7 hours drive). On the way, stop at Thamprawheremore than 200-year-old Buddha statues are on displayed.You will also visit various Hmong and other hill tribe minority villages along the road. After a few photo and coffee breaks, you will continue driving up hill, enjoying splendid overgrown mountain scenery before finally arriving in LuangPrabang. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos. After checking into your hotel and if time permits you will start exploring the city at the impressive stupa of WatVisounand then visit the shrine of Wat Aham and Wat Mai. From there, you will head to the night market, where you can find lovely handmade textile produced by local and hill tribe people in and around Luang Prabang.  Overnight in LuangPrabang 

You will head upstream on the Mekong by boat to visit Pak Ou cave inside a lime stone cliff. Pak Ou consists of two large caves, both crammed with thousands of Buddha statues, ranging from mere centimeters to two meters in height. En route, try to spot typical Laotian villages barely visible behind a screen of lush foliage. Stop at Ban Muangkeo, a village well known for producing traditional Laotian rice whisky called Laoh-Khao. You are welcome to have a taste and purchase it as a souvenier if you wish. Lunch will be served at a riverside restaurant. You will arrive back at Luang Prabang in the late afternoon, and climb up to the top of Mount Phousi to visit its sacred, gilded stupa as well as enjoy a beautiful sunset view over the city and the Mekong River. Overnight in LuangPrabang

After breakfast at the hotel, you depart to visit the National Museum at the former Royal Palace which houses the collection of valuables including the famous Prabang Buddha statue and gifts received from foreign dignitaries.You then drive south for 30 km to visit Kuang Si Waterfall, which, though not very high, is spectacular and beautiful with a lush green national park surrounding it. You stop en route, to visitTaladPhosi market, where fresh produce is sold and Ban NaOune, a small village of the Hmong hill tribe, probably the best-known minority group in Laos. Just before arriving at Kuang Si Waterfall, you will visit another village of the Khmu minority group, named Ban Tha Pane. Picnic lunch will be served in the shady park nearby Kuang Si waterfall. There is plenty of time to relax and swim in the cool water, before you head back to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, you will be taken to the airport for your departure flight. Asiatica Travel’s services end here.