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8 DAYS LAOS CULTURAL & HISTORY TOUR

VIENTIANE – VANG VIENG – XIENG KHOUANG – LUANG PRABANG (Overland)Private overland tour (OVVL8): Daily departure from Vientiane with English or French speaking guide.

(NB: Program also available in reverse direction with daily departure from Luang Prabang).

ITINERARY:

DAY 1:VIENTIANE – ARRIVAL (L,D)
Meet upon arrival at Vientiane Wattay airport and transfer to hotel for
check-in. Vientiane’s major attractions are the serene Buddhist monasteries
 that dominate the center of town. The city has kept its timeless charm with tree-lined avenues, brightly painted temples and quaint French architecture.
After lunch at the hotel, you begin your sightseeing with a visit to the charming Vat Sisaket, with its many wall niches holding small Buddha’s, Ho Phra Keo, a former royal temple, as well as other nearby city Vats such as Vat Mixai, Vat Ong Teu, Wat Hai Sok and Wat In Paeng. Later you take a drive round town where you’ll see some French colonial architecture, and later visit Patouxay, Vientiane’s version of the Arc de Triomphe and often called the ‘vertical runway’ by local wags as it was built using cement ostensibly given by the US to build a much-needed airport! Around sunset you’ll visit Pha That Luang, a national symbol of Lao sovereignty and a Buddhist shrine. Your time later is at leisure, a chance to do some shopping for textiles and local handicrafts. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

DAY 2: VIENTIANE – VANG VIENG (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Vang Xang archeological site. The name means Elephant Palace, a reference to an elephant graveyard found in the vicinity. The site, which consists of a cluster of 10 metre high-relief Buddha sculptures on cliffs, is usually assigned to an 11th century Mon provenance. Continue by car to Vang Vieng (160 km - 3 hours drive), admire and observe the rural life along the road. Visit the re-forestry pilot project of JICA at Ban Houeimo. Upon
arrival in Vang Vieng, check-in at the hotel. Lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon take a small boat about 30 minutes (2 persons per boat) to visit the biological gardens down Nam Song River. Visit the natural cave of Tham Chang and later, explore Vang Vieng Township. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

DAY 3 : VANG VIENG – XIENG KHOUANG (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Continue by car to Xieng Khouang Province (234 km - 7 hours drive).
Lunch at a local restaurant en-route.
On the way, stop to visit some minority villages. Upon arrival in Xieng Khouang in the late afternoon, transfer to the hotel in Phonesavanh and
check-in. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

DAY 4:XIENG KHOUANG (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Visit the local Market where the ethnic minorities (Thai Dam, Hmong, and Phuan) from the surrounding villages gather every morning. Visit near Phonesavanh the mysterious Plain of Jars, which is soon to be listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. The jars weigh mostly from 600 kg to one ton but the biggest one weighs as much as six tons. The jars have been fashioned from solid stone, most from a tertiary conglomerate known as molasses, akin to sandstone, and a few from granite. Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, drive to Muang Khoun, former capital of Xieng Khouang. Visit Lao Loum and Hmong villages. Return to Phonesavanh. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

DAY 5: XIENG KHOUANG – LUANG PRABANG (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, drive to Luang Prabang (265 km - 5 hours drive). On the way, make some stops to visit minority villages and to take photos of the beautiful and remarkable scenery. Lunch at local restaurant. Upon arrival at Luang Prabang in the afternoon, transfer to the hotel and check-in. Diner and accommodation at the hotel.

DAY 6: LUANG PRABANG (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you begin your exploration of this UNESCO World Heritage Site fittingly called one of the last Shangri-Las of Southeast Asia with a visit to Vat Xieng Thong, the most important Buddhist monastery in the country. The main sanctuary represents the classic Luang Prabang temple architecture with roofs that sweep low to the ground. In the compound stand several small chapels housing bronze Buddha images, which were displayed in Paris in 1911. Near the East gate stands the royal funeral chapel. Inside you’ll see the impressive 40-foot high Royal funeral float and various funeral urns of several members of the former royal family. The gilt panel on the exterior of the chapel depicts a semi-erotic episode from the Hindu Ramayana.  From there you take a walking tour visiting some of the most impressive temples in town including Vat Visoun, the site of an impressive stupa and That Makmo, stylistically more Sri Lankalese than Lao. Continue to the nearby Vat Aham, one of the city’s major tutelary shrines dedicated to Deveta Luang (spirit) Pu Gneu Ya Gneu (ancestors). Continue to Vat Mai, built in 1796 and famous for the five-tiered roof of its wooden sim. Continue your sightseeing with a visit to the former Royal Palace, now a National Museum, where there are ornate gilded and brocaded reception rooms, Buddha’s and other spectacular artifacts including the Pra Bang (a large holy image) which was given in the 14th century to King Fa Ngum by the Khmers.  Lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon, walk by the Vats of Chum Khong, Xieng Muan and Pa Phai then follow the Mekong River 
to the silversmith whose family worked for the Royal family. He has a small selection of good quality silver dishes, plates and jewelry. The Vat at Xieng Muan is important because here the monks learn the temple arts of gilding, roof-making etc. In the intervening years however the older monks were unable to pass down their skills to the younger novices. Thanks to UNESCO and Norway, funds were created to inaugurate a program to rectify this. Sunset at Vat Phrabat Tai located along the Mekong River. Dinner and accommodation  at the hotel                                                                                         
DAY 7:LUANG PRABANG – PAK OU – LUANG PRABANG (B,L,D)
This morning you rise early and participate in the daily early morning ritual of saffron-clad monks with their black alms bowls being given offerings from the local people, including the ubiquitous sticky rice. Return to the
hotel for breakfast. Later this morning you board a boat for a peaceful
voyage down the Mekong River where you’ll stop at the caves at Pak-Ou, passing many small villages on the way. Hollowed out of massive limestone cliffs, the caves are full of gilded Buddha’s of all shapes and sizes. From there you visit the village of Ban Muang Keo. The village itself is very clean and well laid out.  Picnic lunch at a bamboo cottage overlooking the confluence between the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers. Return to Luang Prabang, and continue by car to visit the villages of Ban Xom known for its cotton production and Ban Xang Khong where you’ll see the locals make paper
from mulberry. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

DAY 8 LUANG PRABANG – DEPARTURE (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning, stroll on the lively Phosi Market and H’mong Market where the ethnic minorities of the surroundings come daily. You will see such
diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, fresh vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Free until transfer to Luang Prabang airport for your departure flight.

HOTEL ADDRESSES: 

Our tour prices are inclusive of transfers and tours by air-conditioned car / minivan / coach with English or French speaking local guides, entrance fees, meals as specified in the program (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner), accommodation in twin shared rooms with private bathroom, service charges, room tax and baggage handling.

Not included are arrival and departure flights, Laotian visa fee upon arrival (US $30 per person + two photos), airport departure tax (International: US $10 per person / Domestic: US $0.50 per person), all other meals not mentioned above, drinks, tips and other personal expenditures such as telephone, laundry, and personal travel insurance.

NOTE: Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road and/or river conditions, international flight schedules and room availability.