Laos Encompass , 8 days

On arrival at Luang Prabang  Airport, you are greeted by our guide and transferred to your hotel.  You have some time free to relax and catch your first glimpse of Luang Prabang. This ancient town was strikingly built on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. The human life has been recognized in place for over thousand years; however, Luang Prabang began a prosperous time, once being the royal capital of the Lane Xang Kingdom. The old-time appearance of Luang Prabang  has been changed since the protectorate  of the French, whose influence led to the construction of many colonial villas. This remarkably preserved town with saffron-clad monks, exquisite cuisine, gleaming temples, vibrant cultural traditions, distinctive artwork, relaxed atmosphere, traditional wooden houses and colonial style structures, makes it an unforgettably beautiful destination. You can wander through the old quarter where are many striking houses adjoining along narrow lanes and friendly people around. The main street is a paradise, giving way to the night market, a famous place to sample local foods and buy some souvernirs at bargaining. This fascinating old quarter captivates travellers in all senses and offers an endless exploration.

The ancient architecture is a captivating feature of Luang Prabang Town. We find one of the best samples from  Wat Xieng Thong . This landmark set near  the confluence of  the Mekong and the Nam Khan Rivers, is decorated in various ways with gilded stuccoes and doorways, featuring an elaborate tree of life mosaic and  intricately carved walls. We visit this site before going to  the former Royal Palace, a showcase of Lao traditional and French architecture style. This mansion has been changed into the National Museum where display many artifacts and treasures dating from the early king period right through the last sovereign. The following stop is  Wat Mai, a large and nicely decorated temple in Luang Prabang, which is extensively adorned with black and red lacquer decoration and gold leaf. No doubt the oldest temple in this town is Wat Visoun, but this sacred structure is mainly destroyed by invaders from southern China. However, it is still interesting to have a look at the replica built over the original temple ground.  We visit this site and embark on a walk uphill along the zigzag path of 318 steps on Phousi Hill , which is topped by a glittering golden stupa. This rising shrine  dominates Luang Prabang skyline and lends  a panoramic view  from the townscape to the rugged surrounding mountains.

Today, we have an option to see the sunrise ceremony of “Arm Giving”  when many saffron-clad monks walk along the streets to collect offerings from the faithful residents and visitors. This old age tradition remains very unique in Laos, which is  the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. We embark a local boat for an exciting river trip to  Pakou Caves, with stopover at Ban Xang Hai. This riverside village  is famous for  the rice alcohol  distillation in traditional way. We can taste the potent local whisky and buy some souvenirs at the village shop houses. Upon leaving this village, we race against the Mekong River towards the mysterious Pakou Caves. They are  crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes, all brought here by devout villagers. We cross the Mekong River to Ban Pakou before we travel by road to Ban Phanom. This small village is dominated by the Tai Lu hill tribe people who used to make the royal silk textile for the Lao former royal family down centuries. We keep on our drive to the Kuang Si Waterfall and make a stop to see the Hmong hilltribe people at stopping en route at Ban Na Oun. The water sound welcomes visitors to  Kuang Si, the largest water fall in Luang Prabang, which tumbles from the thick jungle over multi tiered limestone formations into cascaded pools. They are perfect for anyone seeking an enjoyable escape on hot days. We have time to admire the waterfall and enjoy swimming in beautiful setting of  evergreen forest. The adventurers can follow steep tracks to conquer the jungle above the waterfall, catching panoramic views of the natural surroundings.

The memorable experience of Luang Prabang will be rounded off as we board a flight to Vientiane. On arrival at Vientiane Airport, you are greeted by our guide and transferred to your hotel. We spend our time exploring the capital city of Laos, Vientiane.This laidback city stretching long the mighty Mekong River conjures up exotic images with the curious mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, and French influences. The initial history of Vientiane dates back the sixteenth century, but it left its legacy in form of few pagodas which are still standing in place after many struggles for the independence. The recent economic reform of Laos has made this small city undergo some vast changes with growing ambition. However, the historic old quarter of Vientiane still houses many French colonial villas, boutique hotels, vibrant shop malls, open air restaurants and tree lined boulevards. We visit  Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple in Vientiane, which features remarkable frescoes and cloister wall where are laying almost 7,000 Buddha statues in all sizes. They have been made from wood, stone and bronze, and brought here  hundred years ago. Nearby is the former royal temple of Haw Pha Kaew, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. This sacred jade statue is currently displayed at  Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok. We keep driving  along the Lane Xang Avenue past  Patouxai, a version of own Arc de Triomphe, on our way to That Luang Stupa, the current national symbol of Laos. This most venerable Buddhist monument with the golden stupa  was  built in Laos style but influenced by Buddhist beliefs.

The southbound journey begins with a short flight from Vientiane to Pakse. On arrival at Pakse Airport, you are met  by our guide and driven to the former royal capital of Champasak, a gateway to  the pre-angkorian Wat Phou Temple. The good introduction of this sacred sight is a collection of recovered objects, architectural elements and sculptures, displayed  at the Wat Phou Museum. We pay a quick look at this museum before exploring the temple complex. This hillside temple has a unique structure with  the elements leading to a shrine  where a lingam dedicated to Lord Shiva was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The original structure dates back to the fifth century but is deteriorated in turbulent history of Laos; however, it is still fascinating to stroll  among the ruins.  We follow a walkway from  the lower to the upper section and pass various forms, including Vishnu, Shiva and Kala. The upper ground of Wat Phou Temple  also affords a spectacular view of the surrounding valley, rustic villages and winding river. We leave Wat Phou Temple for Don Khong, the largest island out of Don Det and Don Khone, but it does not have  the waterfall, restaurants and activities of its counterparts. The major pastime in Don Khong  is cycling or motorbiking to explore the rual landscape and the local life closeup..  We check in our hotel and have time to enjoy a bike ride through the beautiful countryside to the  Wat Chom Thong. This attractive pagoda features the combination of Lao and Khmer architecture.

Today, we embark on a traditional boat to venture into the widest reach of the Mekong River, from where are many islets jutting out in dry season. They give this area a lovely name four thousands of islands, locally called ” Si Phan Done ”.  The local boat passes by Don Det and Don Som before  racing against the water to Don Khone. These lush islands are mostly covered by coconut palms, flame trees, stands of bamboo, kapok trees, and hardwoods, but Don Khone still retains a more authentical Lao charm.  We anchor at the  peaceful island of Don Khone and stroll through Ban Khone Village, catching a great insight into the Lao rural life without hustle and bustle found in more built-up areas. Along the walkway, we make stop to see an old locomotive and some abandoned railways. They are proper relics of the bygone colonial area in this watery region. We start riding our bike along this village lane to the Liphi Waterfall, which also named " Corridor of the Devil". Upon leaving Don Khone, we travel by boat to Ban Lakasang, a small riverside town, and head south to Khon Phapheng,  the largest fall in southeastern Asia. This large fall reaches 21 meter high at certain points and stretches 9.7 km of the river length, blocking all attempt of fluvial traffic from Laos to Cambodia. We catch a spectacular view  of Khon Phapheng Waterfall where some million litres of water  crash over the rock formations. The sunlight drops down, making for a sign for our return trip. 

The beautiful river landscape will give way to the lush jungle and coffee plantations as we depart Khong Island for  the Boloven Plateau and travel from the rice plancations to the undulating mountains. We pass by  Paksong Junction before venturing into  the Boloven Plateau formed by an ancient volcano. This fertile region   is famous for rugged mountains, rolling hills,  beautiful waterfalls, ethnic diversity, sleepy villages and coffee fields. They are naturally grouped together to sketch the typical landscape rarely found in different places of Laos. Along the way, we make stops to stretch our legs, visit the coffee plantation, and savor this local drink made by villagers. They are mostly farmers living from the coffee, rubber, and fruit growing. The scenic drive delivers us  in Tadlo Area, which is famous for the three consecutive falls of Tad Hang, Tad Lo, and Tad Suong. These stunning  waterfalls are surrounded by rolling hills and mountains, which are home to many small hilltribe communities. We have a short time  to stroll around the Tadlo Waterfall and see local people doing their homework, bathing, and fishing along a stream. These villagers are mostly Katu ethnic minorities who were originally in Vietnam but immigrated into Laos a long time ago. They are surely curious about your visit and  tend on inviting  you to join their activities. We round off our day with a drive to Pakse, a little town bordered  by the Mekong and  Se Don Rivers. This riverside town does not have much to see but boasts a gateway for exploration of southern Laos.

There are no activities planned for the final day. You may have free time to continue your exploration of Pakse Town, do your last shopping or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday ends with a transfer to Pakse Airport for  your departure.