04 Days 03 Nites - Ancient Laos

Post date: Oct 29, 2011 2:32:02 AM

Day 2: LUANG PRABANG – PAK OU CAVES – KHOUANGSI WATERFALL (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

With an optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the ritual. You can also visit the morning Phosi Market where you can see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings.

After breakfast at hotel, we 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 board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a panaromic view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of 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 small village of Ban Xanghai, where the local rice wine is distilled. We return to Luang Prabang in the afternoon, on the way we take a short drive to Ban Phanom, a small village well known for its hand weaving.

After lunch at local restaurant, we continue towards Khouangsi Waterfall, enroute, we visit the local villages of Laotian ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Ban Ou, Laoloum and Ban Thapene, and drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall. Here we can take a dip in the inviting pools or walk along the forest trails surrounding the waterfall. We return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon and continue to Ban Xangkhong, a village well known for silk handweaving and for traditional Saa Paper making. We return to the city by late evening to watch the sunset at Wat Siphouthabath.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 3: LUANG PRABANG – VIENTIANE (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

The National Museum (closed Tuesdays) at the former Royal Palace, displays a lovely collection of the artefacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. The National Museum and the Central Market are not to be missed.

Breakfast at hotel, we visit these sights in the morning before catching our flight back to Vientiane.

Upon arrival in Vientiane, we see the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket, the temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to Lao’s national precious heritage, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop enroute to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. We watch the sunset by Mekong Riverside and spend the evening here absorbing the city’s nightlife.

Lunch at local place in villages where we visit.

Dinner at local restaurant in Vientiane. Overnight.

Day 4: VIENTIANE – DEPARTURE (Breakfast included)

After breakfast at hotel, we visit the Morning Market (if time permits). End trip after transfer to Wattay airport for departure flight.