HIGHLIGHT LAOS CLASSIC WITH KONGLOR CAVE

Post date: Oct 31, 2011 3:54:28 AM

Day 2: VIENTIANE – PRABAHT PONSAN – SALA HIN BOUN (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

After breakfast at hotel, our driver will pick you up (travel south along route 13). Enroute we stop at Prabaht Ponsan, an Ancient stupa dating back to the 15th Century. It is also home to the Ancient Budhhas footprint, discovered in 1933, and now is an important religious site in Laos.

Following lunch at local place, we continue onwards into Khammoune province and into the mountainous area, where stop at view point near Khoun Kham offers breathtaking view over the surrounding area. We eventually reach Ban Naphouak, where we board with local boat on the Hin Boun River. The journey upstream takes us past some stunning limestone karst scenery, as well as a number of villages with smiling waving children. We reach your accommodation for night at Sala Hin Boun, late afternoon. You have the rest of the day at leisure.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at Sala Hin Boun.

Day 3: SALA HIN BOUN – KONGLOR CAVE (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Breakfast at Sala Hin Boun, we continue by boat upriver to Kong Lor village, where you have the chance to explore, before boarding smaller boat into the famous Kong Lor Cave. We navigate through the cave, which is over 7km long and includes spectacular cavern over 100m high.

Following lunch in remote village on the other side of the cave. We return to Sala Hin Boun before sunset.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at Sala Hin Boun.

Day 4: SALA HIN BOUN – VIENTIANE – LUANG PRABANG (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Following breakfast, we set off by road to Naphouak, before heading south by boat through some of the most spectacular gorges found in Southeast Asia. Along the way we make stop for lunch and picturesque Lao Loum village, and we are picked up by car and transferred directly to Vientiane airport for evening flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival we are transferred to check-in hotel.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 5: LUANG PRABANG – KUANG SI WATERFALL AND HALF DAY CITY TOUR (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Early breakfast at hotel, we visit the morning Phousi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and we will visit local villages of Laotian ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Hmong village, Ban Ou, Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, Khmu village. Then takes us to the beautiful Khuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails.

We return back to Luang Prabang for lunch. After short rest, we have a half day city tour begins with visit Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. Then head to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We also have time to visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 6: LUANG PRABANG – BIG BROTHER MOUSE – BAN KHIA LUANG – PAK OU CAVES (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner included)

Early breakfast at hotel, we starts with a visit to Big Brother Mouse shop to select some books for the village visit. We head north by car along route 13, before taking an unpaved road to Ban Khia Luang village. We have ample time to visit the school, play with the kids and watch them enjoy their new books. We also take some time to explore the rest of the village, where you can see weaving and visit the local temple.

We stop for lunch at the village, which can either be a western picnic lunch, or traditional Laotian food such as sticky rice, lap and fresh vegetables cooked by the villagers.

After lunch we say good bye to the village and drive to Ban Khoklin, which takes us through some beautiful scenery of mountains and paddy fields. At Ban Khoklin we board with private boat down the Nam Ou River for 30 minutes to Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims and continue down the Mekong River back to Luang Prabang, arriving there in the late afternoon.

Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 7: LUANG PRABANG – DEPATURE (Breakfast included)

After breakfast at hotel, we may have time at leisure before transfer to the airport on time for departing flight.