Golden Triangle holiday
| country: | Laos, Thailand |
| location: | Golden Triangle, Indochina holidays |
| departures: | 2009: 19 Dec 2010: 11 Jan, 6 Feb, 3 Mar, 27 Mar, 24 Apr |
| price: | From £2125 - £2325 (13 days) including flights from the UK, from £1350 - £1450 excluding flights. Price includes all transport, accommodation & activities specified in itinerary, all meals (except lunch & dinner on day 10) |
| late availability: | Late availability for Christmas departure |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A superb introduction to the spectacular scenery and traditional culture of this truly fascinating, yet little known country.
From Thailand’s infamous Golden Triangle region, we'll travel by road and by boat through the unspoilt mountains and jungles of remote northern Laos to the ancient capital, now World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang. Explore the beautiful temples and colonial architecture of what is acknowledged to be the best preserved city in SE Asia before completing the tour in the present day capital of Vientiane.
Highlights include:
Trip details: Maximum hiking time is 5-6 hrs on day 6. Accommodation is in hotels, eco lodges and guesthouses, on full board basis, except lunch & dinner on day 10. Transport is by minibus, local bus, boat, pick-up truck and flight. Travellers not taking up the flight option would join the tour in Chiang Mai on day 2 and finish in Bangkok on day 13. Optional extensions to make the most of your time in SE Asia with a few days relaxing in Chiang Mai before the tour and/or a couple of days in Bangkok prior to your departure are available.
Take the Family
Although our holidays are usually unavailable to persons under the age of 18 we do offer selected tours to accompanied young people. Please note that our itineraries are suitable, or can be readily adapted, for children of all ages and we are happy to provide tailored tours to family groups of four or more persons. We have successfully provided tours for families with children from ages 5 to 18. Laos itineraries are also easily modified by replacing more strenuous days with extra days elsewhere.
From Thailand’s infamous Golden Triangle region, we'll travel by road and by boat through the unspoilt mountains and jungles of remote northern Laos to the ancient capital, now World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang. Explore the beautiful temples and colonial architecture of what is acknowledged to be the best preserved city in SE Asia before completing the tour in the present day capital of Vientiane.
Highlights include:
Trip details: Maximum hiking time is 5-6 hrs on day 6. Accommodation is in hotels, eco lodges and guesthouses, on full board basis, except lunch & dinner on day 10. Transport is by minibus, local bus, boat, pick-up truck and flight. Travellers not taking up the flight option would join the tour in Chiang Mai on day 2 and finish in Bangkok on day 13. Optional extensions to make the most of your time in SE Asia with a few days relaxing in Chiang Mai before the tour and/or a couple of days in Bangkok prior to your departure are available.
Take the Family
Although our holidays are usually unavailable to persons under the age of 18 we do offer selected tours to accompanied young people. Please note that our itineraries are suitable, or can be readily adapted, for children of all ages and we are happy to provide tailored tours to family groups of four or more persons. We have successfully provided tours for families with children from ages 5 to 18. Laos itineraries are also easily modified by replacing more strenuous days with extra days elsewhere.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London Heathrow Airport. |
| Day 2: | Morning arrival in Bangkok and transfer by Thai Airways to Chiang Mai, the cultural and historical capital of Northern Thailand. Afternoon free to relax or explore this charming, friendly city and an evening tour of the famous night-bazaar. (For those wishing to arrive a day or two early in Chiang Mai various options include spa treatments or a Thai cookery class?) |
| Day 3: | Leisurely morning to recover from your jet-lag by the pool or wander around one of the local markets before an afternoon drive through the mountains to neighbouring Chiang Rai Town, main commercial centre for the infamous ‘Golden Triangle’ region – so called because of it’s former notoriety for warlords and opium cultivation. |
| Day 4: | Day tour of some of the main sites of this far northern region: beginning at the bustling trading town of Mae Sai on the Burmese Border and on to Sob Ruak where Burma, Laos and Thailand meet, for a visit to the unusual Opium Museum, before following the Mekong River via the historic, ruined city of Chiang Saen to our day’s destination, the scenic riverside town of Chiang Khong. |
| Day 5: | Time to cross the Mekong into Laos itself where we’ll begin with a visit to a traditional village of the Lanten people led by our host, the local school teacher, before continuing upcountry with a scenic drive though mountains and dense jungle to the remote town of Luang Nam Tha near the Chinese border. Accommodation at a beautifully situated eco lodge on the banks of the Tha River. |
| Day 6: | Day trip into the surrounding Nam Ha National Protected Area to hike through some of the spectacular scenery and visit some of the local hill-tribe villages to discover the traditional way of life of the area’s ethnic Akha people. |
| Day 7: | Drive across the mountains of Oudom Xai Province to the picturesque village of Nong Khiaw on the banks of the Ou River. Stop-offs to visit a Hmong village and a hill-tribe market on the way and overnight in traditional Lao style wooden chalets set high on the banks overlooking the river. |
| Day 8: | Boat ride down the Ou River, winding through mountains, limestone escarpments and pristine forests to the ancient Lao capital of Luang Prabang. |
| Day 9-10: | Nestled in the mountains, long isolated from the outside world, we’ll discover World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang’s fabulous temples, taste Lao delicacies (and the famous Lao beer!) in riverside cafes and stay in a converted French colonial villa. (Day 9 is a walking tour of the town including the National Museum & former king’s palace, Wat Xiengthong and Phu Si Hill Temple, with day 10 at leisure to explore the handicraft markets, temples or try out the famous herbal saunas.) |
| Day 11: | Day trip through the surrounding hills to visit the spectacular Kuang Si Waterfalls and to discover the fascinating, traditional village life of some of the local peoples. |
| Day 12: | Morning flight to the Lao capital of Vientiane and afternoon tour of some of the city’s fascinating sites; markets, temples and museums. |
| Day 13: | Morning departure from Vientiane, via Bangkok, and evening arrival in London. |
small group holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - you will be sharing your experiences with like minded people. Group sizes are limited to a maximum of 11 persons, a genuinely small group. Experience has taught us that smaller groups are less intrusive to local cultures and environments whilst allowing more interaction with local people. Furthermore it means greater flexibility on a day to day basis and on a social level it proves to be fun. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends/family its good value, and a great way to meet new people! The intention is to travel as a group of friends rather than a typical tour group, so don't expect stick-on name badges or any following the umbrella. how this holiday makes a difference
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We instigated the visits to a Lanten tribal village close to Huay Xai in N.W. Laos with the assistance of the local schoolteacher who has since set up a small village co-operative stall where local handicrafts can be sold as souvenirs. This has led to an increase of interest amongst the villagers in traditional handicrafts as well as the locally produced mulberry paper the production of which had almost disappeared.
Depending on local conditions, this trip also includes a home stay in the Hmong village of Loung Lao near Luang Prabang. As well as educating our passenger to the ways of life of another lesser-known people of the region, it provides income directly to the owners of the houses in which we stay as well as indirectly for other members of the village. Passengers are encouraged to make purchases from the village shops and from individual crafts-people. Thus completely cutting out 'the middle man' and providing fair trade opportunities for both the vendor and the buyer. On these visits we also take supplies to the village such as equipment for the school and vegetable seeds. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |