| country: | Cambodia, Laos |
| location: | Indochina holidays |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2009: 26 Dec 2010: 9 Jan, 23 Jan, 6 Feb, 20 Feb, 6 Mar, 20 Mar, 17 Apr, 15 May, 12 Jun, 10 Jul, 7 Aug, 21 Aug, 4 Sep, 18 Sep, 2 Oct, 16 Oct, 30 Oct, 13 Nov, 27 Nov, 11 Dec, 25 Dec 2011: 8 Jan, 22 Jan, 5 Feb, 19 Feb, 5 Mar, 19 Mar, 2 Apr |
| price: | From £1220 (14 days) excluding flights. Domestic flights £340. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Laos and Cambodia are the two hidden gems of the former French Indochina. Starting in Bangkok, we explore the bustling Thai capital before flying to Chiang Rai, then crossing into Laos and spending a week in this unique, but little-known country. We take the slow boat to Luang Prabang, where royal palaces and temples tell the story of the rich Lao culture and heritage. A visit to the mysterious Plain of Jars takes us even further back in time to an archaeological site said to be 2000 years old, whilst nearby Hmong villages remind us also of the country's cultural diversity. The capital, Vientiane, is a sleepy yet charming town on the Mekong River, with its old buildings still exuding the mood of the French colonial days. Just in the last couple of years the Kingdom of Cambodia has arisen from the ashes of war and internal strife, and its monumental treasures are again on show to travellers. The incredible temple complex near Siem Reap has astounded archaeologists since its rediscovery and subsequent recovery from the jungles, 150 years ago. The famous Angkor Wat is but one of many glorious monuments in that area. Phnom Penh, now reconstructed, still contains vestiges of the French colonial era in its historic architecture.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | (Sat) Arrive in Bangkok and transfer to hotel. |
| Day 2: | City tour of Bangkok. Fly to Chiang Rai. |
| Day 3: | Cross border into Laos. Boat to Pakbeng. |
| Day 4: | Boat to Luang Prabang, stopping en route at Pak Ou Caves and Ban Sang Hai. |
| Day 5: | Watch monks on alms round and explore historic temples and the former Royal Palace. Visit Kuang Si Falls. |
| Day 6: | Drive to Phonsavan and visit the Plain of Jars. |
| Day 7-8: | Fly to Vientiane. City tour including Patuxai, Wat Si Saket, Wat Prakeo and Pha That Luang. |
| Day 9: | Fly to Siem Reap. |
| Day 10-11: | Tour of Angkor, including Angkor Wat, Tha Prohm and sunset from Phnom Bakheng. Visit Banteay Srei. |
| Day 12: | Fly to Phnom Penh. |
| Day 13: | Visit Killing Fields, Wat Phnom and Silver Pagoda. |
| Day 14: | Trip ends in Phnom Penh this morning (Fri). |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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We are involved in assisting a number of projects that have a positive contribution to the welfare of communities, wildlife or environment around the globe. Every year Sala Bai restaurant school in Siem Reap trains around 100 Cambodian youths from low income families on hospitality and life skills, to help them achieve economic independence and improve the living conditions of their families. Prospective students go through a rigorous exercise/test before receiving their free education and 90 percent of Sala Bai graduates find a job within three months. We include a visit to the hospitality training centre and lunch at Sala Bai restaurant on this tour.
When you travel with us, you support our Community Trust, which provides funds for local community projects and initiatives that promote responsible and sustainable tourism development in the destinations in which we operate. First and foremost, but not exclusively, the Trust supports projects and initiatives that advance education and employment within the tourism and hospitality industry. The Trust operates on a not-for-profit basis, with every cent of funds donated by us, our staff and our travellers, going to the nominated projects. As part of our responsible travel policy we only employ local leaders and actively avoid international hotel chains, preferring to give our patronage to authentic, centrally-located and owner-managed establishments whenever possible. Our locally born and raised leaders are highly qualified and will be a great part of your holiday because of their intimate knowledge of the sights, culture and customs, history and language of their homeland. The maximum group size on all of our adventures is 16 passengers. Travelling in small groups ensures we make significantly less impact on the natural environment, as well as breaking down many of the communication barriers presented by a larger group. In 2009, we aim to neutralise all major emissions created by most of our trips, so they can be offered as the best green alternative available. We have conducted detailed analysis to assess the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the ground component of our adventure holidays. This means that the greenhouse gases emitted by transport and accommodation during most of our trips will be balanced and reinvested in projects that offer Gold Standard (or similar) Carbon Credits, and are aimed at ‘neutralising’ your contribution to greenhouse gases. |
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. |








