Laos tour
| country: | Laos |
| departures: | 2008: 19 Sep, 17 Oct, 14 Nov, 12 Dec 2009: 9 Jan, 6 Feb, 6 Mar |
| price: | From £1585 (17 days) excluding flights, single supplement available. Maximum group size is 15 people. We can arrange flights from the UK. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Travel deep into this intriguing landlocked country, from the charming town of Luang Prabang in the north, to the 4,000 islands of the wider Mekong in the south. Along the way explore the mysterious Plain of Jars, soak up the colonial atmosphere of the laid-back capital, Vientiane, and be captivated by the eerie Wat Phou.
We include an overnight stop in a riverside eco-resort run by Kamu minorities and a visit to the magnificent Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodian border.
Highlights include:
Accommodation is in hotels and lodges (some basic but comfortable), and travel is by boat, modern air-conditioned vehicles and air. Our price includes breakfast daily, two lunches and two dinners, tour leader and local English speaking guides throughout. Suitable for travellers with above average levels of fitness and mobility and a keen sense of adventure.
We include an overnight stop in a riverside eco-resort run by Kamu minorities and a visit to the magnificent Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodian border.
Highlights include:
Accommodation is in hotels and lodges (some basic but comfortable), and travel is by boat, modern air-conditioned vehicles and air. Our price includes breakfast daily, two lunches and two dinners, tour leader and local English speaking guides throughout. Suitable for travellers with above average levels of fitness and mobility and a keen sense of adventure.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai in the Golden Triangle, easily accessible by plane from Bangkok, is the starting point for our journey into Laos. Meet your tour leader at evening welcome drinks and receive your tour briefing for tomorrow’s departure for the ‘Land of a Million Elephants’. |
| Day 2-4: | Mekong Adventure. We travel by boat down the incredible Mekong to atmospheric Pakbeng. On the way we stop at remote hill tribe villages, allowing us to learn something of Laos’s fascinating minorities. At a Kamu eco-resort stay in unique lodgings, mingle with villagers and go panning for gold and fishing. On our approach to Luang Prabang we visit the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas, then glide into the former capital of the great ‘Lane Xang’ kingdom. |
| Day 5-7: | Luang Prabang. With its mountainous backdrop and riverside setting, Luang Prabang has a unique and special charm. Visit golden wats and monasteries and soak up the atmosphere of faded colonial French architecture. We visit the beautiful Kuang Si falls, take part in a fun cooking class, then get to know enchanting Luang Prabang in depth. You will have ample free time to explore the wealth of interesting architecture, shop at delightful handicraft outlets or feast at the famous patisseries. |
| Day 8-11: | The Plain Of Jars, Vang Vieng & Vientiane. We travel to the Plain of Jars through some of the most scenic mountain scenery in Asia. Here we explore the origins of mysterious stone jars, as well as remnants from the Indochina wars. We drive onwards to the beautiful riverside town of Vang Vieng. Here you will be spellbound by the amazing natural beauty of the area – surrounded by karst limestone cliffs. In Vientiane – Asia’s most laid-back capital – visit golden That Luang, the remarkable Wat Sisaket and the Laotian equivalent of the Arc de Triomphe, the Patuxai monument. |
| Day 12-13: | Bolaven Plateau & Wat Phou. We fly to Pakse, the main town in the south and populated largely by industrious Vietnamese. We move on to explore coffee plantations and hill tribe villages in the cooler climes of the Bolaven Plateau, home of the Laven minority. Our lodge overlooks the imposing Tad Fane falls and is surrounded by a wild coffee plantation. At Wat Phou near Champasak we soak up the atmosphere of the pre-Angkorian temple ruins, one of Asia’s most significant historic sites, before continuing on to Khong Island. |
| Day 14-15: | Khong Island and the 4,000 Islands. Explore Khong Island, one of the 4,000 islands in this wide stretch of the mighty Mekong. Take in idyllic island surrounds before a boat journey to an old French railway and Khone Phapheng falls, the largest on the Mekong. If luck is on our side, we might catch a glimpse of the remarkable freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin before returning to Khong Island and our lodge for the night. |
| Day 16-17: | Preah Vihear Temple and return to Bangkok. We bid farewell to the ‘Land of a Million Elephants’ with a short elephant trek and a crossing into Thailand. Before returning to the Thai capital we make a side trip to an imposing Khmer temple, Preah Vihear, straddling the Cambodian border. Enjoy a farewell dinner in Bangkok and on day 15, transfer to the airport for your onward travels. |
small group adventure holiday
These small group journeys have a maximum of 15 like-minded travellers which ensures that all travellers have an amazing overall experience with the destination and that they enjoy the flexibility that comes with the small group dynamic. On this trip you will stay at boutique accommodation with character. Our numbers are discreet enough for us to interact with local families in their homes and meet people in markets, bazaars and temples – something that’s just not possible when you arrive as part of a large tour group. Along with our unique combination of Western tour leader and local English-speaking guide this will ensure an unforgettable travel experience.how this holiday makes a difference
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We believe that travel should entail an exchange of knowledge and perspectives, a sharing of wealth, and a genuine appreciation of Laos’s beautiful natural environment. This philosophy underpins the heart and soul of our style of travel. We recognise that poorly planned itineraries or poorly informed tourists contribute less to cross-cultural understanding and less to the livelihoods of local people.
 This journey represents the best of the region’s forgotten gem. Commencing in northern Thailand we cross the border into Laos to board our slowboat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang. En route we stay overnight in a unique ecolodge where we can mingle with the villagers and go panning for gold! The ecolodge is responsible for generating revenue and employment for the local Kamu peoples. Once in the charming town of Luang Prabang we travel to the picturesque Kuang Si waterfalls, one of the many beautiful waterfalls near Luang Prabang. On the way to the falls we stop at a Hmong hill tribe village and gain an insight into the lifestyle of one of the most significant ethnic minorities in Indochina. Like most minority groups in Laos, the Hmong originally migrated from China. Known as ‘montagnards’ (highlanders) by the French, many Hmong in Indochina were recruited to south Vietnamese and Royal Lao forces in the 1970s, in the hope of being rewarded with an autonomous homeland. On this journey our local guides are trained to share their knowledge of cultural and other local issues in a balanced, informative way; in this journey alone you are likely to meet several local guides from different provinces in Laos. They share real experiences from their own lives and insights into their family life, influences and beliefs, thus providing our travellers with a deeper understanding of the places they visit. This is what motivates our guides, not shopping commissions. |
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. |