Laos and Cambodia holiday
| country: | Cambodia, Laos |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 16 Jan, 3 Apr, 25 Sep, 6 Nov, 13 Nov, 20 Dec 2011: 15 Jan, 9 Apr, 24 Sep, 5 Nov, 12 Nov, 19 Dec |
| price: | From £1989 - £2299 (16 days) including flights from the UK. From £1399 - £1439 excluding flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Discover a fascinating land of rivers, jungle & amazing temples
Mekong, Luang Prabang & Vientiane
Boarding a riverboat you journey along the Mekong River, pausing to explore the remarkable Pak Ou Caves. Arriving in Luang Prabang you’ll discover temples and palaces adorned with golden spires and walk in the surrounding countryside to a hilltribe village. You’ll stay the night in the village before moving on to explore Vientiane - the quiet capital of Laos.
Cambodia & Angkor Wat
Flying into Phnom Penh, there’s plenty of time to see the main sights including the Royal Palace and celebrated National Museum. Of course the climax of your trip is a comprehensive visit to the atmospheric temples, giant carved faces and intricate towers of Angkor Wat – one of the world’s greatest ancient wonders.
Hilltribe Encounter
Laos has many ethnic groups; those that farm the hills and mountainsides are commonly referred to as hilltribes. These fascinating villagers have differing beliefs, languages, methods of farming and dress, making each unique. To gain an insight into their lives you’ll hike to their villages and stay in a village house, usually a highlight of the trip.
Mekong, Luang Prabang & Vientiane
Boarding a riverboat you journey along the Mekong River, pausing to explore the remarkable Pak Ou Caves. Arriving in Luang Prabang you’ll discover temples and palaces adorned with golden spires and walk in the surrounding countryside to a hilltribe village. You’ll stay the night in the village before moving on to explore Vientiane - the quiet capital of Laos.
Cambodia & Angkor Wat
Flying into Phnom Penh, there’s plenty of time to see the main sights including the Royal Palace and celebrated National Museum. Of course the climax of your trip is a comprehensive visit to the atmospheric temples, giant carved faces and intricate towers of Angkor Wat – one of the world’s greatest ancient wonders.
Hilltribe Encounter
Laos has many ethnic groups; those that farm the hills and mountainsides are commonly referred to as hilltribes. These fascinating villagers have differing beliefs, languages, methods of farming and dress, making each unique. To gain an insight into their lives you’ll hike to their villages and stay in a village house, usually a highlight of the trip.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London Overnight flight to Chiang Rai via Bangkok. |
| Day 2: | Chiang Khong, Laos After your flight you transfer to your first night’s accommodation in Chiang Khong and check in. This afternoon has been left free for you to relax and recuperate from your international flight. Hotel – 1 night |
| Day 3: | Mekong River Cruise After passing through the Thai immigration control, you cross the Mekong this morning and enter Laos at Houeisay, where you join your comfortable riverboat and embark on your journey downstream. This stage of your trip is a wonderful opportunity to see something of a relatively undiscovered region. The boat allows for a comfortable journey to Luang Prabang, over two days, with the overnight stay spent on shore in a local guesthouse As you head south you can enjoy the tropical scenery and see something of rural life on the banks of this mighty Asian river. You’ll make a stop to explore a local village before arriving in Pakbeng before sunset. Basic guesthouse (possible multishare) – 1 night (BL) |
| Day 4: | Pak Ou & Luang Prabang By the time the Mekong reaches Laos from its source high on the Tibetan plateau, it has run nearly half its total length of 4200km. Here it is calmer and begins a long, slow meander a further 1600km south to Khong Island near the Cambodian border. Your boat stops at Pak Ou Caves, near the confluence with the Nam Ou River. This Buddhist holy site is reached by a staircase cut into the limestone cliffs. Once inside the caves you are confronted by a multitude of Buddha statues in all styles and sizes. Many of these are thought to be more than 400 years old and were brought here for safekeeping when Luang Prabang was under threat from the Ho Chinese. Later you arrive in Luang Prabang, the erstwhile royal capital, now a UNESCO World Heritage site and transfer to your hotel. Hotel – 2 nights (BL) |
| Day 5: | Luang Prabang Magnificently set amongst forested hills, Luang Prabang rarely fails to please. Despite its former importance, it’s a surprisingly small place with an almost village-like feel and most places of interest lie within easy walking distance. For many centuries Luang Prabang was the seat of monarchical power, which explains the wealth of historic temples whose golden stupas reflect the setting sun like beacons each evening. The city is perhaps at its best in the early morning, when the mist that drifts in from the Mekong River shrouds its monuments before being burnt off as the sun gathers strength. You set out on foot to Wat Xieng Thong, probably the most beautiful of Luang Prabang’s temples. Seen from the outside it is lovely enough, but inside is a staggering array of mosaics crafted from Japanese glass and sumptuous gilt decoration with spires and finials in the form of oriental dragons. In the exquisite Royal Palace (now the National Museum) you’ll see the royal quarters which have remained untouched since the royal family left in 1975. The palace survived the fighting which took place unharmed and in the following year was converted into a museum after Crown Prince Sisavang Vatthana handed it over to the government. It now houses a collection of Buddha statues dating from the 15th - 17th centuries and a rich display of religious artefacts. This afternoon is free for you to explore further. (B) |
| Day 6: | Tribal Village & Homestay As with Thailand, Laos has many ethnic groups that make up the demographic profile of the country. Those that farm the hills and mountainsides are commonly referred to as ‘hilltribes’. These often poor villagers have differing beliefs, languages, methods of farming and dress, making each unique. Often persecuted as backwards, the reality is far different for they often have knowledge not possessed by outsiders, such as the medicinal effects of plants. To gain an insight into the lives of some of these tribal people you’ll take a hike into the countryside outside of Luang Prabang to explore some of the hilltribe villages and swim in waterfalls. Crossing the Nam Khan River you’ll walk for a couple of hours to reach the Khmu Village of Ban Nok. Here you’ll meet some of the villagers and learn about their homes and way of life. Continuing on, you’ll make your way to the small Hmong Village of Longkut, where you’ll stop to eat your Lao style picnic lunch. Finally you’ll walk on to reach the Khmu village of Houay Fai. Tonight you’ll stay with the villagers and have dinner in one of their houses. Basic village house (multishare) – 1 night (BLD) |
| Day 7: | Luang Prabang After breakfast you’ll begin the return trek to Luang Prabang, via the villages of Tinpha, Houay Yen and Houay Yen Nyng. Much of the way you’ll be following the course of a small valley and stream, stopping for lunch at a farm house or village along the way. From Houay Yen Nyng you’ll take a boat ride to the amazing waterfalls of Tad Sae (dry during Feb - Aug) before returning to Luang Prabang for a final overnight stay. Hotel – 1 night (BL) |
| Day 8-9: | Vientiane On day 8, you’ll make the short flight from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. Vientiane is perhaps South East Asia’s most laid back capital; judge for yourself as you explore on foot. Like Luang Prabang, it’s easy to get around and explore the city’s hidden corners and better known attractions. There are many French colonial buildings, great markets and a smattering of important monuments, like the national monument, Pha That Luang. On day 9 you’ve a full day to see the city’s sights including Wat Sisaket, the oldest monastery in Vientiane and Ho Phra Keo – the temple which formerly housed the Emerald Buddha which is now kept in Wat Phra Keaw in Bangkok. In the afternoon you’ll visit Pha That Luang, the most significant Laotian religious and national monument and have time to wander around the market - a fantastic place to pick up gifts and souvenirs. Hotel – 2 nights (Bx2) |
| Day 10-11: | Phnom Penh After a short flight you arrive in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. You will visit the spectacular Silver Pagoda, which houses the Emerald Buddha, the colourful Royal Palace and the incredibly moving Tuol Sleng Museum which documents Cambodia’s more recent, brutal and ultimately, tragic history. After lunch today there’s also the chance to visit two other sights, significant in the regime of Pol Pot - The Killing fields of Choeung Ek and the Tuol Sleng prison. The following day has been left free for you to explore the city at leisure. There are many hidden corners of this charming city for you to explore. You could perhaps take a walk along Sisowath Quay for cameo views of the city. Alternatively, we recommend a very special visit to the Apsara Foundation, whose aim is to educate poor Cambodian children to become professional dancers and musicians, simultaneously conserving Cambodian arts and culture. Hotel – 2 nights (Bx2) |
| Day 12-14: | Siem Reap / Angkor Wat This morning you leave Phnom Penh and make the 315km journey by road to reach Siem Reap. Non-stop the drive takes around five hours but you’ve all day to make this journey and can expect to stop en-route at Skuon, a village where fried spiders are sold on the street as a delicacy and Kampong Thom. Outside Kampong Thom you’ll visit the pre-Angkorian ruins Sambor Prey Kuk, before continuing on to reach Siem Reap. Here you’ll check in to your guesthouse for the next three nights. The following two days are set aside to discover Angkor - arguably the zenith of human ingenuity in Indo-China. The sprawling site of Angkor was built between the 9th and 12th centuries, when Khmer civilisation was at the height of its extraordinary creativity and constitutes one of humanity’s most magnificent architectural achievements. During your exploration of this wonderful place, you’ll visit Angkor Wat itself, the stupendous centrepiece of the complex. The towers, courtyards and moats of this colossal work reveal a myriad of views and ornate carvings. You go to Angkor Thom where the Bayon, the eerie unsettling third level of 49 towers, projects 172 icily smiling, gargantuan faces. You’ll also visit Preah Khan, Banteay Srei and Ta Prohm during your two-day visit. There will also be free time to explore at leisure during your stay and more wonderful chances to enjoy spectacular tropical sunsets over the temples. Guesthouse – 3 nights (Bx3) |
| Day 15: | Fly To Bangkok Today you take a flight from Siem Reap to the Thai capital Bangkok, where you'll connect with your onward flight to London. Tour ends for Land Only clients at Bangkok airport. (B) |
| Day 16: | Fly to London Arrive London. You’ll be accompanied on your journey by a Group Leader to smooth the way; one leader will accompany you through Laos and a separate leader will join you for the Cambodian section of your trip. Laos and Cambodia are still developing their tourist infrastructure and, although we make arrangements in advance, sometimes amends to the itinerary as a result of changing flight schedules or other local operational conditions may be unavoidable. We are sure you’ll find travelling in Laos and Cambodia an extremely rewarding and fascinating experience, but hope you’ll appreciate that a certain amount of unpredictability is, on occasion, an inherent part of journeying through these wonderful countries. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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On this trip: On this trip we work very closely with an local agent who ensures that throughout the trip our money is distributed to a wide range of people; they employ our professional Group Leaders, our local guides, and the drivers we use. Working together we pick small, independently run accommodations and seek out local restaurants to eat in. The aim with everything is to give our travellers the best possible trip, all the while putting money back into the local economy. Our agents are then able to support local initiatives designed to make a real difference to lives, such as an orphanage in Chiang Mai.
On this trip there is also the opportunity to have lunch at a restaurant run by street children and visit the Apsara Foundation, whose aim is to educate poor Cambodian children to become professional dancers and musicians and simultaneously conserve Cambodian arts and culture. Our visit encourages local people to preserve their culture (especially important for hilltribe villagers) and contributes to the upkeep of historical and natural sites, such as Angkor Wat. Our Responsible Travel Code: Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us. Charity Partnerships: We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Other charities that we work closely with include Born Free Foundation and The Travel Foundation, a UK charity that has been established to promote responsible travel practises throughout the whole of the travel industry. Carbon Balancing: Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. Our Foundation: We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you book. |
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. |