Holidays in Northern Laos
| country: | Laos |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor made at a time to suit you |
| price: | From US $1212 (8 days) excluding flights. Based on a 2 person private guided tour |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Laos is a country that has beautiful temples, stunning scenery and remote ethnic minorities, and this holiday in Northern Laos enables you to experience all of this and more.
Starting in the sleepy capital we have time for a city tour, before you fly up to northern Laos for trekking in Nam Ha National Park, here you can visit some of the most remote ethnic minority villages found in Southeast Asia, and also admire the beautiful mountain scenery. Next stop is Muang La Resort, a luxury rural retreat with just 6 rooms built around natural hot springs. Here you have the ideal opportunity to relax and unwind.
A fantastic boat trip down the picturesque Nam Ou River takes us to Luang Prabang, the ancient Royal capital of Laos and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is truly idyllic, situated on the Mekong River, overlooking mountains, and packed with a fascinating combination of ancient temples and old French Colonial Architecture.
All our tours include private modern air-conditioned transport and private knowledgeable local guides, who will give you a personal and unique take on this beautiful and fascinating country. Please note that this is a tailor made tour, so any changes you wish to make to the suggested itinerary can be made, to suit your exact requirements.
Best time to go: October - March.
Starting in the sleepy capital we have time for a city tour, before you fly up to northern Laos for trekking in Nam Ha National Park, here you can visit some of the most remote ethnic minority villages found in Southeast Asia, and also admire the beautiful mountain scenery. Next stop is Muang La Resort, a luxury rural retreat with just 6 rooms built around natural hot springs. Here you have the ideal opportunity to relax and unwind.
A fantastic boat trip down the picturesque Nam Ou River takes us to Luang Prabang, the ancient Royal capital of Laos and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is truly idyllic, situated on the Mekong River, overlooking mountains, and packed with a fascinating combination of ancient temples and old French Colonial Architecture.
All our tours include private modern air-conditioned transport and private knowledgeable local guides, who will give you a personal and unique take on this beautiful and fascinating country. Please note that this is a tailor made tour, so any changes you wish to make to the suggested itinerary can be made, to suit your exact requirements.
Best time to go: October - March.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival, pick up from the airport and a city tour of Vientiane. |
| Day 2: | Fly to Luang Namtha in northern Laos, a great base for trekking and visiting the diverse ethnic minorities in the area. |
| Day 3: | A full day trek in the Nam Ha National Park, which includes a visit to an Akha village. |
| Day 4: | Visit the colourful local market in the morning before driving along twisty mountain roads, with plenty of opportunities for photo stops, before reaching Muang La Resort. Here you can unwind with a dip in the natural hot springs, or having a traditional Lao massage. |
| Day 5: | A half day exploration of the area and local villages, before we drive to Nong Khiaw, a small town located on the Nam Ou River. |
| Day 6: | A private cruise down the stunning Nam Ou River, boasting great limestone karst scenery. We also stop to visit Pak Ou Cave, a sacred cave containing hundreds of Buddha images before reaching Luang Prabang. |
| Day 7: | A city tour in the morning, including a visit to the former Royal Palace, followed by a visit to Kuang Si Waterfall and a Bear Rescue Centre. |
| Day 8: | Transfer to the airport for your departing flight. |
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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We are a local Laos operator, and 99% of the staff we employ are Laos nationals. By booking through our company you can be rest assured that the profits are going directly to the country you are visiting and helping the people in that country.
We are committed to ecotourism and responsible tourism in Laos and actively seek to research and promote projects that will benefit the local community and environment, as well as being a thoroughly enjoyable experience for the client. We also aim to encourage tourism throughout Laos, particularly in poor rural areas, and ensure that it is the local villagers that benefit every time. We have a strong desire to protect the local environment and therefore encourage tours around respected eco lodges with strong environmental policies as much as possible, and also educate our guides and staff on the importance of being environmentally friendly, both in the office and for the guides, on the ground. Within our offices in Laos we work to a ‘paperless desk’ policy where possible and only use recycled paper if required. This tour includes a stay at the award winning eco lodge in Luang Namtha, ‘The Boatlanding’. This eco lodge has a strong policy on recycling and educating local villagers on the importance of recycling, for example transforming organic waste into fertilizer. The trekking programme in the itinerary employs a local village guide and a percentage of the money for the trek goes directly back to the village. |
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. |