UNSEEN LAOS 2 days

UNSEEN LAOS 2 days

A great tour for the independent traveller, this ‘Down on the Mekong’ tour enters Laos in the north, and takes you down river to the World Heritage town of Luang Prabang. The mighty Mekong River flows through the beautiful countryside of Laos on it’s way to the sea. Discover with us the diversity of this exciting river and the cities, towns and temples along its shores.

Itinerary

Day 1: Luang Prabang - Chomphet - Hongsa - Pakbeng (209 Km, 5-6h drive)

Stop At: Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang Province
Pick up at hotel and take ferry to Chompet. Visit Wat Chomphet and pottery village. Drive along road 4B to Hong Sa and Pakbeng. En route, visit scenery and hill tribe villages of Khmu, Hmong.

Today, we meet our guide at 7h30 for a-two day trip in northern Laos. We cross the Mekong River to Chomphet like stepping into a different world. This riverside area is so close to the bustling Luang Prabang Town, but it is surprisingly rustic, rough and undeveloped. We pass by b to visit the Wat Chomphet which sits high on a hill and offers a some incredible views of the surrounding hills, nearby river and ancient town. Upon leaving this site we head to Ban Chan and see the local villagers to make the beautiful clay lamps and pots in traditional way. They are often seen at many hotels around Luanng Prabang Town.
We start our journey along the road 4B, venturing into unknown areas of Laos. This back road carves a meandering course over mountainsides and river valleys, connecting Luang Prabang and Hong Sa. There are hundreds of curves and slopes, some of which reaches the height of 1400 meters oversea level, making our drive like flight through the cloud sometimes. En route, we enjoy a short walk on small paths blasted out of the mountainsides to some seldom visited villages, home to the Khmu and Hmong hill tribe people. They have settled in place down centuries and still keep their old age culture and colorful traditions despite the glitz of modern life. On arrival in Hong Sa, we make a break to stretch our legs and catch some photos. This small town backed by beautiful rice fields is famous for the Elephant Festival. We may see elephants walking along the roads, crossing the fields.
The journey delivers us in Pakbeng by mid or late afternoon depending on the road and traffic conditions. We have free time to relax at the resort infinity pool while admiring the gorgeous sunset over the Mekong River.

Overnight: Le Grand Pakbeng Resort
Meal: Picnic lunch and set diner
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Pakbeng 1 night

Day 2: Pakbeng - Mekong River - Pak Ou Caves - Luang Prabang (6-7h cruise)

Stop At: Pakbeng, Pakbeng, Oudomxay Province
Embark on boat and navigate along the Mekong River. Relax, admire the scenery and explore Pakou Caves. Arrive in Luang Prabang and transfer to hotel.

The exciting river trip begins as we board a traditional boat to navigate along the Mekong River from Pakbeng to Luang Prabang Town. This mighty river winds its way from Tibet - China through Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and finally into Vietnam. The river flow comes chiefly from rainfall, which fluctuates seasonally with the monsoon winds. The raining season makes the cruise up and down easy, however it involves some hardships for every boat rider to manage the boat past many rapids and rock formations in dry season.
Today, we have a relaxing day amid the fantastic scenery, with a mixture of the water, lush jungle, undulating mountains and sleepy villages. There are plenty of time to watch the local people doing a morning fish catch, buffaloes relaxing on sandbank, and long tail boats racing against the water. They make for a fantastic scene and a memorable experience. The boat excursion has a stop at the mysterious Pak Ou Caves near the meeting of the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers. These sacred caves are crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes, all brought there by devout villagers. We visit the lower cave with statues and prayer altars inside before climbing uphill on steep steps to the upper cave. There are more Buddha images and, with far fewer tourists than the lower cave.
Upon leaving this site, we continue making our way down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang Town, with stopover at Ban Xang Hai. This riverside village is famous for the rice alcohol distillation in traditional way. We can taste the potent local whisky and buy some souvenirs at the village shop houses. The townscape comes into view, a sign of our arrival in Luang Prabang. You are met by our driver and transferred to your hotel.

Meal: breakfast, set lunch
Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.