Hidden Treasures of Laos

Fly to Luang Prabang

Depart the UK for Luang Prabang, Laos. (N) 

Meal basis: As per itinerary – B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.

Luang Prabang

Upon arrival, you are met and transferred to your accommodation. Stay 3 nights at Homm Souvannaphoum Hotel. (N)  

Luang Prabang

Today you explore the UNESCO-inscribed city of Luang Prabang alongside an expert guide. Begin with the Royal Palace Museum for insight into the country’s regal past, followed by charming Heuan Chan Heritage House. Continue to the Buddhist temple of Xiengthong – striking for its steeply sloped roof and gilded woodcarvings – and less-visited Wat Khili. After learning about local handicrafts at the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, take a private boat ride along the Mekong, passing plunging limestone cliffs and caves filled with Buddha statues. Return to Luang Prabang for the night. (B) 

Luang Prabang

An early start allows you to see the morning ritual of alms giving – tak bat – during which monks collect offerings from the community. This is followed by an excursion to Kuang Si Falls, where you arrive before the crowds. These white cascades cut through thick greenery to a tranquil, turquoise pool. Enjoy a gourmet picnic for breakfast, before returning to Luang Prabang. En route back, you visit a buffalo dairy farm – a chance to interact with the buffalo and sample the cheeses local farmers produce with their milk. The remainder of your day is at leisure. (B) 

Oudomxay

Transfer to the railway station for your hour-long train ride to Oudomxay. The route takes you through northern Laos’ dramatic karst mountains and the small villages cloistered in their midst. Upon arrival, you are transferred to your accommodation. Stay 2 nights at Namkat Yorla Pa Resort. (B) 

Oudomxay

Journey into the hills in a robust 4x4, visiting villages of the Khamu, Hmong and Ikho – among the myriad ethnic groups of Laos. As well as an opportunity to take in the lush mountain scenery, this is a chance to meet the locals and learn about their respective cultures and ways of life. Return to Oudomxay in the afternoon. (B, L) 

Vang Vieng

After a morning at leisure, you are transferred to the railway station for a scenic two-hour train journey to Vang Vieng, taking you over bridges and through mountains and tunnels. You are transferred to your accommodation, with the remainder of the day at leisure. Stay 2 nights at Riverside Boutique Hotel. (B) 

Vang Vieng

This morning, visit the village of Ban Viengsamai. Here you are welcomed into a local home to learn about the customs and animist beliefs of the Khmu people, before visiting a knifemaker who continues the traditions of their trade. A circular hike through rice paddies brings you to a cave on the Nam Song riverbank, and to a rice hut where you learn more about Laos’ agriculture. Back at the local home, see how lao hai rice wine is made, then enjoy a Khmu lunch with your hosts. Return to Vang Vieng, where the rest of the day is at leisure. (B, L) 

Vientiane

Journey by road to Vientiane, then check into your hotel. Your afternoon guided tour of Laos’ capital city begins at its oldest temple, Wat Sisaket, whose eaves and entrances are guarded by water spirits called nagas, and which houses more than 2,000 Buddha statues. Continue to Wat Prakeo, a royal temple turned arts museum, followed by the local pilgrimage site of Wat Simuang. You also visit the Patuxai War Monument – inspired by Paris’s Arc de Triomphe – and the golden stupa of Pha That Luang. Your final stop is the COPE Visitor Centre, which illuminates the ongoing challenge of unexploded ordnance from the Vietnam War era. Stay overnight at Lao Poet Hotel. (B) 

Champasak

You are transferred to the airport for a flight to Pakse, where you are met and taken to your hotel in Champasak. Enjoy a private boat cruise along the Mekong in time for sunset, and for sundowners on the sandy beach of a river island, then return to your hotel. Stay 3 nights at The River Resort. (B) 

Champasak

Travel south to the riverside village of Ban Hatsaikhone, where you embark on a private boat tour of the 4,000 Islands. Navigate an abandoned island railway by tuk-tuk, passing old French-colonial buildings, and visit the Li Phi waterfalls, best admired by crossing the suspension bridges spanning their breadth. Return to your hotel this evening. (B) 

Champasak

This morning, visit Wat Phou, a UNESCO-listed Khmer temple complex that predates the more famous ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. As you explore the grounds and ascend the stairs to the main sanctuary, your guide will offer insights into this ornate, ancient structure, which sprawls between forested mountains and the waters of the Mekong. Return to Champasak for an afternoon at leisure. (B) 

Vientiane

After a morning at leisure, fly back to Vientiane and stay overnight at Lao Poet Hotel. (B) 

Fly home

You are transferred to the airport for your return flight. (B) 

Arrive home

(N)

Meal basis: As per itinerary – B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.