Day 1 HOUEI SAY / PAKBENG
Meet upon arrival at Houei Say immigration checkpoint and transfer to the pier. Board a traditional riverboat for a cruise down the Mekong River to Pakbeng (approx. 7 hours depending on the water level). The Mekong River has kept much of its untamed character with impressive rapids and lush jungles along its banks. En route, stop at hill tribe villages such as the H’Mong village of Ban Houeilampene and the Thai Lu village of Ban Kouaytoune.
Take a picnic lunch on board. Arrive in Pakbeng, a rustic town located on a steep hillside and offering spectacular views of the Mekong River. Check-in at your hotel.
Overnight in Pakbeng.
Day 2 PAKBENG / PAK OU / LUANG PRABANG (B)
After breakfast, continue your cruise along the Mekong River to the former Royal capital of Luang Prabang (approx. 6 hours depending on the water level). On the way, stop at Pak Ou, at the confluence of the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers, to visit the sacred caves of Tham Ting and Tham Phoum, home to hundreds of Buddha statues. Continue to Ban Xang Hai village where sticky rice wine is distilled. Upon arrival in Luang Prabang, transfer and check-in at your hotel.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 3 LUANG PRABANG (B)
After breakfast, visit Vat Xieng Thong, regarded as the most beautiful temple of Luang Prabang with low sweeping roofs, Vat Visoun Temple with its Singhalese-style stupa, That Makmo, and Vat Aham, one of the city’s major teaching shrines housing the puppets of the Lao ancestors. In the afternoon, visit the National Museum (formerly the Royal Palace) with its collection of personal artifacts of the Lao Royal Family. Continue to nearby Vat Mai Temple, which was the residence of a Buddhist patriarch before 1975, before climbing Phousi Hill to enjoy the sunset over the city and the Mekong River.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 4 LUANG PRABANG / KHOUANG SY / LUANG PRABANG (B)
After breakfast there is an excursion by road to the picturesque Khouang Sy Waterfalls nestled in lush tropical forest. On the way, visit some hill tribe villages such as the H’Mong village of Ban Thinkeo and the Khmu village of Ban Thapaene. Return to Luang Prabang and continue to the weaving village of Ban Xang Khong, where traditional mulberry leaf paper is also produced. Free time to stroll through the H’Mong market.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 5 LUANG PRABANG / VIENTIANE (B)
After breakfast there is free time until you transfer to the airport for your flight to Vientiane. Meet upon arrival, transfer and check-in at your hotel. In the afternoon, visit Vat Sisaket, the only original temple in Vientiane (built in 1818 - it is the sole survivor of a Thai invasion in 1828), the Ho Phrakeo, the former Royal Chapel, where an Emerald Buddha dating back to the time of the Lane Xang Kingdom was enshrined, the Patouxai and That Luang Stupa.
Overnight in Vientiane.
Day 6 VIENTIANE / PAKSE / BOLOVEN PLATEAU / PAKSE (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Pakse. Meet upon arrival at the airport, transfer and check-in at your hotel. We take an excursion by road to Tadlo on the northern edge of the Boloven Plateau. En route, visit Yaheune and Lavai villages. Upon arrival in Tadlo, discover the Seset Waterfalls and visit surrounding Alack and Nge tribal villages. Take lunch at Tadlo Resort. Continue towards Paksong. En route, visit a Kaleum village and a tea and coffee plantation in Paksong. Finally stop at the impressive Tadfane Waterfalls before returning to Pakse.
Overnight in Pakse.
Day 7 PAKSE / VAT PHOU / KHONG ISLAND (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the pier and board a traditional riverboat for a 2-hour cruise down the Mekong River to the former Royal capital of Champassak. Upon arrival, continue by road to Vat Phou (8 km from the city), a pre-Angkorian temple dating from the 6-13th century, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. Take lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, continue by car to Khong Island.En route, stop at Ban Houei Thomo village and walk to the nearby ruins of the Khmer temple of Oum Moung, which is hidden in a thick forest. Arrive in Khong Island before sunset and check-in at your hotel.
Overnight in Khong Island.
Day 8 KHONG ISLAND / KHONE ISLAND / KHONG ISLAND (B)
After breakfast, board a long-tail riverboat for a cruise through the maze of waterways into the tropical paradise of Siphandone “The 4,000 Islands”. During the rainy season, the Mekong River reaches an incredible 14km in width and when the waters recede it leaves behind a myriad of islands and islets. Visit Det and Som Islands for a glimpse in to the lives of the fishermen. Arrive in Khone Island and discover its colonial heritage including an old French railway, dating back to 1897, built to bypass the powerful rapids that disrupt the navigation along the Mekong River. Continue to Liphi Waterfall, home to a colony of endangered Irrawaddy fresh water dolphins. Return to Khong Island.
Overnight in Khong Island.
Day 9 KHONG ISLAND / KHONE PHAPENG / PHOU ASA / PAKSE (B)
After breakfast, cross the Mekong River and continue to the famous Khone Phapeng Waterfall, the largest cascade on the Mekong River along its 4,350 km journey from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea. Drive back to Pakse. Have a picnic lunch en route. On the way, stop at Ban Khiet Ngong village, populated by the Suay ethnic group, and take an elephant ride through the primitive jungle to explore the enigmatic ruins of Phou Asa temple. Upon arrival in Pakse, check-in at your hotel.
Overnight in Pakse.
Day 10 PAKSE / UBON RATCHATANI (B)
After breakfast, drive towards the Lao-Thai border crossing of Chongmek and proceed through immigration for your departure.
End of our services.
