Luang Prabang & Countryside – 5 days

Arrive Luang Prabang. After taking a soft break, you will start your first tour in Luang Prabang with a visit to Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. Our next stop is Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief, which is one of the most beautiful temples in town.

Luang Prabang Town

In the late afternoon, we climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic sunset view of the city and the Mekong River.

Meal: n/a
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

We depart from Luang Prabang by minivan and drive to an ethnic Khmu village where we will start our adventure. We start by trekking to a nearby Hmong village. You will be able to learn about the lifestyles of Khmu and Hmong people, these two culturally very different minorities and see how, despite their differences, they work together on a daily basis and even share the same school.

Kuang Si waterfall

As we continue onwards the trail leads through rice paddies and vegetable fields before reaching the mountainous forest. Along the way we explore a cave which was used as a bomb shelter by the local villagers during the second Indochina War.
After visiting the cave we continue trekking to one of the many springs which feeds Kuang Si waterfalls, where we can see a beautiful pool full of sacred fish. After descending from the top of the waterfall we enjoy a Lao style lunch amongst some beautiful settings!

A local villager

After lunch we will relax by the waterfall with plenty of time for swimming and taking pictures of the magnificent falls and the turquoise pools.
Before leaving Kuang Si Waterfalls we will pass through a rescue and refuge centre for bears saved from the illegal wildlife trade. On our way back to Luang Prabang we will also have the opportunity to visit Lao’s only buffalo dairy and try some of their buffalo cheese. We will then drive back to Luang Prabang. Arrive the hotel in late afternoon.

Meal: Breakfast/Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

We depart Luang Prabang at 8:30AM before heading north for approximately 1.5 hours. Once we reach the village, we begin our trek through local farms before arriving at the edge of the dense jungle.

We will immerse ourselves in the beauty and diversity of the local flora and fauna. It is like venturing into another world under the canopy of huge trees where we will discover orchids, ferns, creepers and more. If we are quiet we might be able to hear the sounds of birdlife, adding to the unique atmosphere in this wonderful forest.

Dense Jungle

We will stop at a beautiful spot in the jungle for a Lao style picnic lunch. For the next one and a half hours we continue trekking through a bamboo forest before the trail starts making its way downhill to farming plots along the banks of the Nam Ou river. We cross the river on a longtail boat to reach a village on the other side where a local Tai Lue family will be our hosts for the night.

Meal: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Homestay at local village

After breakfast, the guide will give you an introduction to the basics of kayaking and a safety briefing. We then head off downstream along the Nam Ou and will quickly encounter the first easy rapids!
Along the way we pass majestic cliffs and villages almost untouched by modern civilization. We paddle further downstream before pausing for a delicious picnic lunch at a beautiful white sandbank amidst really amazing surroundings!

Kayaking on Nam Ou River

After lunch we have some time to relax and swim in the cool waters of the river. The afternoon is spent paddling on a calmer section of the Nam Ou before the river joins the Mekong. Along the way you have the opportunity to watch villagers fishing and harvesting river weed which is then dried and fried to become one of Luang Prabang’s most famous, and delicious dishes. We have the option to stop at the famous Pak Ou (Buddha) Cave to see the hundreds of Buddha statues.
We continue paddling down the Mekong to visit a weaving and Lao whisky making village. After a short stop here we continue for another 30 minutes downstream to Pak Xeung where our transport is waiting to pick us up and drive us back to Luang Prabang.

Meal: Breakfast/Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

Free and easy to explore Luang Prabang till airport transfer for departure flight. Trip ends.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: n/a