Laos & Combodia

Upon arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, you will be met by a representative and transferred to your accommodation. Your tour leader will meet you at your hotel in the evening to brief you about the whole program. Overnight in Bangkok D

After breakfast, we return to the airport for our morning flight to Chiang Rai, in northern Thailand. After lunch, we travel into the Golden Triangle to a famous viewpoint that looks out over the mighty Mekong River and into Laos and Burma.We also visit the Hall of Opium, a museum dealing with the crop, drug and vast fortunes which have made the Golden Triangle famous. This evening you can browse through the small local Night Bazaar, where hill tribe people and lowlanders gather to sell their handicrafts.

Capital of Bokeo province and northern gateway to Laos, Huay Xai is a popular entry point to Laos from northern Thailand. Officially called the Chiang KhongHuay Xai crossing, the two towns face each other across the Mekongs waters, with travelers crossing between the two countries by boat.The cruise is an ideal way to view green fields dotted with hill tribe villages and intertwined by canals and rivulets.Observe self sustaining rural river life and see minorities sell their wares along the Nam Ou River.The cruise stops at Tam Thing Caves of a Thousand Buddhas and a hill tribe villageweather permitting to watch the traditional process of Lao whiskey production.Pakbeng PakbengPak means mouth Beng means river, a small village on the Mekong.Pakbeng developed as an overnight stop for cargo and passenger ferries on the Mekong.Set scenicly where the Nam Beng flows into the Mekong, Pakbeng has little to offer a small wat found in nearby village hills a quaint example of a former Lanna Kingdom Buddhist temple.For a more Lao experience, head to the early morning market to see local produce, dried buffalo skins, frogs on sticks, pigs face and buffalo hooves.Sample Lao sweets like coconut jelly, fried bananas, sweet donuts.

Today youll continue your cruise south along the Mekong River towards Luang Prabang. Youll stop to explore the fascinating Pak Ou Caves, which contain hundreds of Buddha statues, before arriving in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. Luang Prabang Luang Prabang is considered the jewel of Indochina, and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.This culturally chic regal city is surrounded by mountains and was formerly the capital of a kingdom by the same name and was then ruled by French colonialists in the 18th century.With the delicate scent of frangipani sweetening the air, today boasts a mixture of ancient red roofed Buddhist temples and French colonial buildings that house guesthouses, street markets and antique shops.The saffron clad monks that inhabit Luang Prabang, particularly during morning alms giving ceremonies, create a colorful sight to an otherwise calm and alluring urban environment.

Today, you will have an early start as youll join the residents of Luang Prabang as they offer alms to the hundreds of saffronrobed Buddhist Monks who line the streets of the city every morning. This sacred ceremony is quite spectacular and in our opinion certainly worth getting up early to witness it.Later visit the morning market and come back to your hotel for breakfast.youll also enjoy a halfday guided walking tour of Luang Prabang. Youll visit Wat Xieng Thong with its sweeping roof and rare reclining Buddha, and Wat Wisunalat which represents the earliest style of Laotian architecture and Luang Prabangs oldest operating temple.

This morning youll travel 29 kilometres outside of Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Falls, a beautiful cascading waterfall surrounded by lush jungle. The best way to see the falls is to trek along a forest trail that winds through local villages and offers views of the mountain landscape.This evening, youll have the opportunity to participate in a traditional Baci ceremony in Luang Prabang. The Baci ceremony is a combination of Animism and Buddhism and these ceremonies are common to Laos. The ceremonies celebrate events and occasions such as weddings, births, the beginning of a new year, welcoming something or someone important, or the return of someone to the family. The ceremony is followed by a traditional dance and then dinner at a local restaurant.

This morning drive north through beautiful scenery before reaching Muang La, a lovely town situated in the splendid Nam Phaak Valley. After the five hour drive you may like to relax with the locals at the natural hot spring.

Enjoy a spectacular trek along a mountain trail today, following a mountain stream meandering through the lush vegetation. Along the trek you will meet local farmers working in their rice fields and learn how they cultivate their lands, hunt for small game and fish in the mountain stream, before you enter into the tropical rainforest, eventually reaching the village of Ban Phavie a beautiful Khamu village which sits on the top of a hill. After taking your lunch in the village, continue to the nearby waterfalls. Relax in the cooling clear waters, lulled by the gentle breeze and tranquillity of the falls, before returning to your lodge for the evening.

After breakfast, you will leave Muang La and travel along a scenic road to Muang Khua where you will board a longtail boat to begin your scenic journey down the Nam Ou River, discovering numerous villages dotted along the banks of the river and some stunning limestone formations as the sheer cliffs rise from the waters edge. The cruise trip Nong Khiaw today, is, without doubt, one of the most picturesque cruises in the region

This morning our boat cruise takes us up the Nam Ou River, passing dramatic limestone cliffs that border the river. We visit rural villages such as a traditional Lao weaving village. We continue to Ban Muang Ngoi for lunch before we begin a short trek through some rice paddy fields. Here we visit a historical cave used as a bomb shelter during the Indochina War. Afterwards, we cruise back down river to Nong Khiaw while enjoying the sunset.We then continue on to Luang Prabang via Nong Khaiw.

Today, youre taking the highspeed train a 2hour journey to the nations capital Vientiane. First visit the golden Pha That Luang stupa, a national monument which dates back to the third century, and Wat Sisaket, the citys oldest surviving monastery. Next, explore one of the few remaining authentic wet markets, a true treat for the senses, especially for adventurous eaters. After that, visit the Laos Textile Museum where you can view a unique collection of antique textiles and weaving artifacts from varying ethnic groups throughout the country. In the evening, we suggest taking a postprandial stroll along the riverside and enjoying the lively atmosphere of the night market.

Fly on to Pakse in Champasak Province, a lush green region of rivers and rice fields bordered by Thailand and Cambodia. Upon arrival, we drive to Tad Fane, then continue to Tadlo via Thawing Paksong. We visit the minority villages of Katu, Ta Oyh, Ngaio and some of the Lao Lum villages. We will also have the chance to visit Tad Phasuam where many tribes and their cultures are in one place.

Today we explore Don Khong is the largest island in the Khong district which is known as the Four Thousand Islands of Southern Laos. It is here, almost on the Cambodian border that the Mekong splits to create a maze of channels and also where the great river reaches its widest point. Exploring by boat and on foot through the watery landscape, we visit some traditional villages of the Lao Loum to witness the daily life of these people. We will also visit parts of the Old French Railway, built at the turn of the century to avoid the treacherous rapids caused by the many channels. After a cozy riverside lunch, head to Wat Phou, the star attraction of the area. This remarkablypreserved ruined Khmer Hindu complex is older than Angkor Wat and is also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.We will spend our last evening together in Laos with discussion great memories of our trip at farewell dinner night.

Now we say Good bye to Laos and take flight back home or early morning flight to Combodias heritage capital Siem reap, if you have booked Combodia 3 days extension.After Arrival in Seam Reap, we start explore one of mans most magnificent creations, Angkor Wat, the largest and most breathtaking monument of Angkor. It was built as the funerary temple for Suryavarman II, who ruled from 1112 to 1152. Angkor never fails to reward the first time or repeat visitor with its grand scale, surreal bas reliefs and unbelievable attention to detail.After lunch, we explore the fortified city of Angkor Thom, built by Angkors greatest king, Jayavarman VII, who ruled from 1181 to 1201. We spend the afternoon exploring the Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Terraces of Elephants, and Leper King. We finish our exciting day enjoying breathtaking sunset views at the Pre Rub Temple followed by a dinner performance of classical Cambodian dance at a local restaurant.

This morning we head to Banteay Srei, Angkors ultimate art gallery. This petite pink temple is the jewel in the crown of Angkorera sculpture. The elaborate carvings here are the finest found in Cambodia and the name translates as Fortress of the Women, thanks to the intricate detail here, considered too fine for the hands of a man. Later this morning will follow small back roads through rural landscapes and picturesque villages. Our first stop is the temple of Bakong in the Roluos group, the first of the great pyramid mountains which later kings were to copy. From Bakong, we continue into Roluos town to visit a very local market. After some exploration here, we follow the course of the Roluos river to the nearest navigable point where we board small wooden boats for the trip to Kompong Phluk. Cruising down a narrow waterway, we enter this medieval floating village, where the houses stand atop stilts as much as seven metres above the water. Everything lives on the water, pigs, dogs, crocodiles and people, all jockeying for space in this incredible floating town. After exploring the local waterways here, and a beautiful sunset on the lake, we return to Siem Reap by road.

Thus ends your journey to Laos Combodia and its magnificent temples. After breakfast, spend your time at leisure until your private transfer to the airport for your journey onwards. B