Mekong Discovery (8 days)

Duration: 8 Days

Highlight:

Mekong Discovery (8 days), Laos Tourism: This is a more complete “Down the Mekong” tour, taking in the fantastic northern Mekong, but also a full exploration of the south on board the luxurious “Vat Phou Cruise”.

ITINERARY:

Day 01: HouayXai– Pakbeng (Lunch)

Today, we will enjoy the local boat trip from HouayXai at 09:00hrs for a leisurely cruise down the Mekong to Pakbeng. En route you will make a stop where you will have the opportunity to observe rural life in a remote ethnic minority village.
Your local lunch will be served onboard as you continue on downstream, arriving in Pakbeng before sunset. Check in ang overnight in Pakbeng .
Services included: Transport, meal, boat trip and hotel.

Day 02: Pakbeng – Pak Ou Caves – Luang Prabang (Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast we will board our slow boat to continue our cruise to Luang Prabang. This morning we will stop to explore an ethnic Hmong village before having your lunch on board. Midafternoon we will arrive at Pak Ou Caves. These caves are an ancient pilgrimage site and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha images left there over hundreds of years. Continuing down the Mekong River we will arrive in Luang Prabang by late afternoon. Check in and overnight in Luang Prabang.
Services included: Transport, guide, meals, entrance fee, boat trip and hotel.

Day 03: Luang Prabang – Half day city tour – Kuang Si Waterfall (Breakfast)

We head off this morning on bicycles to see some of the highlights of Luang Prabang including a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts from the Royal period in Luang Prabang. Cycling on, we are seeing the city’s oldest temples, the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roof sweeping low to the ground, representing classical Lao architecture, the impressive stupa of WatVisoun and the shrine of WatAham. This afternoon we journey to KuangSii Waterfall stopping along the way to visit the morning Phousi Market, this where all the locals of Luang Prabang come to do their daily shopping. You will see a variety of local foodstuffs and products including dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, fish, vegetables and fruit, everything needed for daily life in Laos.
On arrival at the KuangSii Falls you will have the opportunity to cool off with a refreshing swim in the topaz pools below the falls, walk along the forest trails and visit the Bear Sanctuary. Return hotel for overnight in Luang Prabang.
Services included: Transport, guide, meal, entrance fee, bycicle and hotel.

Day 04: Luang Prabang – Vientiane – half day city tour (Breakfast)

This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Vientiane. Pick up to hotel for check in. Time for lunch and then do visit site seeing tour of the Capital where you will see the major temples of Vientiane including the oldest, WatSisaket, with it’s thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of WatPrakeo, which housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit the national icon of Laos, That Luang Stupa, stopping along the way to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. Overnight in Vientiane
Services included: Transport, guide, meals, entrance fee and hotel.

Day 05: Vientiane – Pakse – Vat Phou Cruise (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Today, we will take an early flight at 6.30am to Pakse. Pick up on arrival and then transferred to the Vat Phou Cruise boat, once on board we head south, arriving at Champassak in time for a riverside lunch, followed by a guided tour of the mysterious pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Phou, the boat’s namesake. As dusk falls, we board the Vat Phou for a relaxing cruise down-river, enjoying the tropical sunset on the deck. Dinner is served on board while the boat docks for the night alongside a remote Laotian village. Overnight on board the Vat Phou.
Services included: Transport, guide, meals, entrance fee, boat trip and cabin on boat.

Day 06: Vat Phou Cruise (HueiThamo – OumMoung Temple – Khong Island) (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After a leisurely breakfast on board, we set sail for the village of HueiThamo, only a few minutes’ walk away from the spectacular and ancient forest temple of OumMoung. Rejoining the boat we cruise south to the ‘4000 islands’ region, while enjoying lunch on the deck. Arriving midafternoon at Ban Dua Tae, a traditional Lao village, you will have the opportunity to explore and observe the traditional daily life of the village. As the sun sets over the Mekong you will return to the boat and enjoy a quiet dinner on board serenaded by the songs of the buffalo toads. Overnight on board Wat Phou Cruise.
Services included: Transport, guide, meals, entrance fee, boat trip and cabin on boat.

Day 07: Vat Phou Cruise (Veuthong – the “Niagara of the East – Xieng Di) – Pakse (Breakfast, Lunch)

Today we will enjoy breakfast on the upper deck, while cruising to the small village of Ban Veuthong, where we will board a small long tail boat for a short journey to Khong Island, the largest island in the 4,000 islands region. After visiting the island we return to the mainland for lunch amid the bygone splendor of another age, colorful French colonial houses and an old customs post alongside a stone quay. Following lunch we jump in minivans for our drive to the captivating, scenic splendor of the Khone Phapeng waterfall, “the Niagara of the East“, close to the Cambodian border. Return to Pakse by road we will arrive late afternoon. Overnight in Pakse.
Services included: Transport, guide, meals, entrance fee, boat trip and hotel.

Day 08: Pakse – Departure (Breakfast)

After breakfast, we visit be free at leisure around before driving to airport for the departure flight. End services.
Services included: Transportation only

Tour Cost In USD / Person – Rates are applied up to 30 Sept 2014

CATEGORY	2 pax	3-4 pax	5-8 pax	9-12 pax	Single Suppl
Standard hotels	2277	2052	1890	1782	575
Superior hotels	2295	2080	1908	1798	630
Deluxe hotels	2501	2275	2114	2005	805
Luxury hotels	2584	2359	2198	2088	895

CITIES	Standard hotels	Superior hotels	Deluxe hotels	Luxury hotels
Pakbeng	Phetsoksai	Phetsoksai	Pakbeng Lodge	Pakbeng Lodge
Luang Prabang	Villa Banlao	Moungluang	Juliana Hotel	Xiengthong Palace
Vientiane	Avalon hotel	Chanthananva	Lao Plazza	Dhavara
Pakse	Athena hotel	Pakse Hotel	Champasak Grand Hotel	Champasak Grand Hotel
Champasak	Watphou cruise	Watphou cruise	Watphou cruise	Watphou cruise

Included:

+ Accommodation on a twin shared basis
+ Private, Airconditioned Transport
+ Boat trips as stated in the itinerary
+ English speaking guide
+ Admission fees to sites stated in the itinerary
+ Meals: As indicated in above itinerary = B, L, D
+ Gov’t taxs and service charges
+ Luggage handling
+ Drinking water

Excluded:

+ Visas and Immigration fees on arrival
+ Domestic airticket
+ Int’l air tickets to/from Laos
+ Travel and/or Medical Insurance
+ Lunch or dinner unless stated in the itinerary
+ Single suppl. room accommodation (quoted separately)
+ Child or adult in triple share accommodation
+ Foreign language guides other than English
+ Peak Season or Special Events Surcharges
+ Tip, drinks and other personal expenses