Laos in brief the people's
democratic Republic of Lao is located in the center
of in the center of Indochina, sharing borders with
China to north west, Thailand to west, Cambodia to
the south, and Vietnam to the east.
Laos has a population of a bout 5,5 millions inhabitants
and make up of 48 different ethnic groups with an
are of 236,800 square kilometres. Around 70 % of its
terrain is mountainous reaching a maximum elevation
of 2,820 m in Xieng Khouang province. The landscapes
of northern Laos and regions adjacent to Vietnam in
particular are dominated by hills. The Mekong river
is the main geographical feature in the west and in
fact, from a natural border with Thailand and some
areas. The Mekong flows through nearly 1,900 km of
Laos. In the south the Mekong reaches a breadth of
14 km, creating an area with thousands of land. The
capital Vientiane and all other major cities and towns
are located of the bank of the Mekong river, while
virtually every village depends on the vital bon between
the land and water. The first kingdom of laos is Lane
Xang kingdom (the Land of Million Elephants.)
ST OL 05 : VIENTIANE - LUANG PRABANG
( 4 days/ 3 nights )
Day 1: Arrival – Vientiane
Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel. Vientiene is a fascinating capital, with a fusion of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and American influences. This charming and easygoing city will provide a smooth introduction to Laos. After a short rest, an orientation walk of Lao Capital is a pleasant way to spend the day, strolling around some of the city’s most historical sites and seeing some of the French colonial architecture. We observe the sunset by the Mekong Riverside until the late evening and experience the city lifestyle of the local Lao people.
Overnight in Vientiane
Day 2: Vientiane – Luang Prabang (B/…/…)
AM: After breakfast, we start to visit the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we will stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. From there, we visit the central market known as the ‘Morning Market’ which is a great place for browsing antiques, handmade textiles and gifts.
PM: We board our short flight to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage City Luang Prabang, which is perhaps the best - preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Asia. On arrival, we transfer you to hotel. After a short rest, we climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as viewing a beautiful and panoramic sunset over the ancient and once royal city and the Mekong River. We then stroll around the Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of textiles made by the local and the hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.
Overnight in Luang Prabang
Day 3: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou cave (B/…/…)
After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham, Wat Mai, Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On our way back, we pass the local villages at Ban Xiengmene and Ban Chan continue to see the royal temple at Wat Longkhoun, which once belonged to a royal family patronage near by Sackarine Caves. We cross to city and take a short drive to Ban Phanom, a village well known for its hand weaving.
Overnight in Luang Prabang
Day 4: Luang Prabang – Departure (B/…/…)
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. This is a real highlight of the tour prior to saying goodbye to this charming city. Following breakfast, we visit The National Museum (close Tuesday) at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artefacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through to the last sovereign. After we visit the silver smith’s and Fine Arts School and the Central Market, which is not to be missed. We then say farewell and depart this ancient city.
Tour Class
All prices are valid from 01 May to 30 Sep 2012 Tour price in USD net per person in group of
Surcharge If require
Hotel Categories
2
3-4
5-7
8-11
12-15
16-19
20 up
Single
Standard=3 *
370
307
236
222
190
188
163
85
First Class=4*
417
354
283
268
237
235
210
139
Deluxe=5*
511
447
376
362
331
328
303
214
Tour Class
All prices are valid from 1st October 2012 to 30th April 2013 (except 24 & 31 Dec) Tour price in USD net per person in group of
