Laos at Glance

At the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Free at leisure by your discovery. Overnight in Luang Prabang

This morning we drive to Ban Phong Van, 5 km outside Luang Prabang on the road to the Khuang Xi waterfall, among lush rice fields and overlooked by wooded hills and mountains to join in a LIVING RICE FARM where they grow organic vegetables, salads, herbs and rice and supply leading restaurants and hotels in Luang Prabang. Come here, and you will be shown how rice is grown on the farm, experience the life of a farmer, and try your hand at some of the activities. Or just view it all from the comfort of our traditional Lao rice house balcony, which is surrounded by rice terraces and our organic vegetable farm. All the family can join in and there are great photo opportunities.  In the afternoon, we will visit the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts.  We then head to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture.  We also have time to visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai. Overnight in Luang Prabang (B)

After breakfast, we visit The National Museum (close Tuesday) at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through to the last sovereign. The Central Market is also not to miss, and today you will have some free time for your exploration of the town and shopping before bidding farewell to this Ancient city and taking our afternoon flight to Vientiane. After transferring to the hotel, we may have time for a short orientation walk of Vientiane, strolling around some of the colonial sights that make this a dream-like city. Overnight in Vientiane (B)

I’ve been here many years, and I have never heard of the Central Market, do you mean the Morning Market or Phousi Market????

What about for a massage or spa treatment this afternoon before the flight??                                                                                              

AM: After breakfast, we continue to explore the Vientiane capital by visiting the major sights of the capital; including the oldest temple Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. En route to Lao’s national precious heritage, the famous and sacred structure of ThatLuang Stupa, you will have the opportunity to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.

PM: We continue visiting the rest of Vientiane by foot, including Wat Ong Tue, Wat Inpeng, and Wat Haisok. We pass by the major shopping area continuing to the Vientiane Central Market of Talad Sao and Talad Kouadin where various goods are displayed for sale; including fresh food, household goods, souvenirs, textiles, and gold, silver, and antiques. We return to the Mekong Riverside in the late afternoon for observing the sunset. Overnight in Vientiane (B)

Seems to be a bit too far to walk from the hotel to Wat Ong Tue to Wat Inpeng to Dalat Sao to Dalat Kouadin and back to the riverfront!! This should be a bicycle tour or tuk-tuk for those who don’t want to cycle.

Depending on your flight, you may have time at leisure before you will be transferred to the airport in time for your departing flight. (B)