A CULINARY JOURNEY THROUGH THE ROYAL CAPITAL

DAY 1 : LUANG PRABANG – ARRIVAL      

Enjoy a culinary journey in the former royal capital of Luang Prabang.

We arrive in the city and we will be met by a guide at the airport. We then transfer to the hotel where we receive a welcome drink and check-in.

We then have the rest of the day at leisure to settle into our new surroundings. This charming UNESCO-listed city once served as the royal capital and seat of government until the 1975 revolution and it remains Laos’ beating spiritual heart. The main part of the city consists of four main roads crisscrossing a peninsula between the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers. The tranquil city is a food lover’s paradise, dotted with street vendors selling a delightful array of snacks, roadside eateries serving delicious local dishes and night markets with sumptuous bites. Get your first taste of Laos! 

Please note: The official hotel check-in time is 2 pm. 

Dinner is to our own account.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

DAY 2 : LUANG PRABANG – BAN XANG KONG - PAK OU CAVES – BAN XANG HAI  (B / L / -)

Fuse delicious food with Laos’ rich heritage on today’s tour. At 8.30 am, we head to Wat Xieng Thong, a treasured 16th century complex and then continue to ornate Wat Visoun. This houses That Makmo, known as the watermelon stupa because of its shape. We then stroll alongside the Nam Khan River to see khao khop rice pancakes drying under the sun before sampling this savoury snack.

Lunch is at Bamboo restaurant/Wat Sene, a venue famed for its khao poon nam pik, a tasty vermicelli soup. Next, we get crafty at Ban Xang Kong village, famed for its products made from silk and saa paper, a colourful paper from the mulberry tree bark that is often embedded with flowers and leaves. We then cruise along the mighty Mekong to the sacred caves of Pak Ou. These are filled with thousands of Buddha images.

On our return cruise, we stop at Ban Xang Hai to visit a rice wine distillery and sample this beverage. Sample tasty snacks and soak up culture on a day of enlightenment. 

Dinner is to our own account. 

Overnight in Luang Prabang

DAY 3 : LUANG PRABANG – RICE EXPERIENCE – OCK POP TOK – FOODIE TOUR (B / L / D)

Today’s exceptional excursion involves immersion in fun farming, an insight into handicrafts and exploration of delicious local cuisine. We start at 8 am with a transfer from the hotel to the Living Land Farm where we get a fascinating insight into rice cultivation techniques. We will learn about the 13 steps of growing, harvesting and cooking this staple, with involvement in planting, the use of buffaloes and threshing and sieving. This is the perfect activity for those interested in age-old agricultural practices that have been retained in a picturesque setting.

Lunch is at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we head to Ock Pop Tok, a weaving centre and social enterprise that seeks to preserve traditional weaving techniques through fair trade and sustainable business practices. In the evening, we end the day with a foodie tour. As the gastronomic capital of Laos, Luang Prabang is the best place to savour a range of fresh and tasty local dishes. With French influences from a bygone colonial era still tangible, the fusion of Asian and European influences will delight and amaze.  

OPTION 1 : MORNING FOODIE EXPERIENCE

You will be picked from your hotel’s lobby by your guide and transfer to morning market that pops up each morning near Luang Prabang’s main thoroughfare. Brush elbows with the locals buying fruits, vegetables, meat, and spices from vendors who display an enticing array of products.  If you'd like, try regional snacks like dried buffalo skin and rice-flour chips.

Continue by foot to a local coffee shop nearby the Mekong River with a superb view and try the famous local Lao coffee with local pastry or khanom in Lao for a perfect match. This time, proceed to the bike shop where you will take the comfortable bike for you and cycle to a local restaurant to taste the famous Neam Khao that filled with minced meat and assorted herbs and mushrooms. Pour a peanut sauce and fish sauce with chili on your plate for a savoury taste, you also have a chance to see how it freshly prepared is.

Pedal your bike across the old bridge and visit the rice noodle factory prepared by a local family that supplies most of the shop in town. There, you can see the equipment they used and it’s processed and dried under the sun. After here, take the road back to the old bridge then continue to a local bread factory or kaw chi bakery. The bakery supply most of the street stalls in town that sells kaw chi pate and some restaurants in Luang Prabang. You’ll be lucky enough to see the freshly baked bread fresh from the oven.

End the tour with a petanque game with the locals, the remnants of the French influences, the Petanque (or “boules” as called by locals) is practiced all over the country, as an after work team relaxing activity, a pastime over the weekend or at family gatherings. A petanque friendly match is a short immersion activity with the locals, around snacks and local beer.

Dinner is at a local restaurant 

Overnight in Luang Prabang

DAY 4 : LUANG PRABANG – ALMS GIVING – LAO BUFFALO DAIRY FARM – KUANG SI (B / L / -)

Walk on the wild side with buffalos and bears and refresh at some idyllic waterfalls on a day of variety. A 6 am rise enables us to see the monks walking solemnly through the streets of Luang Prabang to collect alms. The tak bat ceremony involves devotees handing over food in return for blessings. We can participate in this daily ritual. After visiting a daily pop-up market, we head back to the hotel for breakfast.

At 8.30 am, we are taken to the Laos Buffalo Dairy, a social enterprise that supports local farmers by renting cattle, thereby providing an additional income. We can get up close to buffalos and feed their cute babies before sampling delicious ice cream made from buffalo milk. We then head to the Kuang Si Waterfalls where we can take a refreshing dip.

Next, we visit a bear sanctuary founded by the Free the Bears Foundation to view a bear protection programme. No trip to Laos is complete without tasting local coffee and an optional tour provides an insight into the various stages of growing, grading and sorting green beans and roasting specialty coffee at a social development business.

OPTION 2 : Cooking Class (Join in)

Known for its rich and varied cultures and cuisines, Laos is a paradise for foodies, with flavors, ingredients and preparations methods in incredible array and abundance. Today, you will learn how some of the best traditional lao dishes are made. Led by a local chef, this session starts with a market trip to discover the Laotian vegetables, herbs and spices, followed by preparation of your Laotian feast. Then, enjoy the special moment, when you taste your self-cooked exotic food.

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