NORTH THAILAND & LAOS TOUR

DAY 1 : BANGKOK – CHIANG RAI – CHIANG SAEN (- / L / D)

Depart Bangkok to Chiang Rai , arrive Chiang Rai Airport.

Lunch at the Yunnan restaurant

Transfer to Chiang Saen, the former capital of the first Thai Kingdom, situated directly on the Mekong River at the border between Thailand and Laos. On the way, visit to Vat Phra Dhat Jom Kitti by climbing up 383 steps to the top of the hill. Also visit Vat Jedi Luang and the small museum nearby.

Continue by longtail speedboat up river on the Mekong River towards the Golden Triangle where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos convene. On arrival in Chiang Saen, transfer to check in at the Imperial Golden Triangle Resort or similar hotel.

Dinner and accommodation at the Imperial Golden Triangle Resort.

DAY 2 : CHIANG RAI – CHIANG KHONG – HOUAYXAY – PAKBENG BY LE GRAND BOAT (- / L / D)

06:00 am, private transfer from the Legend Chiang Raito the border in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Khong District by air-conditioned vehicle. Located 95 kilometresnorth-east of downtown Chiang Rai, the transfer will take approximately 2 hours to reach Chiang Khong.

08:00am, we meet at the Houayxay border point after your safe crossing from Thailand. Wethen drive to the pier, whichsit on the outskirts of town, and board a Le Grand boat to our overnight destination of Pakbeng. On the way, we stop to visit traditional Lao Lu and Hmong villages.

Laos is home to over 80 ethnictribes, witheach group speaking its own dialect and following its own unique customs, traditions and religion. You willmeetsome of these to learn about the local way of life in this rural area. Wethen jump back on the boat to enjoy lunch as we cruise along the river, arriving in the river side village of Pakbeng in the late afternoon.

We check-in to the hotel in time to enjoy dinner and overnight at Le Grand Resort (Mekong Villa). 4*
        
DAY 3 : PAKBENG – PAK OU BY LE GRAND BOAT – LUANG PRABANG (B / L / D)

After breakfast at our accommodation, we cruise towards Luang Prabang. We break up the journey with two stops along the way, including a local village to get a snapshot into the lifestyle of indigenous people. We can also see how the modern world is starting to change their traditional way of life.

We then continue along the river to sacred Tham Ting and ThamPhoum caves which house hundreds of Buddha statues and are the final destination for thousands of pilgrims annually. We then enjoy lunch on-board before arriving at the charming UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang.

From the pier, we drive to your accommodation. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure to relax before dinner is at leisure on own account

Dinner and accommodation at your hotel in Luang Prabang
 
DAY 4 : WATCH TAGBAT – CITY TOUR – KUANGSI WATERFALL (B/ L / D)

We spend the day soaking up Luang Prabang’s cultural riches. Our exploration starts early with participation in a tak bat ceremony, a traditional alms giving ceremony in which food is presented to Buddhist monks on their early morning round in return for a blessing. We then visit the lively fresh market to watch locals barter over the freshest produce and return to the hotel for breakfast.

We then set off on a day of discovery of Luang Prabang’s most iconic landmarks, starting at the Royal Palace Museum, home to some of Laos’ most important historic treasures, followed by striking 16th century Wat Xieng Thong. Our morning adventure ends at Wat Mai before we enjoy lunch at the beautiful Coconut Garden Cafe. In the afternoon, we drive to Kuang Si Waterfall and take a short walk through the forest, with the opportunity to take a refreshing dip and to stop by the Asian Bear Sanctuary.

We then continue to Butterfly Park before returning to Luang Prabang. If time permits, we can enjoy a splendid sunset from Phousi Hill, or from Wat Pra Bath Tai ahead of dinner at the Elephant Restaurant. Please note: To visit Kuang Si Waterfall, there two choices to follow a loop, with different start points and our guide will give advice regarding this option.  

Dinner at a local restaurant

Accommodation at your hotel in Luang Prabang

DAY 5 : LUANG PRABANG – DAY AT LEISURE (B / - / -)

Explore Luang Prabang at your own pace with a day free at leisure. This is the former royal capital and the country’s beating, spiritual heart. After breakfast, you can choose to relax at the resort, or set off on some independent exploration. The city’s well-preserved remnants of the ancient Lan Xang Kingdom – some of which date back to the 14th century – gained it recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

This is a destination dedicated to tourism, with a stately royal palace and 33 temples in close walking distance. The best option is to hire a bike and head to the market, followed by the other cultural delights and then take in another spectacular sunset view from Phousi Hill, followed by the lively night market in the evening.

Meals are at leisure.

Accommodation at your hotel in Luang Prabang.

DAY 6 : LUANG PRABANG – NEXT DESTINATION (B / - / -)

All good things must come to an end and today sees us bid a fond farewell to Laos. After breakfast, we check-out of the hotel and transfer to the airport for the flight. Our six-day adventure has seen us cruise from Northern Thailand to the charming cultural enclave of Luang Prabang.

Along the way we have experienced local life, visited villages, experienced warm hospitably, met hill tribes to learn about their unique customs, feasted on delicious Laotian cuisine, explored ornate UNESCO listed temples, cooled off at an idyllic waterfall in a forest clearing and learned about the plight of Asian bears.

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