Laos and the Mekong
Village on the Mekong River (day 3)
| Chiang Rai | The Legend | 1 night |
| Pak Beng | LuangXay Lodge | 1 night |
| Luang Prabang | Maison Souvannaphoum | 3 nights |
| Plain of Jars | Vansana Hotel | 2 nights |
| Vientiane | Settha Palace | 2 nights |
Click on the name of the hotel for details.
12 days from £1136
excluding international flights
DAY 1 - Depart from UK.
DAY 2 - Arrive Chiang Rai (Thailand).
On arrival in Chiang Rai you will be met by a representative of World Discovery and taken by private car direct to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Recommended flight from London: Thai International Airways from London Heathrow via Bangkok (see below). If you are travelling from a country other than the UK we would be happy to give you guidance on your flight options.
DAY 3 - By traditional riverboat to Pak Beng (Laos).
After an early breakfast you will be driven to Chiang Khong to board the ferry across the Mekong to Laos. Your guide will pick you up at Huai Xay ferry pier for transfer to another pier to board a traditional Mekong riverboat (pictured) for the downstream cruise to Pak Beng, departing at 9 a.m. This portion of the Mekong is very remote, which allows glimpses and wildlife in the extensive forests. There are occasional stops at local hilltribe villages to meet people and observe life on the riverside. Lunch is served on board. Enjoy the lovely scenery along both sides of the river as you head for your lodge at Pak Beng.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 4 - The cruise continues to Luang Prabang.
Before reboarding your riverboat, take time to walk around Pak Beng's morning market. The second leg of your river journey is to Luang Prabang , stopping off en route at a hilltribe village and later at the Pak Ou Caves (pictured). These caves have been home to thousands of Buddha images that were
placed here by local people since the 16th century, when King
Setthathirat discovered the caves and declared them a holy spot. Today
many still pay respect to this ancient tradition. A picnic lunch will be served at the caves, after which you will re-embark, stopping once at a village famous for its rice wine, before reaching the beautiful city of Luang Prabang in the afternoon. Surrounded by thickly forested mountains and situated at the confluence of the Khan and Mekong rivers,
Luang Prabang has a tranquil, old-world charm rarely found in Asia
today. This fascinating town was the capital of the Lane Xang (million
elephants) kingdom until the mid 16th century. In French colonial times
it served as the provincial headquarters of the north, and the heritage
is clear to see in the French architecture and careful street planning
that blends delightfully with the 30 golden Buddhist temples to create
a town rich in atmosphere and history.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.
DAY 5 - Luang Prabang.
There is the option of an early rise (at about 6am) to watch or even
participate in the traditional Lao rite of almsgiving to the monks.
More than 300 monks file through the town silently collecting alms.
This is an amazing sight (left) and your guide will be on hand to
demonstrate and explain this important ritual. After breakfast your guide will collect you and take you on a tour of this beautiful town, awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO. Highlights will include Wat Phu Sii, reached via 350 steps for a panoramic view over Luang Prabang, Wat Mai built in 1796, and the beautiful Wat Xieng Thong or 'Golden City Monastery', where the gilt panel on the exterior of the chapel depicts semi-erotic episodes from the Ramayana. Continue to the National Museum, once a king's palace, which has a lovely collection of personal effects of the royal family. The afternoon is free. Luang Prabang is a wonderful place for walking, so you can spend the rest of the day exploring its fascinating streets and temples. You can have dinner at your hotel or at any number of clean and well-run restaurants offering delicious food. Lao beer is an excellent pilsner, and many types of French wine are also available at reasonable prices.
Meals included: Full breakfast.
DAY 6 - Kuang Si Waterfall.
After breakfast drive with your guide by car to the Kuang Si waterfall, where the waters cascade over many calcified tiers and down hundreds of feet into a series of cool, turquoise pools. The water here has a clear blue-green tint due to the high mineral content. You can climb the stairs and look down from various viewpoints on the way to the top. Take a bathing suit if you want to swim (though not if it's at its most powerful as pictured!). Return to Luang Prabang for an afternoon at leisure.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.
DAY 7 - Overland to the Xieng Khouang.
Leave Luang Prabang for the long overland journey (approximately 8 hours of driving) to the remote town of Xieng Khouang. There will be stops en route to stretch your legs and have lunch.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.
DAY 8 - The Plain of Jars.
This morning visit the mysterious Plain of Jars, an impressive archaeological site where hundreds of chest-high stone jars (pictured) are littered all over the plateau. The largest jars measure 2 metres in height and weigh as much as 10 tons. Little is known about the iron age megalithic civilisation that created them but they are generally believed to be funerary urns which originally contained cremated remains. Have lunch at a local restaurant and then continue to the ruins of the old royal capital of Muang Khoun. Return in the afternoon to your hotel in Xieng Khouang.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.
DAY 9 - Fly to Vientiane.
At leisure until your short flight to Vientiane, capital of Laos.
Meals included: Full breakfast.
DAY 10 - Vientiane.
Vientiane is a low-rise city located on a bend of the Mekong River and is markedly more quaint and easygoing than South East Asia's other busy capitals. First stop this morning is the Wat Sisaket with its thousands of miniature Buddha statues. Other sites you will see include the huge golden That Luang monument (left) and the adjacent Victory Monument modelled on Paris's Arc de Triomphe. Also visit Wat Simuang and Wat Prakeo, wjhich was the original home of the Emerald Buddha that today resides in the Royal Palace of Bangkok. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before returning to your hotel. The afternoon is at leisure.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.
DAY 10 - At leisure. Depart for UK.
A day at leisure. In the evening transfer to the airport for your homeward flight via Bangkok.
Meals included: Full breakfast.
DAY 11 - Arrive UK.
Arrive in London in the morning.
International and connecting flights.
There are no direct flights to Chiang Rai or Vientiane from the UK. We recommend the services of Thai Airways International to Bangkok, connecting onwards to Chiang Rai. On return fly from Vientiane to Bangkok and onwards to London by Thai Airways International. Current timings (subject to possible change) are as follows:
Heathrow/Bangkok. Depart at 11.50; arrive Bangkok at 06.10 (next morning)
Bangkok/Chiang Rai. Depart at 09.40; arrive Chiang Rai at 11.00
Vientiane/Bangkok. Depart at 22.05; arrive Bangkok at 23.10
Bangkok/Heathrow. Depart at 00.15 (next day); arrive Heathrow at 06.20
Laos and the Mekong (Tour Reference: WDLA001)
2010 Departures
Price per person based on a minimum of two persons travelling together:
|
Daily departures | Price |
| 1 Jan to 28 Feb | £1415 |
| 1 Jun to 30 Sep | £1136 |
| 1 Oct to 31 Dec | £1485 |
Please note that due to low water levels on the Mekong this itinerary will not operate from March to the end of May.
Single Room Supplement on request.
The price includes:
- Scheduled domestic flight within Laos from Xieng Khouang to Vientiane, including airport taxes.
- Hotel and lodge accommodation as listed above in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities.
- 9 full breakfasts 6 lunches and 1 dinner as shown in the itinerary
- All transportation and sightseeing as shown, including entrance fees
- The services of private guides for all included sightseeing
Not included in the price:
- International flights (see our recommendation above). We are happy to discuss the flights with you and give you further guidance
- International airport taxes
- Tipping.
- Cost of the Lao visa. This can be obtained on arrival at the Lao border from NorthernThailand. Current cost is US$30, subject to change.
A deposit of £250 per person is required at the time of booking. The balance of the price for your travel arrangements must be paid at least 8 weeks before your departure date.