Laos Discovery

 

Luang Prabang	Maison Souvannaphoum	3 nights
Vientiane	Settha Palace	2 nights
Bolaven Plateau	Tad Fane Resort	1 night
Muang Khong	Villa Muang Khong	2 nights

Click on the name of the hotel for details.

11 days from £1136

excluding international flights

DAY 1 - Depart from UK.

DAY 2 - Arrive Luang Prabang.

On arrival in Luang Prabang you will be met outside customs 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, connecting with the Bangkok Airways flight to Luang Prabang (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 - Luang Prabang.

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. 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' (pictured), 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 (pictured) 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 4 - Luang Prabang. Pak Ou Caves.

After breakfast begin a riverboat trip with your guide on the mighty Mekong River to visit the sacred Pak Ou Buddha 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. Walk through the caves before returning to your boat and to Luang Prabang, enjoying lunch en route. Then visit the village of Ban Phanom, where weaving of Lao textiles takes place on traditional wooden looms. The rest of the day is frre in Luang Prabang.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.

DAY 5 - Kuang Sii Waterfall. Fly to Vientiane.

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. Return to your hotel for breakfast. This morning you will travel by car to the Kuang Sii 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. Enjoy a local lunch before returning to your hotel in the afternoon to check out and drive to the airport for the short flight to Vientiane, capital city of Laos. You will be met and taken to your hotel in Vientiane.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.

DAY 6 - 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 7 - Fly to Pakse. Bolaven Plateau.

After an early breakfast transfer to the airport for the short flight to Pakse in the south of the country close to the borders with Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. You will be met on arrival and taken to the Tad Fane Resort on the Bolaven Plateau to the east of Pakse. The resort overlooks the spectacular Tade Fane Falls (pictured left). Today's morning activity is an easy 4 hour trek in this beautiful area, through a local village, coffee plantations, across a hanging bridge and onto the plains. Huge boulders, epiphytes and wild orchids abound. Large pine trees also grow here, giving the area a wholly different character. Return to the resort for lunch. The afternoon is at leisure.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.

DAY 8 - Travel to the 4,000 Islands Area.

In the morning drive to an elephant camp to see how the handlers (or 'mahouts') train these giant friendly beasts. There is the option of taking an elephant ride to the top of Phou Asa mountain to see the mysterious ruins there. Legends abound about the ring of stone pillars, but it is unknown if the structure was built for religious or military reasons. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then continue by road and boat to the 4,000 Islands region (Sii Phan Done). Your accommodation is on Muang Khong, the largest of the islands.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.

DAY 9 - Khone Phapeng and Li Phi waterfalls.

Today you will enjoy a trip by boat to the largest waterfalls in Asia. Khone Phapeng and Li Phi falls were the major obstacles which prevented the French from opening the Mekong River to navigation. The area is also home to between 50 and 100 Irrawaddy (freshwater) dolphins, which you may see if you are lucky! Lunch is taken at a local restaurant. There is a short visit to the small gauge railway and Colonial Bridge built by the French to circumnavigate the falls, then return to the island for an afternoon at leisure. Pictured: Li Phi Falls.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.

DAY 10 - Wat Phou Temples. Cross to Thailand. Depart for UK.

After breakfast drive north to the famous Khmer temple complex at Wat Phou (pictured left). This represents the easternmost border of the Kmer Empire, although the influence of the Khmers was felt deep into central Vietnam. After lunch at a local restaurant cross the border into Thailand and proceed to Ubon Airport, where you say farewell to your guide and take the short flight to Bangkok. Transfer from the domestic to the international airport for your homeward flight.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch.

DAY 11 - Arrive UK.

Your flight leaves in the early hours, arriving in London the same morning.

 

International and connecting flights.

There are no direct flights to Luang Prabang or Ubon from the UK. We recommend the services of Thai Airways International to Bangkok, connecting with the Bangkok Airways service to Luang Prabang. On return fly from Ubon to Bangkok and onwards to London by Thai Airways International (change of airports in Bangkok). Current timings (subject to possible change) are as follows:
Heathrow/Bangkok. Depart at 12.30; arrive Bangkok at 06.05 (next morning)
Bangkok/Luang Prabang. Depart at 12.40; arrive Luang Prabang at 14.40
Ubon/Bangkok. Depart at 18.50; arrive Bangkok at 19.55
Bangkok/Heathrow. Depart at 01.10; arrive Heathrow at 07.15 (same day)

Laos Discovery (Tour Reference: WDLA002)
2010 Departures
Price per person based on a minimum of two persons travelling together:

Daily departures	Price
1 Jan to 30 Mar	£1278
1 Apr to 30 Sep	£1136
1 Oct to 31 Dec	£1340

Single Room Supplement on request.

The price includes:

• Scheduled domestic flights within Laos Luang Prabang/Vientiane/Pakse, including airport taxes.
• Hotel and lodge accommodation as listed above in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities.
• 8 full breakfasts and 7 lunches 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 Luang Prabang International Airport.  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.