Laos from all angles

After lunch, we head to the Museum of Ethnology and Traditional Arts: you will find an interesting exhibition of cultural objects. Plenty of information is provided there concerning the diversity and richness of the traditions of the country's ethnic communities. (Closed all Mondays)

Continuing with a visit to the Ock Pop Tok: this center is dedicated to promoting products from Laos' traditional textile craftsmanship.

Lunch in a city restaurant in the company of the center's weavers at Silk Road Café.

In the afternoon, we take the ferry towards the village of Ban Chan. This town has been made famous by its talented potters.

Visit of Vat Chompet: an hour's walk and here we are at the top of a hill within the grounds of this famous temple. Then, continuing towards Vat Longkun: this place offers pleasant walking prospects. It is a peaceful pilgrimage site, restored by France and inscribed on UNESCO's heritage list. We appreciate the exchanges with resident monks and the call to meditation in the shade of the trees.

The Wat Xieng Thaong: the eminent temple of Luang Prabang.

To conclude this first day, we finish at Phousy Mount, which offers a unique panorama of the city, especially at dusk.

A detour to the night market: ideal for finding souvenirs representative of Laos.

Dinner at Luang Prabang Kitchen restaurant and return to the hotel

This morning, departure for Oudomxay. Along the way, we take advantage of a few stops to discover minority villages (Khmu, Hmong and Lao Loum).

Not far from our destination, we make a stop at Phou That mountain to enjoy the panoramic views.

We settle into our hotel. The guide offers us a massage at the Red Cross center which has a traditional herbal sauna. Payment is to be made on site.

After our morning meal, a four-wheel drive vehicle takes us through countryside and mountains. This allows us to quickly reach the ethnic groups in the surrounding area. Meeting them will help us understand their way of life and daily routine.

At noon, picnic on the way. A moment of relaxation to stretch our legs a bit. Then we continue our journey, stopping at an ethnic market nestled along the roadside.

Ban Kor is the first Khmu village we will see. Then, we will climb a steep mountain to reach the Akha town of Ban Ano, hoping to see its Sea of Clouds and its old landing strip. We continue with Ban Houay Sang where a Khmu community skilled in basketry lives. We then move on to the Hmong with Ban Taong Seu and to the Akha with Ban Akhang, the village with multicolored houses. At Ban Pakho, we will see its remarkable tobacco drying racks. Once satisfied with these small towns, we will head towards Muang La.

Upon arrival, relaxation at the hot springs and a visit to the salt mines.

Back to Oudomxay, free time to recover from this long getaway.

Breakfast at the hotel then departure for Muang Khua, starting point for our cruise on the Nam Ou River.

We set off on a cruise on the Nam Ou River. Apart from enjoying the muffled sound of the river's currents and the surrounding landscape, we will make a stop in a Tai Dam village known for the production of Lao Lao (fermented rice alcohol). Without lingering in this locality, our river cruise on the Nam Ou River resumes in full swing. This time, we will go to Nong Khiau. We sail on calm waters while appreciating the beauty of the region: with its many charming villages, its karst corridors, and its lush vegetation. We have lunch as a picnic on board our barge.

It is in the late afternoon that we set foot in Nong Khiau. In the village, we meet the Hmong, Khmu and Thai Leu.

It is by songthaew or tuk-tuk that we can return to our hotel for the night.

Note: Along the way, we abandon our boat as soon as we reach upstream of the Nam Ou River dam. Then with our luggage, we take a tuk-tuk to reach our next boat 2 km away and continue our itinerary. The guide and tuk-tuk driver will take care of helping with the transport of luggage.

Early breakfast and then heading to the small town of Vienthong (also called "Meuang Hiem"). We will drive for 3 long hours on a mountain road. We will pass through Hmong and Khmu villages, and through the Namet Phou Louey park where wild tigers live.

Upon arrival, we check in at our guesthouse. A local restaurant welcomes us for lunch.

Still in a relaxing atmosphere, we celebrate our evening at the Sabaidee Nam Khan restaurant for dinner. On the banks of the Nam Khan river where a young and cheerful atmosphere flows, we end the evening.

In the morning, we prepare to head to Son Kua, the starting point of our safari. This nature adventure will begin in a songthaew.

After an hour of traveling along a magnificent mountain road, we arrive at the WCS (Wild Life Conservation Society) station. This organization participated in establishing the night safari in the Viengthong region. A project aimed at preserving the last tigers of Southeast Asia in the reserve.

Once there, our local guides take us to visit the Khmu village within the station grounds. They share with us their animist cultures and traditions.

We then travel for approximately 2 hours on the Nam Nern River aboard a rustic canoe. This is to reach our camp. There, we settle into bamboo huts, have lunch, and are told the details of the tiger conservation project in the region.

With the afternoon well underway, our safari adventure truly begins. Hunters and rangers serve as our guides. Our journey promises to be most thrilling:

• by canoe, going upriver

• return to dry land then a short forest hike

• discovery of mudflats and introduction to detecting animal tracks

• dinner around a campfire on a sand bank and preparation for the night safari

When night falls, we re-board our canoes, engines cut. Our guide plays scout using a flashlight to search for wildlife. Once an animal is spotted, we turn on our lights to observe it well. Among the species we may encounter are the porcupine, owl, muntjac, sambar, otter, etc. Each animal spotted earns a bonus for the villagers accompanying us. To maintain the conservation efforts made so far and to combat poaching, they participate in the expedition.

When the safari comes to an end, we return to camp to sleep.

Departure at 8:30 AM after breakfast. A local transport will take us to the village of Ban Xeng Mouk via a bumpy road. We will experience a stay with local residents. This village is characterized by its vegetable and pineapple plantations. The Hmong and Lao Loum residents welcome us with open arms and invite us to discover their local life.

We start our first hike. This will last 5 to 6 hours through plantations and lush jungle. An adventure that is neither easy nor difficult. A series of descents and ascents work our lungs for more than 2 hours. This is how we reach the first viewpoint of our journey. We will enjoy our lunch there.

In the afternoon, we continue our trek by traveling through mountains, valleys, clearings and forests. Then, a visit to the Hmong village of Ban Nong Touk and the town of Ban Long Lao. It is in this latter village that we will spend a night with a local family.

Resumption of hiking for 4 good hours to reach a sacred cave. This time, our progression will be easier compared to the previous day. We make our way through the forest and gently sloping mountains. The cave we plan to visit was a place of meditation and pilgrimage during the Second Indochina War.

After an hour of walking, we finally arrive at the top of the Kuang Si waterfall. It is below the falls that we enjoy our lunch, a moment of rest and a good swimming session.

Later, we will visit the Asian black bear preservation center.

And if time permits, we will notably visit the butterfly garden.

We head back in our local transport to return once again to Luang Prabang.

We dine at Tamarind and will sleep at our usual hotel.

River cruise to Pakbeng. This river journey takes us to the edge of the Pak Ou Caves. This site is a must-see for its hundreds of mini Buddha statues and for the celebration of the Lao New Year.

Our boatman also allows us to make a stop at the village of Ban Xang Hai, a major producer of national lao lao.

The swirls of the Mekong River rock us throughout our 5 to 6 hours of navigation. We have lunch on board and once we arrive in Pakbeng, we head to our hotel.

Then transfer by road to Oudomxay. Along the way, we take advantage of a few stops to discover minority villages (Khmu, Hmong and Lao Loum), and Ban Yor with its textile and pottery products.

We have lunch at the famous Kanya restaurant in the town of Oudomxay.

Continuation towards Luang Nam Tha. On the way, stop at the market of the village of Ban Keuochep.

Our 5 to 6 hour trek program in the region is as follows:

• Quick breakfast, early morning meeting in front of your hotel with our guides and start of the circuit around 9am

• Journey by tuk-tuk or songthaew to reach the Khmu town of Ban Phrang

• Visit of the village with a local guide and start of the trek

Climbing through valleys dotted with primary forests in the Nam Ha region, with an introductory course on edible plants, toxic plants and those with healing properties.

Picnic at the top of a hill, in the middle of the forest visit to the town of Ban Nam Khouy where the Lahu people live

The humble breakfast offered by our hosts sets us back on track.

Today, crossing the jungle of the Nam Ha protected area. We will see nature more beautiful and impressive than ever: waterfalls, mountains, forests, plants, mushrooms, etc.

In the late afternoon, we arrive at a camp nestled in the heart of the jungle. We will spend the night there after 6 to 7 hours of hiking.

Setting up, lighting the fire and preparing dinner are the first tasks we undertake once we arrive. In the meantime, our guide shares with us the best methods for using bamboo well in the jungle.

We wake up with nature. Early in the morning, we set off on a short expedition around the campsite. We have breakfast and then resume our adventure. Our guide carefully leads the way for us. After a few hours of hiking, we stop to prepare a traditional lunch in the jungle.

In the afternoon, dense vegetation to cross again and again. We may see wild animals such as gibbons, muntjacs and wild boar piglets.

We finally reach an ethnic village around 4pm: Ban Nalan and its Khmu population. Here, we enjoy the comfort of an ecolodge. The rest of our time is spent visiting the locality and enjoying the nearby river and the surrounding landscape.

Dinner in the village and overnight stay at the lodge.

In the early morning, cross through the surrounding forest on foot and enjoy a picnic at lunchtime. Today's itinerary includes the river valley of Nam Ha, the village of Ban Nalan and that of Ban Nam Koy (inhabited by the Lanten), the viewpoint overlooking the entire region, and another Lanten town Ban Nam Lue.

In the late afternoon, we return to Luang Nam Tha after 6 long hours of trekking. A return that marks the end of our trek.

Dinner at the restaurant of your choice and overnight stay at the hotel.

Today, we're leaving the country to head to Thailand. But first, we pass through the old tea route to see another Laotian city: Houay Xay. Along the way, we have several ethnic villages that we won't miss visiting. We will be on the road for 4 hours.

It's around noon when we reach our destination. We will eat at a local restaurant.

Next, heading to the Lao-Thai border post. We cross the Mekong River via the Friendship Bridge, arriving in Thai territory.

Once the paperwork is done, our driver welcomes us and transfers us to our lodge in Ban Kiu Karn. This is a charming village of Hmong and Lisu people. We spend the rest of the time wandering around. We meet with the local shaman, and the weaver women who create indigo-coloured batiks.

For the last chapter of our circuit, we will have breakfast at Kiu Karn. Then, we head to Chiang Rai airport to take our flight to new horizons.