Laotian Immersion

Upon your arrival at Luang Prabang Airport, you complete the country's entry formalities, including visa procedures, before collecting your baggage. Your English-speaking local guide welcomes you and accompanies you to your hotel for check-in. Lunch is on your own, with recommendations from your guide. In the afternoon, if you wish, you can visit an ethnology museum to better understand the ethnic diversity of Laos and its culture. The museum is closed on Mondays. At the end of the day, around 5 p.m., you board a shared cruise on the Mekong and enjoy the sunset over the river.

Dinner is served on board, accompanied by a traditional dance performance, another way to discover local culture. After the cruise, you return to your hotel for your first night in Luang Prabang.

Early in the morning, you attend the Tak Bat (alms-giving ceremony to monks), a Buddhist ritual during which offerings are presented to bonzes. Laotian, Thai faithful and visitors can participate or simply observe this ceremony, in respect of the rules of propriety and with an appropriate attitude. You continue your morning at the fresh market, set up in the streets near the Royal Palace. You discover the main ingredients and spices used in the preparation of dishes enjoyed by Laotians. After breakfast, you depart around 8:30 am by local transport in the direction of Ban Xeng Mouk, a village located about forty minutes from Luang Prabang and renowned for its production of vegetables and pineapples. There, you observe the daily life of the Lao Loum, the Laotians of the plains, and the Hmongs, before starting your hike. You walk for half an hour through pineapple plantations and rice fields, then enter denser jungle, composed of a wide variety of trees. The hike continues by alternating climbs and descents for approximately 2 hours, until the first summit of the route. You then enjoy the view of the surroundings and have your Laotian lunch.

In the afternoon, you continue your trek through a sparser forest, where you may have the opportunity to observe animal tracks. After approximately 1h30 of hiking, you cross Ban Nong Touk, a small Hmong village. You then continue your hike for approximately 1h30 to reach Ban Long Lao, where you spend the night. This village brings together Hmong and Khamu communities, offering a new stage in the heart of the region's ethnic villages.

Dinner and night at Ban Long Lao.

After breakfast in the village, you resume your hiking through the forest. A few steep climbs lead you to a cave, a pilgrimage site. You then continue walking for approximately one hour to reach the top of the Kuang Si waterfalls, before beginning the final descent to the base of the cascades. You then enjoy a moment of relaxation and swimming in the natural pools with turquoise and crystal-clear waters. You also visit the Southeast Asian black bear conservation center. You have your countryside lunch in the form of a picnic near the waterfalls.

Before heading back to the city, you take a detour of approximately 30 minutes to the Lao Buffalo Dairy. This visit allows you to learn more about the situation of buffalo in Laos and the care provided to them.

The farm participates in prevention and breeding programs, conducted in collaboration with local breeders, in order to contribute to the development of herds. Buffalo calves are particularly vulnerable at birth due to insufficient access to nutrients. The farm also develops activities around milk and cheese production. During the visit, you can get close to the buffalo and bottle-feed the young animals. You finish with a tasting of artisanal ice cream made from buffalo milk, offered in different flavors depending on the season: fruits, sesame or lemongrass.

You then return to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day freely to relax.

Dinner is on your own, with the option to dine at your lodge's restaurant.

After breakfast, you are transferred at 8 a.m. to the airport to take your flight to Paksé, in southern Laos. Upon arrival, you are welcomed by an English-speaking guide with extensive knowledge of the region. After a quick lunch, you set off to discover the Bolovens Plateau.

You discover a region dotted with waterfalls and coffee and tea plantations, cultivated on its fertile lands. During this visit, you also have the opportunity to taste tea and coffee produced locally.

Your discovery of the Bolovens Plateau continues with a first stop at the Phasuam Falls, then at the Tad Lo Falls. You then head to Thatheng, where you meet several ethnic villages, notably Lao Loum, Taoy and Lavenh. Your itinerary also takes you to the Maisavanh farm, engaged in sustainable and community development alongside the villagers of the region. Initially developed around mulberry silkworm farming for silk production, the farm has diversified with insect farming and the production of organic products, notably sacha inchi and various varieties of tea. This visit allows you to discover sustainable and ecological practices implemented in collaboration with local communities.

At the end of the day, you return to your hotel located near Paksong, in the heart of the Boloven Plateau. You settle into your accommodation and enjoy its natural setting to quietly end this discovery day.

Free dinner at the resort restaurant.

After breakfast, you depart around 8 am towards Paksong, the starting point of your adventure. You board Soviet or Chinese Jeeps to travel across the Boloven Plateau, between rivers, villages, tracks and coffee plantations. Your first stop is at Jhai Coffee House, where you taste a cup of coffee. You then continue on the road for approximately 30 minutes until Tad Moun waterfall. Along the way, you observe different vegetable crops: cucumbers, ginger, cabbage, lettuce and other vegetables. You continue on a track for approximately 30 minutes to reach Khamsone coffee plantation. This visit immerses you in the world of coffee and concludes with a tasting of several varieties, including Robusta, Arabica and Typica.

You have lunch at the farm, accompanied by tea and fruits.

You then continue on the road for approximately one hour to reach a Laven minority village, whose daily life is mainly based on agriculture. After an additional 30 minutes, you reach a Suay village, where you discover traditional homes. Generally built from bamboo and consisting of a single room, they combine sleeping, dining and kitchen areas and can accommodate several generations of the same family.

You then stop at Lao Ngam market, before heading to your accommodation with a local family.

Dinner and night at the farm.

After breakfast, you head out to discover the Tad Fane twin waterfalls, before traveling towards Champassak. Late morning, you visit the village and observe its old houses, some of which are now abandoned. You have lunch at the Nakorn Café Guesthouse & Restaurant, located on the banks of the Mekong.

The afternoon is dedicated to exploring the Vat Phou temple, a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2011. After visiting this pre-Angkorian style sanctuary, you continue with a visit to its museum. You then return to your guesthouse and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. You can also treat yourself to a massage and spa treatment at Champassak Spa, to be booked the day before.

In the evening, you have the option to enjoy a sunset cruise, accompanied by an aperitif.

Dinner on your own and overnight stay in Champassak.

After breakfast at the hotel, you head south to Ban Hat Xay Khun, where you board a motorized pirogue to reach the 4,000 islands of the Mekong River. Along the way, you stop at Taoy de Ban Nong Beung, a village renowned for its wood carvings. You then continue your journey to Done Khong, where you have lunch at a local restaurant.

You then join the islands of Done Det and Done Khone, marked by their colonial past. You discover their buildings, the port connecting the two islands as well as the former railway used to transport goods across the cataracts.

After settling into your room, you set off on a bike ride at the island's leisurely pace to reach the Lippi Falls, known locally as Tad Sompamit.

You then return to the hotel and enjoy free time to stroll at your own pace, on foot or by bike. You also have the option to go in search of Irrawaddy dolphins. However, their observation cannot be guaranteed, as these wild animals are not always present in the area.

Dinner free, with the option to dine at your resort's restaurant.

After breakfast, you rejoin the mainland and take the road in the direction of Khone Phapheng Falls, located further south, near the border with Cambodia. You take time to discover these waterfalls before continuing your itinerary. You are then transferred to the Lao-Cambodian border. After completing the exit formalities from Laos, you say goodbye to your Laotian guide before continuing your journey to Cambodia.