In the Heart of Laos

Our English-speaking guide picks us up at our hotel at 7am. Together, we hurry towards the enchanting pier of Luang Prabang. We will take a public boat there to Pakbeng around 8am. We thus set off for an idyllic river cruise on the Mékong.

After breakfast, we head to the market where local communities come and go.

Possibility to visit an elephant camp to learn more about the living conditions of these pachyderms. You can in particular witness the daily bath. (Optional activity)

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 to have lunch at a local restaurant. Possibly, we will have our meal in Oudomxay – at the humble Kanyas restaurant – but only if time permits.

From a global point of view, Oudomxay is very marked by Chinese influence: in terms of its urban landscape, its population but also its economy. We appreciate the viewpoint at the top of the Phou That mountain crowned with its splendid stupa. From up there, the panorama is impressive. It is also interesting to stroll around its PMC (Productivity and Marketing Center) and admire the magnificent displays of local products: handmade textiles, massage oils, extra pure honey, etc. It is a calm city where houses are lined up like an upscale neighbourhood and where inhabitants live at a placid and peaceful pace.

We drop our bags at our hotel and if we feel like it, we will go relax our muscles at the Red Cross centre. You can enjoy a relaxing massage and an herbal sauna there. (Optional)

We settle at our hotel. The guide offers us a massage at the Red Cross centre which has a traditional herbal sauna. Access is to be paid on site.

3-day trekking: A nature expedition where we will brave through jungle, rice fields, and valleys. This will allow us to meet the famous Khmu ethnic group and other minority villages, as well as stroll through Phasingkham cave.

At 8 a.m., we quickly set off accompanied by our guide. It will take half an hour drive to reach our destination: Ban Samakhixay.

For this first episode, we enhance our progression with a picnic in the middle of green countryside.

In the afternoon, we resume our journey and make a short stop at the Luang cave. As evening falls, we arrive at the village of Ban Thanongpor. We make haste to meet the inhabitants, their Khmu culture, and their traditions.

We make the most of the rest of the evening with total immersion in the daily life of our hosts. Moreover, we participate in traditional games. We get our hands dirty preparing dinner, feeding the animals and chatting with the locals.

Dinner and overnight stay with a host family put an end to this first day of trekking.

After breakfast in our Khmu village, we set off again to trek through a lush and verdant forest. As yesterday, we organize a small countryside picnic for lunch.

Once we arrive in the Ban Phavie hamlet, we settle in to spend the night there. The locals are great lovers of life. It's easy to get along with them. Caught up in a languid atmosphere, we let ourselves be tempted by a game of Kataw: the popular local footvolley.

We start the last day of our trek with a hearty breakfast. Refreshed and energized, we take a short detour to the waterfalls of Houay Khai for a dip in clear and refreshing water.

We head back to Ban Phavie to resume our journey, this time to Muang La.

Lunch will be enjoyed along the way. We conclude our three days of trekking by taking a car that will drive us to this beautiful town. Its natural setting is charming. What makes it special: its hot springs, the Phasingkhma sanctuary, and village life along Nam Phak.

We then continue our journey by car to Muang Khua. Arrival: late afternoon. Located on the banks of the Nam Ou River, this village has a particular charm. It is true that there is little to do there. Nevertheless, it is pleasant if only for its few hidden villages on the outskirts: Akha, Khmu, Tai Dam. Often, tourists come to this remote corner of Laos to catch the bus to Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam or to embark on an exciting trek to Phongsaly.

For our part, this locality will be our welcoming inn after our long journey. We settle into our guesthouse, dine there and spend the night.

After breakfast in Muang Khua, we board for a descent of the Nam Ou River towards Muang Ngoi. We let ourselves be gently rocked by soft ripples for 3 to 4 hours.

On several occasions, we stop at Hmong and Khmu riverside villages.

Along the way, we leave our boat as soon as we arrive 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.

Once our destination is reached – Muang Ngoi – we immediately fall under the spell of its spectacular karst massifs.

We will have our lunch wherever the wind takes us. And in the afternoon, free time. We set off to wander through the village on foot or by bike. Both options are possible.

We set off on a new hike towards the high hills. Along the way, we visit the Tham Kang caves nestled in a sublime karst landscape, which served as a shelter for locals during the Indochina War.

During the day, we reach the Khmu village of Ban Kioukhan, where we will spend the night.

Once breakfast is over, our hours of hiking resume in earnest as we head towards another Khmu village: Ban Hadsaphai. This one is located on the banks of the Nam Ou river.

We then return toMuang Ngoi by slow boat. It is ideal for contemplating the majestic karst massifs of the region.

After lunch, let's board the ferry to reach Nong Khiau. You should plan for 1 hour of navigation before arriving in this locality.

This morning at 8am, we say goodbye to Nong Khiau. We take the road to reach the small town of Ban Nam Yang. A crafts center is located there: the Ban Leu Handcrafts where many cotton products are sold

Upon arrival, we visit the crafts center: the Ban Leu Handcrafts where many cotton products are sold. During the day, we will stay there to learn about manual cotton spinning methods. This workshop will allow us to understand in detail the fabric manufacturing process. This remote locality is worth the detour for its quality craftsmanship, its support for the local economy, and its promotion of local crafts.

In the afternoon, we drive back to Luang Prabang.

Dinner is at your leisure; we recommend the restaurant Pha Khao Lao, a restaurant with local flavors particularly featuring culinary specialties from Luang Prabang.

In good spirits, we will try this evening the culinary specialties of the famous Pha Khao Lao restaurant. Good Lao-Thai food is served there in a calm and intimate setting.

At dawn, a vehicle will pick us up to take us to the airport in the city of Luang Prabang. We will take a domestic flight to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

After a perfect landing, we are warmly welcomed by our personal host. He will suggest to us some exceptional sites in the region and places he considers essential. He will take us to meet locals and give us a unique human experience. The best part: he will take us off the beaten path and on customized routes. This is an on-the-spot adventure tailored to us and according to our wishes.

Lunch is free, your host will recommend restaurants according to your preferences.

This assigned host is not a tourism professional. He is a native, a naturalized resident, an expatriate or a foreigner living in Vientiane for ages. He stands out particularly for his knowledge and his deep love for the capital. Once satisfied, we return to our hotel to settle in and enjoy the rest of the evening. Vientiane reveals itself to be of stunning beauty at sunset. Rays of light with warm colors reflect romantically on the Mekong River. We enjoy wandering through the night market and Chao Anouvong Park.

Hotel check-in and free evening. Enjoy the sunset over the [Mekong](modal: mekong) while strolling through the night market or Chao Anouvong Park where locals love to gather…

Today, we're heading to the south of the country. Our guide gave us a meeting time of 7:30 AM. After departure, we are given details of our itinerary:

• stop in the city of Paksane to admire the temples of Wat Phabath and Wat Phonsane

• visit to the city of Pak Kading with its Nam Kading river, its wooded valley, its high hills and its imposing limestone formations. Lunch is on your own en route.
  

We arrive in Konglor in early afternoon. Check-in at the lodge, then visit by pirogue of the [Kong Lor](modal:Kong Lor Cave) caves, through the underground river of Hinboun and by torchlight. The depths of the cave are of indescribable splendor with its ceiling reaching 100 meters high in some places, sand banks and strange rock formations.

We wake up early to have our breakfast.

Thakhek is where we will go today, via the towns of Lak Sao and Thalang.

Before entering the small town of Thakhek, we stop for a moment to observe the region: karst cliffs and caves as far as the eye can see.

We take advantage of our vehicle to continue to the cave of Tham Pa Fa, 15 km from the city. It is one of the most sacred places of Buddhism in Laos. There are approximately 200 Buddha statues there.

Free evening dedicated to discovering Thakhek. We are taken to the hotel. For the rest of the time, we wander around to admire its well-maintained colonial buildings and to lose ourselves in its calm and peaceful atmosphere.

Free dinner, and night. We recommend to you, on the banks of the Mekong River, the restaurant "Smile Boat",

After breakfast our adventure towards Savannakhet. We take a country road along the Mekong River. A long journey in duration but delightful for the landscape around.

Free lunch on the way or upon arrival at destination.

We make the most of this trip. 6 km from our destination, we stop to admire the Stupa Sikhottabong. It is an eminent temple of Laos. Nestled on the banks of the Mekong, it was restored in the 16th century. It is a major pilgrimage site for believers and every year, an important festival is held there in February. One of its temple halls has an imposing statue of seated Buddha built by King Anouvong.

Not far from Savannakhet, we will tour the That Ing Hang pagoda, another exceptional place of Buddhist religion. Built more than 450 years ago, it is said to contain the remains of Buddha.

End of day is free. We stroll along the banks of the Mekong. We walk through the old quarter. The sunset view is both idyllic and languorous. A little tour around the main square revives us.

Let us indulge in the delights of Sooksavan Cafe and Bistro. The marriage between Thai cuisine and Lao desserts is simply exquisite there. We complete this beautiful evening stroll with a few glasses of Beerlao at the Sooksavan Bar. Perfect plan to let ourselves be lulled by the flow of the Mekong.