Best Laos & Cambodia

13Days-12Nights

Best Laos & Cambodia

Day 01:
Arrive Luang Prabang, LAOS

On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Luang Prabang is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos. Overnight stay in Luang Prabang.

Day 02:
Luang Prabang sightseeing
Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Start our morning with a first visit to the Royal Palace Museum (Former King’s Palace) –The palace displays a lovely collection of personal artefacts of the Royal family, photos, musical instruments and gifts received from foreigners. Just cross the street is Mt Phusi where you challenge yourself for a climb of over 300 steps to the top overlooking the city of Luang Prabang. A terrace at the foot of the stupa offers an 360c panoramic view of the town overseen the gold shining roof top of Hor Prabang Museum and the Sisavangvong avenue where night market is held every night. We pay a visit to Xieng Thong temple, the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang with its mosaic decoration and the most important of Lao monasteries and remain a significant monument to the spirit of religion, traditional art and royalty. Last but not least, a visit to Wat Phabat Tai, a monastery complex built in the 17th century, a best place to view sunset if visiting in the evening. Overnight stay in Luang Prabang.

Day 03:
Buddha caves, Kwang Si waterfall
Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Embark on a traditional wooden boat upstream to visit the famous cave of Pak U cave, locally called Tham Ting. The caves locate just right on the cliff; it is very impressive and stunning. Inside the caves, there are more than hundreds of Buddha images, which have been bringing by local people since the early 16th century when the cave was found. Up the river for about five-minutes is Ban Muang Keo to spend sometimes walking around the village to witness slow lao lives where kids ae planning on the ground together with ducks, dogs, pigs, roosters. You may get to have sip of lao-lao (Lao Whiskey). 

Continue our visit in the afternoon to Kwang Si waterfall, located 30km south of Luang Prabang, these nice falls are getting downs as cascades on calcareous bedrock where they have scooped out small basins of turquoise color. Short trek around the fall is suggested. Just 300meters before entrance to the fall is the Butterfly Park, numerous Laotian butterflies set in a beautiful wet landscaped garden. Spend a few minutes at Bear Rescue Sanctuary to find out about “Free the Bears” program where you can also donate or buy souvenirs here to support the running of the project. On your way back to town, stop by at Laos Buffalo Dairy to try delicious cheesecake, Buffalo milk or Ice cream. Finally, a short walk around Hmong village at Ban Ouay to perhaps having a chit chat with Hmong children and photo their beautiful handicrafts.  Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 04:
Luang Prabang, Xieng Khuang
Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. From there you will visit the morning market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings.

We prepare to leave Luang Prabang early today for the long journey drive to Xieng Khuang province. Historically, Xieng Khuang is known not just the most heavily bombed province  during the secret war but it is also a home of Megalithic Jar Sites – PLAIN OF JARS – was recently recognized and inscribed by UNESSCO to be on the World Heritage List confirming the outstanding universal value of a cultural or natural property which requires protection for the benefit of all humanity, in late July 2019. Follow a twisty mountain route, we stop at Houi Hei for panoramic view of mountains and Ban Kiu Maknao 2, a Khmu Village before approaching Phou Khoun. If time permit, we stop for a visit to Buddha Cave – a reminder of Laos – once had played a major role during the Vietnam War. The place served as an army hospital. Arrive Phonsavanh town in the late afternoon and rest at leisure. Overnight stay in Phonsavanh.

*Recommendation: Bring warm clothes; this is a year-round cold region (especially at night).

Day 05:
Xieng Khuang plain of jars
Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Visit mysterious and ancient stone jars site1​ & Site2, these jars are apparently carved out of solid rock and scattered all over the plateau. The plain of Jars gets its name from more than 2,100 tubular-shaped megalithic stone jars used for funerary practices in the Iron Age. Next station is to stop by at the Mulberry farm, is popular for silkworm weaving and natural dyes center, most of the products are handmade and watch women work on their looms.

Afternoon, drop by at MAG Visitor Information Centre in Phonsavanh, the centre provides in-depth history into the intense bombing campaign, the legacy it left behind as the most densely bombed area per capita on earth, facts on the injuries and deaths UXOs continue to cause, diagrams of how cluster bombs work, and even a few diffused shells, the highlight, a one-hour unbiased documentary detailing the bombing’s background, appeals to an audience ranging from people born before the war, those who grew up during the era, and veterans who fought. Overnight stay in Phonsavanh.

Day 06:
Xieng Khuang, Vang Vieng
Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Breakfast, today we travel by roads to Vang Vieng. The journey is strenuous as we drive along one of the most scenic but rough routes in the whole of Asia. Vang Vieng is a town surrounded by mountains & rivers, nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. The main attractions are caves, Hmong villages, and the natural mountain scenery with a mixture of quiet water and limestone outcrops remains unspoiled, despite recent developments with the advent of tourism. Evening, embarking on the longtail motor boat for adventure ride to explore the beauty of nature and limestone karst on the side of the Nam Song river. 

Day 07:
Vang Vieng, Vientiane
Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Our first morning activity is embarking on the longtail motor boat for adventure ride to explore the beauty of nature and limestone karst on the side of the Nam Song river.  Next is to visit “Tham Jang cave”, it was once used as bunker in defense against marauding Jeen Hor (Yunanese Chinese) in the early 19th century.  Later, say good bye to Vang Vieng for the drive down south to Vientiane, stopping at Tha Heua, a small finishing village that specializes in dried fish, sour fish, and onward to Ban Keun (Salt mine) via Phone Hong town. Admire the beautiful scenic drive with the green beautiful rice paddy fields along the way. Stop at Tha Ngone for those who are interested in discovering of how local make “Kao Larm” (a mix of glutinous rice, coconut milk, sugar and roasted in bamboo tubes). Arrive Vientiane late afternoon check in and rest at leisure.

Day 08:
Vientiane sightseeing
Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Begin our day with an orientation walk of the Lao capital, strolling around some of the city’s most historical sites and observing some of the French colonial architecture and Buddhist temples such as Wat Ho Prakeo (formerly known as a house of Emerald Buddha), and Sisaket temple that features over thousands of Buddha images. On the main three-lined streets just the end of Lang Xang avenue is the Presidential Palace (Ho Kham) currently served as a house to welcome high-ranking international officials. The building was begun in 1973 by the Royal Lao Government on the grounds that use to house the royal residence.  (The building is closed to the public). We later pay a visit to That Luang Stupa, is a gold covered stupa. The stupa is believed to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. Yearly procession and ceremony are held to pay respect to the great stupa including alms giving, wax castle procession, traditional music and songs, Lao Hockey game, and night fare. A guided walk around the victory monument Pratuxai before proceeding to our last stop at local fresh fruit shake with selection of local fruit shakes, juice and ice lao coffee.

Day 09:
Arrive Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA
Breakfast at the hotel

Breakfast and free at your leisure until the transfer out to airport for flight to Cambodia. Arrive Phnom Penh in the afternoon. The city retains its traditional Khmer and colonial charm. French villas along tree-lined boulevards remind the visitor that the city was once considered the gem of Southeast Asia. Recent political changes have triggered an economic boom of sorts, with new hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs springing up around the city. Met our guide and transferred to hotel for check in then free for your own activities. Overnight stay in Phnom Penh.

Day 10:
Phnom Penh sightseeing
Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Visit to the Royal Palace compound build in 1866 by the Predecessors of King Norodom, is the most conspicuous feature and also one of impressive colorful Khmer-style Palaces. Nearside the Royal Palace is Silver Pagoda (The Emerald Buddha temple), display plenty of Buddha Statues that were decorated and made by diamond, emerald, gold and silver. Travelers will proceed to visit Independence Monument which was constructed in 1954 after Cambodian took their country back from French colony, continuing visit to National Museum, the distinctive red building with a beautiful Khmer architecture was built since 1917 and contains more than 5000 art objects made of sandstone, bronze, silver, copper, wood and others. Visit Wat Phnom Daun Penh – the name of a pagoda, was built by lady Daun Penh in 1372 on a little hill, Legend has it that after a particularly heavy flood, a wealthy Khmer woman named Daun Penh found a tree on the banks of the Mekong with four statues of Buddha hidden inside. Today Wat Phnom remains the highest artificial hill in Phnom Penh and the center of many forms of leisure activity. Visit the notorious Toul Sleng Museum. In 1975 Toul Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It soon became the largest such center of detention and torture in the country. Continue to visit Choeung Ek museum, between 1975 and 1978 about 17,000 men, women, children and infants detained and tortured at S-21 prison were transported to the extermination camp of Choeung Ek. Visit the Central Market and Russian Market to feel a bustling daily life of Cambodian people through local specialties. Overnight stay in Phnom Penh.

Day 11:
Phnom Penh, Sihanouk Ville
Breakfast at the hotel

Pick up by driver and drive towards Sihanouk Ville, which has long been a place of relaxation for Cambodians. Arrive in Sihanouk Ville we take fast boat to Koh Rong “Paradise Island”. Overnight stay in Koh Rong.

Day 12:
Koh Rong
Breakfast at the hotel

Enjoy a full day of sun or swimming in the warm coastal waters. This is the moment when the dream of going on vacation to an exotic land becomes reality. Overnight stay in Koh Rong.

Day 13:
Koh Rong, Phnom Penh, Departure
Breakfast at the hotel

Breakfast then transfer back to Phnom Penh airport for your next departure flight.

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