This morrning, we will wake up at around 05:30 am - 06:30 am depending on seasons to prepare for the most sacred tradition of Laos, the daily morning alms giving, which dates to the 14th century. More than 200 Buddhist monks depart from various temple to gather their daily meal from the faithful residents sitting quietly on the streets.
From there, we will visit the temporary morning market near the former Royal Palace. Just set on the ground, the local people come here to barter their day’s catch from rice, to vegetable, to fish, or chicken. This is the best chance to experience the taste of local life
After having breakfast at hotel, we will make a visit to the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene. Next, we embark on the leisurely cruise upstream on the Mekong River, giving us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside, before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, a 16th century cave monastery filled with thousands of Buddha images, which locates 25 Kilometers North of Luang Prabang in the limestone cliffs overlooking the Mekong river.
En route, you will stop at Ban Muang Keo, a well-known village for its traditional Lao rice whisky distilling. You will arrive back in Luang Prabang.
On the way back to Luang Prabang, we visit the magnificent Wat Xiengthong a superb piece of Lao temple architecture, which presents a sweeping two-tiered roof and ornate mosaics including a beautiful ‘tree of life ‘glass montage on the rear temple wall. Our last stop is the Traditional Art and Ethnology Center (closed on Monday) to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures.
After tour, we come back to hotel and relax for the whole evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang
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- Pak Ou Caves
Mr.Pierre Gosselin
08/02/2017This trip included a stop in Siem Reap because my wife had never been to Angkor Wat. The hotel was very conveniently located walking distance from The Old Market. Stops in Phnom Penh and Vientiane were short and although interesting are not worth return trips. Again the hotels were conveniently located,… More This trip included a stop in Siem Reap because my wife had never been to Angkor Wat. The hotel was very conveniently located walking distance from The Old Market. Stops in Phnom Penh and Vientiane were short and although interesting are not worth return trips. Again the hotels were conveniently located, clean and comfortable.
The bulk of our trip was spent in Luang Prabang and near Champassak/Pakse. Luang Prabang is a wonderful city on the Mekong. The hotel staff was very helpful and friendly. In our travels in south Laos, Bolaven plateau, Champassak, Done Khong and Done Daeng, we stayed at different hotels each night. They were unique and comfortable but we did have issues with the Sinouk Coffee resort which I will detail in a separate review. Our guide was exceptional. Champou was knowledgeable, helpful and flexible and did all he could to make our trip more enjoyable and enlightening. We visited 4 different villages and a few local markets where we could get a real feel for the people. The landscape is gorgeous with numerous waterfalls at which he made sure we got to the best views of each.
All the hikes throughout the trip were easy to moderate, so comfortable walking or running shoes are adequate. The guides always provided water at the start of each hike, but if traveling on your own, bring water. Being January there was not much insect activity but you need repellent if you walk in the early mornings or near dusk, especially when near the rivers and streams.
Source: TripAdvisor Less
One thing not mentioned before our tip was that the cost of the visa in Cambodia is $30 US for one entry. Since we were flying in and out of Siem Reap (from Hong Kong), this was a total $120 cost which travelers should note.
Mr.Charles A Parker
02/02/2017Everything was exactly as described. Local operators all were really good.
In Luang Prabang, no times were given to us for when we would be picked up at the hotel. It would have been much better if these were on the itinerary. Sorting this out was a little messy.
Ms.Kathryn Bowyer
14/01/2017The boat trip was fantastic and we felt we had the best boat on the water.
The only change I would make to our itinerary is the bike trip in Vang Vieng, there are no nice bike trails there and the ride was really hard on rocky roads, this was not enjoyable at all!
The accommodation issue in Vang Vieng with the water was unpleasant but the place was nice to stay at.
It would… More The only change I would make to our itinerary is the bike trip in Vang Vieng, there are no nice bike trails there and the ride was really hard on rocky roads, this was not enjoyable at all!
The accommodation issue in Vang Vieng with the water was unpleasant but the place was nice to stay at.
It would have been good to know what name our booking was under as when we arrived at some places we said our name and they had no idea who were were. Less