Luang Prabang and Elephant riding

Tour type: Highlight Tours

Duration: 4 days / 3 nights

Operate: year around

• Itinerary
• Photos
• Similar Tours

• Overview

  Unlike other alluring destinations in Southeast Asia, where legions of fellow travelers can overwhelm the integrity of the place itself, Luang Prabang still feels fresh. A town on the make. A city yet to be discovered.Once the royal capital of Laos, Luang Prabang nestles up against the milk coffee-colored Mekong River. Its wats, the architecture of its royal palaces and its ubiquitous wooden houses create a timeless ambiance that almost feels forgotten though hardly woebegone.<br><br>UNESCO declared this “delightful little town” as the French naturalist-explorer Henri Mouhot knew it, a World Heritage Site in 1995. The town’s Buddhist aura emanates from a plethora of irresistible wats, or pagodas, and from a daily, early morning trudge for alms through town by saffron-robed monks.Today, the royal palace is a museum, housing holy icons, paintings and china. Another, more fantastic collection of relics lies upstream along the Mekong in the Pak Ou Caves. At the Mekong’s confluence with the Nam Ou, a cave in a bluff on the river keeps a pantheon of small Buddhist statues.UNESCO hailed Luang Prabang as the “the best preserved city in Asia” when the organization inscribed the destination in 1995. Nothing has changed about that since.

  Itinerary

  Day 1. Arrival – Luang Prabang

  Upon 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. After a short rest, we visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai. We then ascent up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a beautiful sunset view of the city and the Mekong River. From there, we explore the Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by the local and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.

   Overnight in Luang Prabang

  Day 2. Luang Prabang – Pak Ou cave – Khouangsi waterfall (B/…/…)

  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.

  AM:    After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a panaromic view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims.  Along the way, we stop at the small village of Ban Xanghai, where the local rice wine is distilled. We return to Luang Prabang in the afternoon.

  PM:     We continue our excursion toward Khouangsi Waterfall, en route, we visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Hmong Village, Ban Ou, Laoloum Village and Ban Thapene, Khmu Village, then drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can splash around in the turquoise pools or walk along the forest trails. The Khouangsi Waterfall setting really illustrates paradise. We return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon and continue to Ban Xangkhong, a village well known for silk handweaving and for traditional Saa Paper making. We return to the city by late evening to observe the sunset at Wat Siphouthabath.

  Overnight in Luang Prabang

  Day3.   Luang Prabang – Elephant Camp– Luang Prabang (Elephant ride + Soft Trekking) (B/L/…)

  Elephant and soft hiking tour to Khamu village

  (Walking time total 3 hrs. (easy), in dry season Tad Sae waterfall is dry)

  After arriving at the All Lao Service, you will experience the protected Elephants at the “Elephant Park Project” along the Nam Khan riverbanks. You can enjoy the 1 hr. Elephant ride on the back of a protected Asian Elephant. 
  A short and easy hiking tour will lead you out into the Fair Trek project area where villages profit directly from your visit. A small Khamu community lives below a high rising mountain range. Depending on the time available your Lao style Lunch will be served at Ban Houay Fai and return to Tad Sae waterfall, boat ride back to All Lao Services. Your car will bring you back to Luang Prabang.

  Overnight in Luang Prabang
  

  Day 4.   Luang Prabang – departure (B/…/…)

  After breakfast we visit The National Museum (close Tuesday) at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artefacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign, Also the Central Market is not to be missed. After visiting these sights in the morning, you have free time to explore the town and stroll around the shopping area. The tour ends after your transfer to the airport for departure

  Inclusion

  v  Private transportation in private air-conditioned

  v  Accommodation in twin shared 

  v  Private boat trip as stated in above sights

  v  English speaking guide

  v  Admission fee to indicated sights

  v  Meals: daily breakfast at hotel

  v  Gov’t tax and service charge

  v  Luggage handling

  v  2 bottles of drinking water per day during the tour

  v  2 cold tower per day during the tour

  Exclusion

  v  Visa stamping fee into Laos

  v  Domestic airticket with airport tax

  v  Int’l air tickets to / from Laos

  v  Travel Insurance in all kinds

  v  Meals:lunch or dinner where not stated

  v  Single room (quoted separately)

  v  Tip, drinks, personal expenses and others

  Special Notes

  TOUR COST : net per person in US $ ( applied for group of 6 pax up at 3* - superior hotel )

  List of hotels recommended by VNR Travel:

  Places	Luxury	Deluxe	Superior
  Luang Prabang	Villa Maly Hotel	Villa Santi Hotel	Sala Prabang

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