Luang Prabang & Oudomxay

Upon arrival, pick up and transfer to visit the National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture throughout the ages and Wat Mai. You then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred, gilded stupa as well as capture a beautiful view of the city and the Mekong River at sunset. From there, you visit the Night Market, where you can browse through a lovely selection of handmade textiles.

Enjoy a short-guided tour of the city's oldest temple, Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong where you can see the impressive “tree of life” mosaic set in colored glass. We then board an upstream cruise on the Mekong River, which gives a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside. Stop to visit the Pak Ou Caves, sanctuaries consisting of two large caverns, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images and also visit a few villages during the day, including Ban Muangkeo where the local rice wine is produced. In the afternoon, head out of town to the beautiful Kuang Si Fall. En route, stop to visit some ethnic minority villages and see how these colorful people live. Continue to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfalls where you can swim in the turquoise pools or walk along forest paths.

Catch the express train to Oudomxay. Oudomxay is home to 23 ethnic minority groups. Upon arrival, you will be met by our staff and transferred to the jungle resort Namkat Yolapa. After checking into the hotel, you will enjoy a short trek through the jungle to Namkat waterfall. Take your time at the waterfall before returning to the hotel.

Transferring to Pak Khai, this pleasant journey gives wonderful views across the River Nam Pak, terraced rice fields and the small villages along the banks of the river. On arrival, start your trek along a mountain trail which follows a mountain stream meandering through the lush vegetation. You will also meet the local farmers working in their rice fields and learn how they cultivate their lands, hunt for small game and fish in the mountain stream, before you enter into the tropical rainforest. After that, leave the forest and arrive in the village of Ban Phavie, a beautiful Khamu village which sits on the top of a hill.

Transfer to Pakabeng. On the way, stop at the pottery village of Ban Yor and some tribal minority villages. The most numerous in the area are the Lao, then the Khammu and H’mong. Only the senior members of the latter still wear traditional clothes and hairstyles, often combined with modern garments. The other inhabitants are now all dressed in western style. The houses, in contrast, continue to be built according to tradition, and it is interesting to see how each ethnic group differs from the others in both the conception of home and all the rituals and customs related to daily life: Initiation into adulthood, marriage, work, celebrations, funerals.

Take a boat for the Mekong upstream cruise. On the way, the boat will take its first stop in a Hill tribe village along the Mekong River. Our guide will explain the way of living and the origins of these rural populations. Next, stop in Pak Tha, to have necessary boat documents signed. After lunch, you will be free to relax and taste local flavors with seasonal snacks and drinks. The boat will arrive in Huayxay before sunset, the tour will be ended by a drop-off at the border of Lao & Thailand.