Impressions Of Laos (10 days/9 nights)

On arrival in Vientiane Capital, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Vientiane is a charming and fascinating capital with an interesting mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, Soviet and American influences. A city tour acquaints us with the capital and after freshening up, you start visiting some the major sights including the oldest temple Wat Sisaket- an amazing structure featuring remarkable frescoes and Buddha images and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. Enroute to Lao's national precious heritage, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, you will have the opportunity to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument which is well known as Vientiane's own Arc de Triumph. Overnight in Vientiane.

The journey northwards begins as you board our flight to Luang Namtha- a province sharing its border with China and Myanmar. Luang Namtha is located on the banks of the Namtha River is a land of rugged mountains and beautiful tropical forests. Today, Luang Namtha is populated with over twenty ethnic groups, making this region one of the most ethnically diverse provinces in Laos. No activities are planned for the rest of the day, so you can stroll around the town or just relax at the riverside retreat until the briefing about our upcoming trekking days. Overnight in Luang Namtha.

Heading out of the town, you take a short drive to Ban Chalernsuk- a Khmu minority village 20 kilometres away from Luang Namtha. You get well and truly off the beaten track as we trek into this beautiful mountain region, using the local tracks. Today, trekking may be tough at times with some steep uphill and down hill climbs, but the experience is unique and rewarding. The friendly Khmu hill tribe resides in this area; they have a primitive and basic lifestyle. You arrive at Ban Nalan in the late afternoon. Here, you have a chance to understand a little more about the local culture and their daily lifestyle as we spend time with a Khmu family. You enjoy a local dinner and reside as guests at the Khmu family house- the best way to experience authentic village life. The accommodation is simple dormitory style, no western facilities. Overnight in home stay.

Today, trekking leads you along the bank of the river to Ban Namkoy, passing picturesque landscape of forests and rice fields. The forests here vary from a few isolated trees to overgrown bamboo. On arrival at Ban Namkoy, you embark on a three-hour walk uphill. This trek is a real challenge; however, some prior physical preparation will enable you to maximize your enjoyment from the walk. As you pass through several hamlets, you are sure to attract attention from the locals as visitors do not frequently encounter this remote part of the country. At the small village of Ban Namlu, you meet up with our truck and drive back towards Luang Namtha town. Overnight in Luang Namtha.

Early this morning, you travel by road to Moung Sing- is home of various hill tribe communities. There is also a significant Chinese population and a lot of trade goes on between here and China. You stop along the way at the Akha hill tribe village. This ethnic group originally lived in China but immigrated into Laos over a century ago. They are very poor, but have a vibrant culture and an interesting history. You depart this village, head to westbound, travel over bumpy roads to Chinese border, stroll around and visit hill tribe villages. In late afternoon, you drive back to Muong Sing with a stopover at the Lantern minority village. Overnight at Moung Sing.

In the early morning, you visit the bustling colorful Morning Market and the impressive ethnologic museum, dedicated to region's ethnic minorities. You then continue go to Oudomxay. Your splendid journey downhill passes numerous small villages en-route visit Khmu and Lantere. On arrival at Oudomxay, you will be transferred to your hotel before you commence your sightseeing tour of the town to visit the stupa of Santhiphap that overlooks this bustling center of local trade and commerce. Overnight in Oudomxay.

You depart early for our drive to Nong Khiow where you board a traditional boat down the Nam Ou River to Luang Prabang. This tranquil town with its gleaming temple roofs, fading colonial architecture and stunning mountain backdrop has been claimed by UNESCO to be"the best preserved traditional city in South East Asia". En route, you visit the mysterious Pak Ou Caves where thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues are crammed into the two caves carved out of a towering limestone cliff. You go down river to Ban Sang Hay village to sample the local rice wine known as Lao Lao. You arrive at Luang Prabang in the late afternoon and go to the hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast,you explore some of the major sights in this fabulous city, including the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun, the shrine of Wat Aham, and the city's oldest temple of Wat Sene and Wat Mai. You visit these sights as well as the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong. Its exterior architecture is remarkable with decorated gilded stuccoes and doorways, a "tree of life" mosaic pattern set in colored glass on the back wall and its three tiered roofs sweeping low to the ground representing classical Laotian architecture. A visit to Luang Prabang would be incomplete without ascending 329 steps to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa and to enjoy a beautiful sunset view of the city and its glowing reflection on the Mekong River. From there, you explore the Night Market where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, you leave this charming city in the early morning for our journey to Vang Vieng. Your journey will be strenuous as we drive along one of the most scenic but also one of the roughest routes in Asia. In the afternoon, you arrive in Vang Vieng, a small and tranquil town which is nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. Its stunning scenery with a mixture of quiet water and limestone outcrops remains unspoiled despite recent developments with the advent of tourism. Overnight in Vientiane.

After breakfast, transfer to visit Organic Mulberry Farm and Tham Jang cave, once local hid inside during the Indochina War. Then transfer to Vientiane for take your flight to home. Tour ends.