Discovery central and southern Laos

Vientiane arrival (D)

Upon your arrival, you will be greeted and transferred to the hotel.

You have the rest of the day to relax. Welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Vientiane.

Vientiane – City Tour – Buddha Park (B/L)

Waking up early allows you to visit the fascinating local market of Thongkhankham, meet locals, and discover a wide variety of strange and wonderful foods.

After breakfast, we will continue to explore the capital of Vientiane by visiting the major tourist sites of the capital, including the oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the ancient royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image.

En route to the precious national heritage of Laos: the famous sacred structure of That Luang. You will have the opportunity to take some photos of the Patuxay Monument, which is also known as the Arc de Triomphe of Vientiane.

The last visit of the day will be the COPE exhibition center, which summarizes the major problems the population faced daily during the bombing campaigns during the Vietnamese war.

An optional lunch can be taken at the excellent Mak Phet Restaurant, which helps disadvantaged young people embrace a career in the hospitality industry.

This afternoon, we will visit the eccentric but always impressive Buddha Park, a charming collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures on the banks of the Mekong.

They were created by a mysterious monk spreading his philosophy on life and revealing his ideas about the universe.

Back in Vientiane, we have the option to stop at the Center for Disabled Women, which offers valuable information on the schooling of disabled women in Laos.

A spectacular view of the Mekong River at sunset is a superb way to end the day. Lunch at a local restaurant. Dinner at leisure and overnight in Vientiane.

Vientiane – Hin Boun (B/L/D)

After breakfast, you will be picked up this morning at the hotel and transferred south on Route 13 to the central province of Laos, Khammoune.

En route we will stop at Prabaht Ponsan, a stupa dating from the 5th Century. It houses the footprint of Buddha, discovered in 1933, and is now an important religious site in Laos.

After lunch, we will continue into Khammoune province and into the mountainous region, a stop at a viewpoint near Khoun Kham offers stunning views of the surroundings. We will reach Ban Naphouak, where we will take a local boat on the Hin Boun River.

The upstream journey passes through karst rock landscapes as well as a number of villages with children waving and smiling at us.

We will reach our accommodation for the night, Sala Hin Boun, in the afternoon.

You have the rest of the day at leisure. Lunch and Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at Sala Hin-Boun.

Hin Boun – Kong Lor - Thakhek (B/L)

After breakfast at Sala Hin Boun, we will continue by boat upstream to the village of Kong Lor before taking a small boat to the famous Kong Lor cave.

We will navigate into the cave, which is over 7km long and discover a spectacular cavern, 100m high.

After lunch in an isolated village on the other side of the cave, we will return through the cave then transfer by car to the banks of the Mekong to the city of Thakek in the early evening. Dinner at leisure and overnight in Thakek.

Thakhek – Buddha Cave (B/L)

After breakfast, we will depart for Thakek by tuk-tuk, to see the old French railway line that was destined for Vietnam but was never completed.

We will continue through impressive landscapes to arrive in the village of Ban Xang Nakhang and meet the village guides who will accompany us on this hike.

Passing through the secondary forest, the guide will show us the forest products that form an important part of the local people's food resources.

Passing through a cave, you will enter a valley with imposing cliffs.

The trail follows the edge of Nong Thao Lake where you can see local fishermen fishing. Arriving at the Nong Tham Paseum cave, more adventurous swimmers can explore the cave.

The cave is 400 meters long and contains gigantic stalactites and stalagmites.

Back in daylight, the journey continues to the famous Khammouane Buddha cave for a traditional lunch of Mekong fish, sticky rice, and spicy papaya salad.

After lunch, visit the Tham Pa Fa cave which was rediscovered in April 2004. The cave contains 229 bronze Buddhas dating back more than 300 years!

If the weather permits, canoe trip below the waterfall.

Your guide will accompany you to the village and on another road through the forest, and you will return to Thakek in the afternoon. Dinner at leisure and overnight in Thakek.

Note: moderate hike, a good level of physical fitness is required. During the rainy season (May - September), the program may be modified without prior notice to respect local conditions.

Thakhek – Pakse (B/L)

After breakfast, we depart from Thakek south to Pakse.

En route, we will stop in Savannakhet to visit the sacred Inhang stupa, as well as the interesting small dinosaur museum!

We arrive in Pakse in the late afternoon. Lunch at a local restaurant. Dinner at leisure and overnight in Pakse.

Pakse - Tadlo (B/L/D)

After breakfast, head east to the Bolovens Plateau.

The Bolovens Plateau is known for its cooler temperature, being located above the Mekong Valley. The area is famous for its many waterfalls and we will visit the most beautiful, Tad Fan. This waterfall is spectacular with its double falls plunging into a deep gorge surrounded by lush vegetation.

A trip to the plateau offers a refreshing break and allows you to observe the cultivation of coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas and other crops that can be seen along the way.

This trip offers visitors the chance to venture off the beaten path and discover some lesser-known regions of Laos, exploring the wild beauty of this southern region.

In the afternoon, we arrive at Tad Lo, another magnificent waterfall hosting many minority groups such as Alak, ESN, and Katu on its banks.

Overnight at Tad Lo Lodge, located next to the magnificent waterfall.

Lunch and Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Tadlo.

Tadlo – Kingfisher (B/L/D)

After breakfast, we continue our visit to the Bolevan plateau and visit the Pha Suam waterfall and explore the villages of the Laos Teung minorities.

We will continue the journey by road to Xe Pian National Park or Kingfisher Ecolodge where you have the rest of the afternoon to yourself.

Lunch and Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Kingfisher.

Kingfisher – Elephant Safari (B/L)

After breakfast, you will participate in a day of elephant-back jungle safari adventure, as explorers often did during their journeys.

From atop your elephant, you will have a unique vantage point of the forests that characterize the Xe Pian protected area, you will experience the jungle environment and the sounds of cicadas and birds will accompany you along the way.

After two to three hours of travel (depending on the route and weather conditions) you will leave your elephant and, after letting them roam free to feed in the forest, our guide will serve you a delicious picnic.

After resting and watching the elephants forage for food, you will continue your safari on the way back to the village; expected arrival around 4:00 PM.

Dinner at leisure and overnight in Kingfisher.

Kingfisher – Khone Island (B/L)

After breakfast, we depart from Kingfisher and Xe Pian then transfer by road to the 4000 Islands area. Board a boat to Khone Island to retrace the French colonial past, where some old colonial houses are the last testimony along with the first railway in Laos and its locomotive.

We will continue our exploration of Khone Island on foot and visit the beautiful Liphi waterfall, also known as Samphamith, which forms a natural border between Laos and Cambodia.

If we are lucky, we may spot rare freshwater dolphins, the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins at Ban Hang Khone.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Dinner at leisure and overnight on Khone Island.

Khone Island – Khone Phapeng – Vat Phou – Don Daeng (B/L/D)

This morning, after breakfast, we will head to the famous Khone Phapeng waterfall - the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia, also known as the "Niagara of the East". We will then head north by road and across the Mekong by boat to visit the pre-Angkorian and fascinating ruins of Vat Phu, one of the most considerable temples in Southeast Asia. To end the day, we will travel by boat to Don Daeng Island.

Lunch and Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight on Don Daeng Island.

Don Daeng / Free day (B)

Today, after breakfast, you have a free day at leisure, to relax by the pool or take bicycles to explore the island and its charming small villages. Lunch and Dinner at leisure. Overnight in Don Daeng.

Don Daeng – Pakse – Departure (B)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Pakse to the airport for your departure flight.