HIGHLIGHTS OF LAOS
5 days | US$1480 | Stay and Play in Laos
Experice Laos, with its charming people, spiritual culture and picturesque scenery.
Day 1 VientianeSavour the deliciously relaxing pace of the only capital city in Asia where you could possibly still use this description. Tree-lined avenues dotted with brightly painted temples and quaint French architecture all inevitably lead to the banks of the Mekong River where sunset riverside beer gardens (by comparison to the streets of the city) buzz with energy. Vientiane has a gentle quietness that has mostly disappeared in other Asian cities.
To work up a deserving thirst you will visit Vat Sisaket, the only temple to survive the 1828 Siamese invasion un-sacked. (They are just across the Mekong!) Original wooden cloisters house 6,840 Buddha images in carved out wall niches and mural frescoes depicting the Buddha's journey to enlightenment. A reclining Buddha invites rain with a hand pointed down to the ground in the nearby Ho Phra Keo, formerly the royal temple of Lao monarchy. Now a museum housing sculptures and antique Buddhist artifacts Ho Phra Keo is famous for no longer containing the priceless Emerald Buddha which didn't survive the Siamese border raids and is now in Bangkok's Wat Phra Keo.
Reminisce the former French colonial grandeur as you drive by Patousay Gate, fashioned after Paris' Arc de Triomphe on your way to the landmark that Laotians hold as the real symbol of their country: the That Luang Stupa. King Setthathirath built this 45 meter tall gilded stupa in 1566 to house relics of Buddha in a form constructed to echo the curves of an elongated lotus.
Day 2 - 5 Luang Prabang, Khuanhg Xi Falls, Mekong River
Fly across the jungles of Laos to the former royal capital whose one hundred temple spires sparkle like diamonds set amidst a ring of emerald mountains.
Poetic words cannot do justice to this bastion of old Asia - the entire city now appropriately listed by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage wonder.
Explore the wonderful patchwork of traditional wooden houses, French villas and mosaic spired temples with the iconic curved roofs swooping low to the ground, in a guided tour of the most outstanding examples of these elegant architectural forms.
Take it all in from the vantage point of Vat Phousi Hill before experiencing details such as the five tiered roof of Vat Mai, the Sri Lankan influences in the Stupas of That Makmo, the city tutelary shrine at Vat Aham, and the 12-meter high funeral chariot and the erotic Ramayanan gilt panels of Vat Xieng Thong - "Vat" means temple in Laos as you have probably guessed.
Distributing alms to the streams of orange robed monks winding through temples luminous with the soft light of dawn is an experience not to be missed. Sampling the piquant combination of French and Laotian cuisine with a Beer Lao or a glass of French wine from a riverside café or sunset viewpoint, are other sensual delights. Then there's the fabulous spice and produce markets and the buzzing evening bazaar.
Excursions to the surrounding countryside will see you boating up the Mekong River to Pak Ou Cave crammed with thousands of Buddha statues; picnicking on the confluence of the Nam Ou River and motoring out to Ban Phanom, a Chinese descended hill tribe village famous for their hand-woven cloth.
A second day outing takes you to the tiered limestone pools of the Khuang Xi Waterfalls; to the Khmu minority village of Ban Thapaene; and the cloth and sa-paper-making villages of Ban Xom and Ban Xang Khong.
Get a last taste of royal living before transferring to the airport, as you tour the National Museum (formerly King's Palace) which displays the living quarters and personal artifacts of previous Laotian Royal Families.
Tour Inclusions
Tripcode: IELO5D08
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