LAO05: LAOS AT GLANCE (LUANG PRABANG – VIENTIANE)(5D4N)

On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. This evening is free for you to explore and get to know Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

This morning we head out to Living Land Farm, a working community farm approximately 5 kms outside the town. There you will learn all about the rice growing process and have an opportunity to participate in seasonal farm activities such as identifying viable rice seeds, ploughing with a buffalo, hand planting, weeding and harvesting rice and threshing rice seed.

This afternoon we will see some of the highlights of Luang Prabang including a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts from the Royal period in Luang Prabang. We are seeing the city’s oldest temples, the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roof sweeping low to the ground, representing classical Lao architecture, the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham.

We end the day by climbing up Mount Phousi to explore the sacred gilded stupa and to enjoy the panoramic view of the city and the sun setting over the Mekong River. Descanting the mountain your will find yourself in the midst of the famous Luang Prabang Night Market, where you can find a unique selection of handmade textiles and handicrafts locally made by both ethnic Lao and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Free until transfer to airport for Vientiane. Arriving in Vientiane you will be transferred to your hotel for check in. Time permitting (depending on your arrival time). You are seeing the major temples of Vientiane including the oldest, Wat Sisaket, with its thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit the national icon of Laos, That Luang Stupa, stopping along the way to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph, from there you visit COPE Center. The COPE was created in response to the need to provide UXO survivors with the care and support they required, namely by way of orthotic and prosthetic devices. This museum was set after in 1997 to help covering the victim during Indochina war.

We will end up on the waterfront with its many restaurants, bars and Night Market for you to explore. Overnight in Vientiane

This morning you will visit the main shopping district and Vientiane’s Central Market, Talad Sao. We drive south from Vientiane city to see the Buddha Park, an enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures set in parkland on the banks of the Mekong close to the Friendship Bridge. Here we find over 200 religious images dating back some 500 years faithfully recreated by a mysterious Buddhist monk

Returning to the hotel your afternoon is free to relax or take in some more sights of Vientiane and enjoy the sunset over a few drinks on the riverfront. Overnight in Vientiane

Depending on your flight, you may have time at leisure before you will be transferred to the airport in time for your departing flight.

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!