Leisure Cruise in the Mekong River 5 Days

Day 1: Chiang Rai/Houeisay/Pakbeng (D, G)

After passing through immigration in Thailand side, you will cross the Mekong River to Houei Say in Laos where your Lao guide will be waiting for you at the immigration point. After completing border formalities, you board a ready traditional boat for the trip down the Mekong River. As your journey downriver you will stop at some tribal minority villages such as the Hmong, Yao and Khmu. Upon arrival in Pakbeng, you will visit a local market; experience daily lifestyle of colorful hill tribe traders exchanges their goods. You will spend the night in a beautiful lodge overlooking the Mekong River.

Day 2: Pakbeng/Pak Ou Cave/Luang Prabang

After breakfast, you will sail downriver as a second leg, you will pass areas of un-spoilt forest with little villages along the riverbanks and perhaps the odd elephant or two with his mahout. You will visit a fishing village and a rice winemaking village and perhaps even taste some of the infamous beverage known as Lao Rice wine. You also visit the Pak-Ou caves, where thousands of Buddha statues are stored. You arrive in Luang Prabang around sunset and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day will be free to wander around the Nigh Market offering handmade textiles woven by local people and ethnic minority communities. You will spend the night in Luang Prabang.

Day 3: Luang Prabang City Tour and Kuangsi Waterfall (B, L, G)

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will visit the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Visoun, Wat Mai temple and the ‘Day Market’.

After lunch, you will drive out of town to experience local lifestyle of nearby villagers and visit the most beautiful waterfall in Luang Prabang. On the way, you visit Phosi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. You will also stop at the weaving village of Ban Phanom which are populated by Lao ethnic minority groups. You will spend time at the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can splash around in the turquoise pools or walk along the forest paths before returning to Luang Prabang city by late afternoon. You will spend the night in a hotel.

Day 4: Luang Prabang/Vientiane (B, G)

This morning, you will visit the Silver Smith’s, the Fine Arts School and the Central Market before transferring to the airport to board a short flight to Vientiane. On arrival, you will see the major temples including the oldest Wat Sisaket, a temple of thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to the famous, sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, you stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. You will spend the night in a hotel.

Day 5: Vientiane departure (B, GP)

Free time at leisure before transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Tour ends.