Northern Soul - Absolute Asia Tours

On arrival in Laos, you'll be met by your private guide, who will accompany you to your hotel.

Rise before dawn to witness tak bat - the giving of alms to the monks who leave their pagodas to receive offerings of food from local residents - from a respectful distance. Get an overview of the country’s history at the Royal Palace National Museum, take in the city’s iconic temples, and get a deeper insight into Laos culture at the excellent Arts and Ethnology Centre. See colourful textiles being woven in the surrounding villages and join the crowds climbing Mount Phousi for spectacular sunset views across the Mekong. If you'd prefer to avoid the steps, visit Wat Prabath Tai for an accessible sunset experience and see the monks and novices go about their daily rituals in Wat Aham’s colourful prayer hall.

Spend the day outside Luang Prabang visiting two inspiring community enterprises. Your morning is spent in the company of local farmer Mr Laut Lee who will guide you around his farm, explaining the various crops he’s growing and the traditional farming techniques used. He’ll also give you a hands-on lesson on making Lao rice noodles, which you can of course then sample. After a picnic lunch at Kuang Si Waterfalls, continue onto a unique social enterprise: the first buffalo dairy in Laos! This unusual project helps underprivileged local farmers by renting their buffalo during milking season, offering them regular income from their buffalos which are being used less on the farm. From humble beginnings the dairy now employs 30 people and works with around 150 local farmers. Currently, the dairy produces yogurt, mozzarella, ricotta, ice-cream and cheese cake, which is distributed to local hotels, restaurants and supermarkets. After a tour of the dairy enjoy a tasting platter.

Early morning transfer to the Mekong River banks where you will board the Shompoo Cruise and begin your leisurely journey upstream along the Mekong River. It’s a stunning section of this mighty river that begins high in the Himalaya and passes through seven countries before exiting through its sprawling delta in Southern Vietnam. Relax and soak up the scenic landscape before arriving into Pakbeng early evening. Disembark and take a stroll through the streets before dinner in your lodge.

The route to Muang La is captivatingly picturesque, and there will be several opportunities to stop en route to soak it all in. Spend time in traditional H'mong villages, before continuing to Pak La Village and the gorgeous Muang La Resort. Famous for its geothermal springs, this is an oasis within the raw countryside where travellers can combine the area’s natural serenity with a blissful soak in the hot spring baths. The remainder of your day will be at leisure to enjoy the resort’s stylish warmth.

Set out for a day in the hills, visiting minority tribal communities and learning about their cultural traditions. Today’s journey takes you to regions few travellers ever get to see, throwing in some stunning mountain scenery along the way. Drive towards Pak Khai, looking across the Nam Pak River at the rice paddies and small villages dotted along the banks. Trek, cycle, or even motorbike, along mountain trails, encountering local farmers as they work on the land, perhaps stopping at a farmers market or secluded temple. Take on the steep trek to the hilltop Khamu village of Ban Phavie, with the reward of superb views over the surrounding area, picnic on the hillside, and take a refreshing dip in a nearby waterfall before returning to Muang La in the late afternoon.

Break up the six-hour journey to the remote northern province of Phongsali with visits to a selection of tribal villages, where you can meet members of the community and see life from their rural perspective. Break for lunch at Boun Tai, a popular stopping point en route to Phongsali and base for several non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) working in the region. Continue north, stopping in Ban Kong, where members of the Buddhist Thai Lue tribe live under beautifully tiled roofs, which cool their houses in the hot months, making a final stop at Boun Nua before arriving at Phongsali in the late afternoon.

Drive 45 minutes out of Phongsali town to the 400-year old tea plantations set on the surrounding hillsides, host to some of the oldest tea trees in the world. Wander through the plantations to Luang Ching village, home to the tea pickers, where you’ll be warmly welcomed and invited to try the local brew. Return to Phongsali to peruse the Museum of Ethnic Minorities, dedicated to documenting the history of local tribal communities, village life and traditional customs. Walk through the narrow streets of the old French and Chinese quarters, with your guide on hand to help you to chat with the locals; wander around the central lake, between the water’s edge and the community herb and vegetable gardens; enjoy a laid back drink in a waterside cafe; and trek up the forested hillside of Phou Fa Mountain for a sunset view across the town.

Hop aboard a private boat to cruise down an uninhabited, and particularly picturesque, stretch of the beautiful Nam Ou River towards Muang Khua. Pause your journey at a Chinese hydropower dam - a striking sign of modernity within an otherwise timeless landscape - which you’ll pass by truck, before boarding your second boat and continuing down the river. Picnic at Ban Huay Soy, a rarely visited Khmu village, and arrive into Muang Khua in the early evening.

Take a slow boat down the Nam Ou River, past unspoilt scenery and remote villages, some of which, such as Muang Ngoi, are only accessible by boat. Take a break in Muang Ngoi village, nestling at the foothill of a giant limestone outcrop, which has carved itself a place an ideal stopover for travellers coasting up and down the Nam Ou. Meet a local village guide who will lead you on a short trek through the rice fields to a nearby cave, visiting a Thai Daeng village en route. Return to Muang Ngoi, where you can join the locals for a cooling bathe in the river, before continuing to Nong Khiaw.

Your day will be at leisure to relax and explore your scenic surrounds. If you're feeling active, trek up to the Mountain View Point which offers stunning views over Nong Khiaw.

Follow the Nam Ou River for around 2.5 hours to Ban Hatya village, where you’ll meet your specialist guide, climb into a kayak, slide out into the picturesque Nam Ou River and begin paddling downstream. Picnic on the riverbank at Pha An, where the Nam Ou meets the mighty Mekong, overlooking dramatic limestone karst scenery. Kayak further along the Mekong to the small island of Donekhoun, where you’ll stop for refreshments and explore Wat Donekhoun - an ancient temple that was a favourite the King when he travelled to Pak Ou Caves, but is now rarely visited. Continue downstream to Ban Pakxeuang to leave the kayaks behind and transfer to Luang Prabang.

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.