Secrets of Southern Laos
Step off the well-trodden trail on our Secrets of Southern Laos holiday. Sample food, culture and local buzz in Vientiane, then head south to find idyllic landscapes, ancient temples, cascading waterfalls and local coffee farms, where you can soak up a slower pace of life.
Highlights
- Visit the temples of Vientiane
- Cruise beneath stalactites in a quarter-mile long cavern
- Follow an old rail route deep into the forest
- Sail to the far corners of Si Phan Don
- Connect with coffee farmers on the Bolaven Plateau
- Escape from the crowds in mellow Done Daeng
Luang Prabang, 4000 Islands, Done Khong, Bolaven Plateau, Don Daeng
Sample Itinerary
Spend a day thoroughly exploring the capital. See thousands of miniature Buddha statues at the city’s oldest intact temple, Wat Sisaket; linger in the echoing halls of Wat Phra Keo, the former home of the Emerald Buddha; and climb onto the roof of the Patuxai monument for panoramic city views. Stand in the shade of the golden stupa of That Luang: the holiest place in Laos. Complete your morning with a visit to the excellent COPE exhibition centre, highlighting the Laotian people's continuing struggle with overwhelming amounts of unexploded ordnance left from the Vietnam War era. Your afternoon is at leisure until sunset, when you’ll veer off the beaten track for a tuk-tuk tour of the locals’ favourite night markets and streetfood joints, ending with a Lao-style Sin Dat BBQ.
Drive to Ban Hin Boun, travelling south along route 13 to the central Lao province of Khammoune. Stops will be made en route at the sacred Prabaht Ponsan Buddhist Temple and the Khoun Kham viewpoint to take in the panorama across the mountainous Khammouane region.
Drive to Kong Lor Village and board a small boat for your journey through the impressive Kong Lor Caves. Cruise the 4.6 miles through the cave, under stalactites and past fascinating limestone formations, into a vast 328 ft cavern, and into the valley beyond. At the far side, explore further on foot, past huts used for tobacco production and into the remote village of Ban Pon Ngam where you will stop for a picnic lunch. Return back through the cave by boat and drive onto Thakek where you will be spending the next two nights. Once a busy port taking goods over the Mekong to Thailand, Thakek’s streets are still peppered with French colonial architecture and the town has the light, adaptable atmosphere associated with the multi-cultural melee of a trading town.
Drive south towards Si Phan Don (the 4000 Islands.) Stop at Savannakhet to wander through the French Quarter, pause at the sacred That Inhang stupa and tour the Soundra Salt Factory. At Champasak swap your car for a ferry to cross the Mekong to remote Done Deang, where the rest of your day will be at leisure to settle in to the island’s leisurely rhythm.
Return to the mainland to travel north to the Bolaven Plateau, passing banana, tea, cardamom and coffee plantations along the way. Take refreshing break from the southern heat, stop at the stunning twin streams of the Tad Fan waterfalls, and head on to Ban Beng village where you will explore the plateau with a local guide, in a 1960’s-era Army jeep! Swim in the pools at Tad Moan waterfall and arrive at your farming homestay mid-afternoon to meet your hosts, explore the plantation and learn more about the coffee producing process from bean to cup.
Booking Policy
English speaking, local guide
All accommodation listed
Land transportation by private air-conditioned vehicles
Any domestic flights listed (unless marked otherwise)
All admission fees at attractions, temples and activities as mentioned in the itinerary
All meals listed
Entry visas
International airport departure taxes
Any meals not listed in the itinerary
Drinks, other than water on activity days
Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, drinks, tip...)
Travel insurance
All other services not listed in 'inclusive'
Please note: During high season periods (such as Christmas and New Year) hotels often levy a surcharge and these are not included in the above prices. Your consultant will be happy to advise you of these.
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