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Insight into Luang Prabang
Code: LFT01 - Duration: 4 DaysStart: Luang Prabang | Finish: Luang Prabang
Once the former capital of Laos, Luang Prabang is regarded as the most romantic town in Southeast Asia and very worth to spend more time. Within 4 days, Insight into Luang Prabang gives you an opportunity to discover its tranquil streets and splendidly decorated royal temples. The arrival date is marked by joining the local petanque players and climbing to the top of Mount Phousi to enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding countryside. The following is spent for a short transfer to the countryside for a walk through the organic vegetable farm and experience the life of a farmer and admire the wonderful Khaung Si Waterfall. We then enjoy an overnight excursion to Kamu Lodge by taking a boat trip along the Mekong.
Highlights:
- Join with local people to play game and climb to the top of Phousi to enjoy a panoramic view of the city
- Experience the life of a farmer and admire the wonderful Khuang Si Waterfall
- Take a boat trip along the Mekong to safari-style Kamu Lodge for an overnight excursion
- Charming hotels in great locations
- Comfortable & spacious vehicle for transfers
Itinerary in brief:
Day 1: Luang Prabang arrival (-/-/D)
Day 2: Luang Prabang - Living Land Community Farm - Khuang Si Waterfall (B/L/-)
Day 3: Luang Prabang - Kamu Lodge (B/L/D)
Day 4: Kamu Lodge - Luang Prabang - Departure (B/-/-)- Ability to change the direction of the program
- Possibility of an extension in Vietnam & Cambodia
Notes:
- We specialize in “tailor-made” tours for groups of two or more. We carefully inspect each step of your journey from the accommodation to the perfect guide to suit your needs
- The itinerary is open to modification to fit your personal travel needs
- Modifications to the itinerary may increase the price of the package
- For the price of this trip, just ask for a quote by clicking on "TOUR PRICE"
- If you are looking for a trip modified to your requirements, please send us your needs by filling out the form in “Customize your trip”
- We will contact and send you a quote, excluding holiday period, within 48 hours of receiving your request.- Join with local people to play game and climb to the top of Phousi to enjoy a panoramic view of the city
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Day 1: Luang Prabang arrival (-/-/D)
Luang Prabang - Airport: 5km, ~11min drive
Upon arrival at Luang Prabang airport, you will be met and transferred to hotel by our guide and driver. After making sure of your successful hotel check-in, they will be pleased to leave you free time for your own lunch and leisure to recover after the long flight.This afternoon, you will join the local pétanque players to try your skills at this sport, which is a favorite pastime of the Lao people. They will cheer you on and give you hints as you play a few games and enjoy snacks and drinks. This is great fun for all ages and a brilliant introduction to the charming Lao culture. As the sun begins to set, climb the 328 steps to the top of Mount Phousi to enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding countryside. Descend to the Mekong side of the peninsula and find yourself in the evening hill tribe market. Here where you may find plenty of local souvenirs to buy such as handicrafts and textiles. Enjoy dinner in Coconut Garden. This is a great introduction to Lao food which also caters for western tastes and children. You will be transferred back to your hotel by 9p.m. If you prefer to stay out later then you can take a tuk-tuk.
Meals Included: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang PrabangDay 2: Luang Prabang - Living Land Community Farm - Khuang Si Waterfall (B/-/-)
Breakfast is served at hotel. 08:00a.m, transfer in to the countryside 5km outside Luang Prabang, The Living Land Community Farm is an entirely organic farm in a beautiful rural setting, flanked by rice paddies. The stilted wooden farm buildings house an interactive museum to give an insight in to many aspects of rural life in Laos. Enjoy a guided walk through the organic vegetable farm and learn all manner of trades, from thatched-roof making and basketry to noodle production and extracting the juice from sugarcane. You will experience the life of a farmer and try your hand at various activities, including ploughing the rice fields with one of the resident buffalo. Please expect to get muddy and bring a change of clothes! Simple showers for your legs and feet and western toilets are available. Rice is the most important crop throughout Laos and you will learn about the 13 steps of rice production today. The 14th is eating and that comes at the end with a range of rice-based snacks!Transfer back to your hotel. Lunch on your own cost. After some rest at the hotel, transfer for approximately 30 minutes to Kuang Si Waterfalls. Upon reaching Kuang Si Waterfall, relax and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings. The water tumbles down a large drop and cascades gently in to several cool, clear pools where you can enjoy a refreshing swim (please dress modestly). Enjoy a delicious picnic lunch next to the falls.
For the adventurous, it is possible to walk to the top of the falls via a steep track where stunning views await you at the top. You might also like to visit the bear sanctuary which is next to the falls, run by Free The Bears Fund Inc. There are currently 23 Asiatic Black Bears living in the sanctuary, which has saved them from poaching. The main threat to these bears is poaching due to the use of their bile in Chinese medicine. You can read about their habits and observe their playful nature, whilst learning about the difficulties they are facing. Return to Luang Prabang this afternoon. Stop en-route to visit a small village which is home to one of the area’s many ethnic minorities. You will have an opportunity to learn about their traditions and culture, much of which has remained unchanged for centuries. Enjoy an evening at leisure.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang PrabangDay 3: Luang Prabang - Kamu Lodge (B/L/D)
After breakfast at hotel, we visit Luang Prabang’s the most photographed temple, Wat Xieng Thong. Located at the end of the peninsula, close to the Mekong River, this temple was built in 1560 by King Setthathirat, the library was added in 1828. A short walk will then take you to Wat Xieng pier where you will embark on a cruise up the Mekong River from Luang Prabang to the Kamu Lodge. Along the way stop at the Pak Ou Caves. Locally referred to as Tam Ting, these two caves are carved out of towering limestone cliffs and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues. The Buddhas range in size from a few centimeters to the size of a human. The caves are as well a destination for local pilgrimages. Continue upriver for another hour to reach the Kamu Lodge for lunch. The Kamu Lodge features 20 private canvas tents, each one of which is protected from the elements by a thatch roof. The tents are also decorated with bamboo and wooden furniture allowing the Lodges’ grounds to harmoniously blend with surrounding nature. They each feature private attached bathroom and toilet with solar powered hot water and electricity.This afternoon, you may choose to participate in a variety of different activities. You will be rewarded with a very original Lao experience:
- Rice planting and harvesting in surrounding rice fields
- Gold panning (January to June) in the Mekong. Anything you find is yours!
- Traditional fishing techniques in the Mekong.
- Local village visit and encountersMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight at the LodgeDay 4: Kamu Lodge - Luang Prabang – Departure (B/L/-)
Enjoy breakfast in the cool morning air and spend your morning as you wish. You might like to relax or visit the nearby local village with your guide. (check-out time: 10:30).After lunch at the Lodge, the boat will depart around 1400 for the cruise down to Luang Prabang, arriving around 1700. Upon reaching Luang Prabang, the rest of the day is free for last minute shopping or sightseeing before transferring to the airport for your onward flight.Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Prices
This trip is private and therefore can be altered to suit your needs, date of commencement and budget requirements.
Prices vary due to a number of specifics:
- Seasonal: during high season (October-April), the prices of services are generally higher when compared to the low season (May-September).
- The number of participants: the more of you that travel together the less you will pay!
- The choice of hotels: Fairly obvious one here; a 5-star hotel can cost ten times as much as a 2 star hotel.
- The activities during the trip: Two trips on the same itinerary and of the same length can have two different prices depending on the number and nature of activities included.
- The booking date: In some cases, booking your trip late can drastically affect prices due to their low availability.
Inclusion:
- Accommodation as recommended or similar category according to availability.
- Transfers according to program by private air-conditioned vehicle with driver except free day
- English-speaking guide’s assistance at every stage
- Meals as indicated in program (B: Breakfast /L: Lunch / D: Dinner)
- Entrance fees for attractions included in the program
- All activities and cruises clearly mentioned in the program
- Water and cool tissues
- Government taxes & service charge
Exclusion:
- Other drinks and meals not clearly mentioned
- Early check-in, late check-out
- Personal expenditures, tips
- Personal insurance (compulsory)
- Any service not clearly mentioned in the program
- International air transfers associated with airport taxes
- Visa and visa arrangement (available upon request)
Booking
Here are 2 steps to book your trip with Tonkin-Travel:
Step 1. Focus on your travel program:
You can choose this trip as is or customize it to your specific desires. Just click on the “Customize this trip” tab and fill in the form. One of our travel consultants will contact you within 48 hours to develop the travel program based on your specifications.
Step 2. Booking:
- Following the first step, tour program is selected and we access the rates.
- Upon confirmation of the trip, the registration must be accompanied by a deposit up to 25% of the total estimate.
- For programs with private junk (cruise) and/or 5 star hotels, the deposit is represented by 30% of the total estimate.
- Tonkin-Travel carries out the booking process upon receipt of the deposit. Confirmation of these reservations is sent to customer within 10 days via email
Nature of travel
This trip is private. That implies:
- You will be escorted by a private guide and driver. This approach guarantees a smooth trip with fewer organizational constraints.
- You will be the master of your trip. We guarantee flexibility in organizing visits at your request.
- Our services will be personalized according to your desires. Thus the proposals in this package are not fixed and you can bring suggest all the desired changes.
- You receive individualized care: ample food, organizing small events (anniversary, honeymoon, etc.), targeted information, followed necessary modifications, etc.
Accommodation
- Accommodation is an important expenditure of your trip. When you choose a luxury trip for example, the accommodation can represent three quarters of the price. Thus, your choice of hotels is closely related to your budget.
- Tonkin-Travel has negotiated rates with a wide range of hotels from 2 to 5 stars.
- In some places you will have the option to choose ‘home-stay’. Although this provides less comfort that a hotel it is a truly authentic experience and highly recommended for at least one night of your journey.
Transport
All transfers during your trip are covered by private vehicle with driver, unless otherwise indicated in our offer. We ensure that our vehicles are new and comfortable. Fuel, tolls, accommodation, compensation and the driver are included in our offer. Only gratuities are not included and are at your discretion.
The size of the selected vehicle is based on the number of tour participants according to the following quality standards:
No. of participants
2 pax
3 pax
From 4 to 7 pax
From 8 to 14 pax
From 15 to 20 pax
Vehicle size
Car 4-7 seats
Car 7 or minivan
16 seatsMinivan 16 seats
Bus 24 seats
Bus 35 or 45 seats
Domestic flights
If your trip includes domestic flights if any, they will be operated by Vietnam Airlines, the largest airline in Vietnam. The fleet consists mainly of Airbus and Boeing. On some short trips, the company operates 72 ATR and some Fokker.
Rail transport
Train travel can be offered (particularly between Hanoi-Lao Cai and Hanoi-Hue). Travelling at a speed of 60km/h on average it is not necessarily the fastest but an interesting experience nonetheless.
This form allows us to establish a tour proposal suitable for your needs. It is free and without obligation-
This form allows us to establish a tour proposal suitable for your needs. It is free and without obligation
