Meals: None

Arrival Luang Prabang

Welcome to Laos. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by our representative who will assist you in the process of a VIP fast track visa. Afterwards, meet your private guide and driver and transfer to your hotel.

(NOTE: The cost of your Laos visa and any service fees are included in this service. Please prepare your passports, plus one passport-sized photo per person and hand them to our representative. This process will save you around 45 minutes compared to obtaining the Lao visas on arrival yourselves).

Rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Overnight at Rosewood Luang Prabang, Waterfall Pool Villa Room

Meals: B L

Luang Prabang, Pearl of the Mekong.

At 10:00 A.M., you will check out and explore this historic and charming heritage town by. Transfer to begin your journey at the most popular of temples – Wat Xieng Thong. This 500-year-old temple is exquisite and is the best example of the classic Luang Prabang style. You will also visit nearby Wat Sene and Wat Mai.

From here, explore some local and interesting small side streets, along back alleys and through temples – a city that could have been designed with slow travel in mind, this tour allows you to soak up the ambiance and appreciate the hidden charms of Luang Prabang.

Through your guide, feel free to ask the locals questions as they go about their daily lives. Continue wandering up the peninsula, stopping at temples and other sites as you wish. Visit the National Museum, which is the former Royal Palace. Relics from Laos’ royalist past remain here.

Before lunch, you will visit to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, a museum dedicated to the ethnic minorities of Laos.

Lunch at 3 Nagas Restaurant.

Architecture.

After lunch at 13:30 P.M., you will discover a fascinating heritage and masterful examples of both colonial and Laotian architecture that often go unseen in Luang Prabang. After breakfast at your hotel, meet your guide and transfer to meet Mr. Francis Engelmann. Born in Paris in 1947, Francis is a writer and an independent

consultant living in Luang Prabang and has worked closely with UNESCO over the past 10 years. He also spent two years at the Luang Prabang Conservation Authority and assisted with ‘The Quiet in the Land’ art project in Luang Prabang. He was deeply involved in the mission to enter Luang Prabang as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1995 and is happy to answer any questions regarding this magnificent town.

This walking conference is focusing on the heritage architecture of Luang Prabang, both religious and civil. The walk is oriented towards the lesser-known parts of the town including charming lanes showing the more traditional atmosphere of the heritage town. The first part of the presentation is done in the vicinity of Heuan Chan, the wooden heritage house of Ban Xieng Mouane. Guests will understand then the different influences which affected the architecture during the colonial times up to nowadays. Some explanations will be added about the plants encountered in this nice garden.

The second part of the presentation takes place in the exhibition room of the Buddhist archives of Photography in Vat Khili (according to opening hours). Explanations will be provided about Theravada Buddhist meditation and the photos exhibited about it. This will be an opportunity to appreciate the part of the Buddhist monks and novices in the life of Luang Prabang.

Overnight at Rosewood Luang Prabang, Waterfall Pool Villa Room

Meals: B L D

Participate in Almsgiving.

The bells of the town ‘s monasteries toll at dawn when golden lines of monks emerge to receive their morning rice from the townspeople.

Wake up early and have some hot tea and cookies. After this you will have the opportunity to respectfully witness this sacred ritual typical of old Laos-long lines of barefoot monks weaving through the streets on their alms rounds. This will be in a village out of town where rarely any tourists are seen. Hereford you will have the opportunity to witness the almsgiving in a real traditional way. You will be supplied with alms you can traditionally give to the monks.

Relics from Laos’ royalist past remain here. Overlooking the palace is Phousi Mountain. It is said that those who do not climb the 328 steps up have not really made it to the city. Venture up the hill and be rewarded with remarkable views of the area.

We also encourage that if you must take photographs that it does not interfere with this highly revered Ritual. Afterwards, visit the Morning Market and see an array of meats, vegetables and spices the locals use in their cooking.

Return to your hotel for breakfast.

Kuang Si Explorer and Secret lunch spot.

At 08:30 A.M. After breakfast meet your guide drive into the peaceful countryside, stopping to explore several villages along the way. We will see a Hmong, a Khmu, and a Lowland Lao village and you can compare their different life styles, traditions and religions.

Ban Pano is home to Khmu people, who were the original inhabitants of Northern Laos. They are animists and speak a language belonging to the Austro-Asiatic group of languages.

In Ban Long Lao, you will see Hmong and Khmu people live peaceful side by side. The Hmong settlers were the most recent to come to Laos. They built their villages on the mountain tops and practice shifting cultivation of corn and other crops.

Continue your trek to Kuang Si Waterfall. On the way, you will stop for a picnic lunch at a secluded secret place that has its own natural pool!

On the way back to the town, you will stop to visit the Buffalo Dairy, known for their sustainable approach on local farming. An excellent way to finish your day. Definitely not only fun for kids but a real educational experience. This includes a guided tour of the farm & information on how they work with the local community, Buffalo feeding & bathing, milking demonstration, feeding chickens, pigs and rabbits, Bottle feeding calves. Relax in the café and enjoy the ‘cake of the day’ served with ice cream and tea or coffee before heading back to your hotel.

This evening, enjoy the tasting menu at Manda De Lao Restaurant.

Visit the night market before heading back to your accommodation.

Overnight at Rosewood Luang Prabang, Waterfall Pool Villa Room

Meals: B L

Home Cooking Class (Private).

A day of exploring Lao food first hand - from market to home cooking, snack making and whiskey tasting.

Today you will be picked up by your guide and continue by car to a local fresh market, where you will meet your chef and teacher for today, Mrs. Noy. After learning about local products, you will soon be boarding a boat to cross the Mekong River where you will be greeted by friendly villagers and the family of Noy. Don’t expect a star awarded kitchen but a simple private cooking lesson in the family's home with local specialties.

Pak Ou Caves.

After you have enjoyed your lunch in the local village, you will continue by boat upstream to visit the Pak Ou Caves. Peering into dark corners, your eyes gradually adjust to reveal the serene faces and figures of more than 3,000 Buddha images, some inlaid with semiprecious stones. That these images remain undisturbed in this remote site in one of the world ‘s poorest countries is a testament to the devotion of the people. Return by boat to Luang Prabang, stop at some local villages. One of the villages is a wonderful silk weaving village called Ban Sang Khong. The weaving techniques employed in Ban San Khong date back many centuries and are used to create some of Asia ‘s most highly prized textiles. Some villagers are also engaged in Sa Paper production, visit some more villages where the famous river weed snacks, rice crackers and other delicacies are produced.

At the end of the day, while floating gently down the water, enjoy a Lao rice whiskey tasting while slowly approaching Luang Prabang.

Overnight at Rosewood Luang Prabang, Waterfall Pool Villa Room

Meals: B

This morning is at leisure until you are picked up for your transfer to the airport.