Meals: None

One Day Tour Bolaven Plateau.

Welcome to Laos. Upon arrival in Pakse by Flight (please advise), obtain your Laos visa on arrival if you haven't already obtained this prior to travel, then clear Immigration and Customs. Proceed into the arrival area and meet your private guide and take a drive around the Bolaven Plateau for a full day tour. Travel through the Lao countryside to Paksong province, where you can find the famous coffee fields and visit the local market if it’s on.

Stop at km 19 to see how locals forge knifes by hand. Continue on to Tad Fane for a glimpse at the huge breathtaking twin waterfalls that plunge 200 meters down a gorge. Further stop at Tad yang and the Paksong local market. After that, you will visit Ban Kok Phuomh. Here you observe the many different ethnicities which define the area, such as the Katou, who are part of the indigenous Mon-Khmer people but also Khmu, Alat, Ngae, Kalung, Laven and Katung live here.

Transfer to your accommodation near Bolaven Plateau for overnight.

Overnight at Sabaidee Valley Resort, Deluxe Room

Meals: B L

Jeep Safari on the Bolaven Plateau.

Today you are in for a truly one-of-a-kind experience on the Bolaven Plateau where you will explore coffee plantations, remote waterfalls and a Lavan village by jeep and on foot. First you will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Paksong where you can enjoy a fresh cup of local coffee before meeting your guide, Mr. Khamsone (just Kham is fine also). No one knows the Bolaven or Bolaven coffee better than Kham, who also runs his own coffee plantation.

Hop on his Jeep and Kham will take you to the secluded Tad Moun waterfall where you can take a dip in the crystal-clear water – make sure to bring your swimmers! Next drive through the backroads of the Bolaven and take in the spectacular scenery of the mountains and highlands formed from an ancient super volcano. After a short (and bumpy) ride you will arrive at Kham’s coffee plantation where you will have a home cooked lunch followed by a coffee roasting and cupping demonstration and a brief tour of his plantation.

Towards the end of the day, you will ride through the surrounding coffee plantations on the way to a Laven village, one of the ethnic minorities of the Bolaven. Afterwards, your journey will come to an end at the Lao Ngam local market where your driver will be waiting to take you back to your hotel.

Overnight at Sabaidee Valley Resort, Deluxe Room

Meals: B

Visit Wat Phou

After breakfast, drive to the small town of Champasak and visit the ancient Wat Phou temple. The partly grew Khmer temple complex dating from the sixth to the eighth century is older than Angkor Wat in Cambodia! Archaeologists suspect that the Wat Phou was at that time the power and religious center of a large Khmer Empire.

After that, transfer to Ban Nakasang, a small fishing Village, take the traditional long trail boat about 25 minutes to Don Khone for overnight.

Overnight at The River Resort, Deluxe Villa Room

Meals: B

Champasak – Don Khone Island Transfers

This morning after breakfast and check-out, you will meet your driver at the lobby of your hotel, then private transfer by road to visit the Temple ruins of Muong (Tomo ruins), then continue to Done Khong’s boat pier, where your boat is waiting for you, your cruise downriver is by private local boat (long tail boat) to the peaceful islands of Don Det and Don Khone on Mekong River for about 2 hours.

On the way, there are small and larger islands, waving children, small boats of local people. You go ashore on Don Khone Island. This island consists practically only of rice fields, hills, vegetable gardens, and small villages.

On arrival, Don Khone Island transfers for your check-in and relax.

Overnight at Seng Ahloun Resort, Deluxe River View Room

Meals: B

Explore Don Khone by Bike.

Don Khone Island played a pivotal role in the French colonization of South East Asia.

As the waterfalls blocked the French naval advance. During this half-day exploration with your guide, you will bike through rice paddies, small villages and organic gardens, to visit the old narrow gauge railway that was built by the French colonists enabling them to bypass the waterfalls, the Liphi waterfalls themselves, and walk around an old railway engine car. You’ll also cruise across the river to Cambodia to have an Angkor Beer and spot the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins, which are some of the only freshwater dolphins on earth. Towards the end of the day you’ll bike back to the village center for a delicious authentic “Kao Piak” noodle soup before heading back to your accommodation.

Fishing, Fairytales and BBQ.

This afternoon you will join one of the local fishermen to experience the 4000 Islands from the local perspective.

Board one of the wooden boats and head out to the fishing-grounds, equipped with some fishing nets which you can try throwing gently out into the water and try your luck to catch some fish for dinner.

Enjoy a cold drink while floating on the river, surrounded by small islands and birds that are about to settle for the night.

At dawn continue to a secret spot where you will be welcomed by a crackling bonfire while enjoying the sunset and listening about fairytales and other local myths from your guide.

Later in the evening a private BBQ with local specialties will be prepared for you, just how it is done in many villages around Laos.

Whenever you are ready, you will be brought back to your accommodation.

Overnight at Seng Ahloun Resort, Deluxe River View Room

Meals: B

Visit Khone Phapheng Waterfall.

After three weeks in Laos, we cross the border into Cambodia. In the course of the morning, we take a boat and sail back to the mainland. Here is a bus waiting to take us. On the way we will visit the Khone Pa Pheng waterfalls, the biggest waterfalls of Asia.

Upon arrival in Nong Nok Khien/Traipaingkriel border, take your own way to Cambodia.