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CENTRAL & SOUTH OF LAOS
10 DAYS/09 NIGHTS

Day1) Arrival – Vientiane
Upon arrival you will be met by your guide and driver and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight in Vientiane

Day2) Vientiane – half day city tour and Buddha Park
An optional early start enables you to visit the fascinating local market of Thongkhankham which is where the locals shop and a wide variety of weird and wonderful foods are on offer. We continue to explore the city by visiting the oldest wat in Vientiane, Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which now serves as a museum of arts and antiques.  We then travel up Lanexang Avenue you will have the opportunity to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxai Monument, which resembles its Parisian inspiration, the Arc de Triomphe.  The climb to the top offers great views over Vientiane.   We continue onwards down Rue Singha 23 to Laos’ National icon, and most important religious building the golden stupa of That Luang.  The final visit of the morning will be the excellent COPE exhibition centre, highlighting a much overlooked aspect of Laos and a major problem many of the local people face on a day to day basis in the form of unexploded ordnance as a result of heavy bombing campaigns during the Vietnam War area.
In the afternoon we visit the quirky yet impressive Buddha Park, an enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures on the banks of the Mekong River.   By no means historic – Buddha Park was built in the 1950’s by a self styled ‘holy man’ – the park features some very photogenic and unusual sculptures, including a huge reclining Buddha, and a giant pumpkin.  Upon returning to Vientiane we have the optional of stopping at the Lao Disabled Womens Centre, which provides valuable training and schooling for disabled women in Laos.  The women here are friendly, and its interesting to have a chat with them to find out about their lives.   A spectacular view of the Mekong River at sunset is a perfect way to finish the day. 
Overnight in Vientiane
Meals: (B/_/_)

Day3) Vientane – Hin Boun
You will be picked up this morning from your hotel and transferred south along route 13 to the central Lao province of Khammoune.  En route we stop at Prabaht Ponsan, a stupa dating back to the 15th Century.  It is also home to the Budhhas footprint, left when, as legend has it, he was crossing the Mekong. Following lunch we make stop at the interesting Ban Ton Na Mae Hmong Market, then continue onwards into Khammoune province and into the mountainous area, where a stop at a view point near Khoun Kham offers a breathtaking view over the karst scenery, or ‘limestone forest’. Our last stop of the day is Ban Thabuk, the ‘bomb boat village’ where they use old bomb casings from the Vietnam War as boats. We eventually reach Hin Boun area by late afternoon, where you have the rest of the day at leisure.
Duration: 7 hours
Drive time: 5 ½ hours
Overnight in Hin Boun
Meals: (B/_/_)

Day4) Hin Boun – Kong Lor Cave and Thakek
After breakfast at your lodge, we drive to Kong Lor village and board a small local boat into the famous Kong Lor Cave.  We navigate through the cave, which is over 7km long and includes a spectacular cavern over 100m high, as well as a breathtaking stalagmite gallery which you can explore on foot. On the other side of the cave, we take a short walk past some tobacco drying huts to Ban Pon Ngam, a remote village, where you can enjoy your picnic lunch.  Following lunch, we return through the cave by boat, and transfer directly by car to Thakek, arriving there by late afternoon, in time for a stroll along the riverfront to enjoy a sunset over the Mekong.
Duration: 7 hours
Drive time: 3 hours
Boat time: 2 hours
Tips: bring a torch with you for the cave
Overnight in Thakhek
Meals: (B/_/_)

Day5) Thakek – Pakse via Savannakhet
This morning we leave Thakek and stop to visit Tham Pa Fa or Buddha cave, which was rediscovered in April 2004. The cave contains 229 bronze Buddhas that are said to be over 300 years old. The cave is incredibly picturesque, situated high up in a limestone cliff, which offers great views from the top.  We continue by road south and arrive in Savannakhet in time for lunch.
 In the afternoon, we have time to admire the old French Quarter of Savannakhet as well as the sacred That Inhang stupa, before heading out of the town to visit Soundra Salt Factory, for an interesting tour on local salt production methods.  We then continue by road to Pakse, stopping to visit Don Khor, a village specializing in Buddha carvings for temples.  We arrive in Pakse by early evening.
Duration: 8 hours
Drive time: 6 hours
Overnight in Pakse
Meals: (B/_/_)

Day6) Pakse – Bolevan overnight Pakse
Today you will be taken by road east into the Bolaven Plateau. The Bolaven Plateau is known for its cooler temperature being located high above the Mekong Valley. Our first stop is to visit Houey Ten, a village specializing in knifemaking.  We then stop tea plantation, followed by a stop at Tad Fan Waterfall, a picturesque twin chute waterfall.  We then make a stop at a coffee plantation, en route to Tha Teng Market, a colourful ethnic minority food market. Next we explore a couple of fascinating minority villages, Ban Bong Neua, an Alak village that boasts a sacrificial altar, and Ban Kokphung, a Katu village where they keep coffins under their houses.  We arrive at the beautiful Tadlo Waterfall in the afternoo.  After a short rest here we journey back to Pakse, stopping at another picturesque waterfall, Paxuam, before arriving back in Pakse by early evening.
Overnight in Pakse
Meals: (B/_/_)

Day7) Pakse – Wat Phou – Khong Island
Upon arrival you will be met and driven a short distance to the boat pier, to board a private traditional boat for a 2-hour cruise to Champassak. Upon arrival in Champassak we continue by car to Wat Phou, an ancient Khmer religious complex dating back to the 5th Century.  This dramatically sited temple is one of the highlights of any trip to Laos. 
In the afternoon you will drive to Don Khong, the largest of the Mekong Islands, known locally as ‘Siphandon’, literally ‘4000 Islands’.  Don Khong itself is a great place to relax and take in the traditional Lao rural life.  We arrive on Khong Island via ferry by the early evening.
Overnight on Khong Island
Meals: (B/_/_)

Day8) Khong Island – Khone Island – Don Daeng
Following breakfast we board a local private boat for a boat tour of the 4000 Islands.  We reach the picturesque island of Don Khone and explore the island by bicycle, tracing the route of an old abandoned railway and admiring some of the old French Colonial buildings, and the beautiful Liphi Waterfall. We then return to our boat and head back to the mainland, visiting the spectacular Khone Phapheng Falls, one of the largest and most powerful waterfalls in Southeast Asia.  From here we take a boat onto the Mekong to one of the few places in the world where it is possible to see freshwater dolphins.  They reside in deep pools near the Cambodia border, and if you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of them.  We then drive towards Ban Muang by car, then take the boat to Don Daeng, arriving there early evening.
Overnight in Don Daeng
Meals: (B/_/_)

Day9) Don Daeng – free
A free day at leisure today, to relax by the pool or hire bicycles to explore the island and its enchanting little villages.
Overnight in Don Daeng
Meals: (B/_/_)

Day10) Don Daeng – Pakse – departure
Depending on your departure flight, you may have free time at leisure, before crossing back to the mainland by boat, then onto Pakse by car to the airport for your departure.
Note: If you have more time and enjoy trekking, we can extend this tour with a couple of superb trekking and homestay excursions en route.  Please contact us for further details.

END OF SERVICES 

Tour price per person in US$
Price valid from 01-Oct-11 to 30-Apr-2012

Tour price per person in US$
Price valid from 01-May-12 to 30-Sep-2012

Supplement for Spanish speaking guide: 325 USD for group

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