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Day 1 : Arrival- Luangprabang (L/D)
• Arrive at Luangprabang airport
• Transfer to hotel
• Lunch at hotel
• Visit Wat Xiengthong the city's most beautiful temple . The “Sim “ of the “Wat “ represents the classic LPB temple architecture wit roofs that sweep low to the ground. The rear wall of the Sim features an impressive “ tree of life “ mosaic set in a red background . Inside is a richly decorated wooden column that supports a ceiling vested with Dharma wheels. In the compound stand several small chapels housing bronze Buddha images that were displayed in Paris in 1911 .
• Visit Wat Visoun , the site of the impressive That Makmo stupa . It's rounded dome stylistically looks more Silankalese than Lao . Walk to Wat Aham which is the city's major tutelary shrine, dedicated to Pu Gneu Ya Gneu (ancestors)
• Take the 350 steps to the top of the hill ( Phousi ) , you will overlook the heart of the city ad find Wat Phousi and Wat Mai . The latter temple , built in 1796 has a five – tiered roof and a wooden “Sim” I a standard LPB style.
• Hang around for a splendid sunset at Wat
Siphouthabath.
• Return to hotel
• Dinner and accommodation at hotel
Day 2 : Luangprabang – Pak Ou
• Breakfast
• Take a traditional boat trip to Pak Ou , housing thousands of statues of Buddha. On the way , stopover at Ban Xanghai where people produce lao liquor ( Rice wine ) .
• After visiting Pak Ou , cross the Mekong to take a picnic lunch in a bamboo cottage on the river overlooking the beautiful scenery at the confluence of the Mekong and Ou rivers . In the afternoon, return to Luangprabang and continue by car to Ban Phanom, the weaving village populated by Lu minority, originally from Sipsongpanna in Southern China. Almost all of the villagers are skilled weavers; woven items can be bought here. After Ban Phanom return to hotel
• Free time
• Dinner at a local restaurant in town.
• Accommodation at hotel
Day 3 : Luangprabang – Xiengkhuang (B/L/D)
• Breakfast
• Transfer to the airport for departure to Phonesavanh , the capital city of Xiengkhuang Province , which was heavily bombed during the Vietnam war.
• Transfer to hotel-Plain of Jars-a splendid 36 guestrooms hotel located on a hill at the center of the city with 360-degree view over the city.
• Lunch at hotel
• Visit the Plain of Jars , a large area about 8 Km from Phonesavanh town where hug jars of unknown origin are scattered about. The weight of the jars averages about 600Kg to one ton, but the biggest one weighs as much as 6 tons. The jars appear to have been fashioned from solid stone. There is a disagreement on the original use of the jars. Some say they used as sarcophagus but according to a local story , they were use to store fermented rice during the time of king Angkham . This King , supposedly a cruel fellow, ruled the area until Khun Jeuang ordered his people to constructed hug jars for fermenting rice wine. French archaeologists and researchers, after a thorough examination, cam to the conclusion that these famous jars are stone burial urns and the Plain of Jars is in fact an ancient cemetery where ashes were buried more than 2,000 years ago. Ashes, stone axes, bronze ornaments and ceramics-all offerings to the dead-were found by researchers at the site. There are still over one hundred jars remaining in the area.
• Visit Hmong and other minorities.
• Soft drink offered by the Hotel management on the terrace overlooking the city.
• Dinner at local restaurant ( downtown )
• Accommodation at Vansana –Plain of Jars hotel
Day 4 : Xiengkhuang – Bankeun (B/L/D)
• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Vientiane
• Lunch on the way
• Continue the route, stopover at Vang Vieng for a drink to admire the beautiful scenery of Vang Vieng
• Continue the route, stopover to observe the rural life along the road. Visit the reforest pilot project of JICA at Ban Houeimo.
• Arrive to Vansana NamNgum hotel ( Bankeun ) – locate 64 Km from Vientiane and about 15 Km downstream the NamNgum Hydro-electric dam.
• Dinner at Vansana –NamNgum hotel on a tarrace built on the NamNgum river bank.
• Spectacle: an amazing and very well know show of “ sword dance” will be performed by the famous group of dancers from a nearby village.
• Accommodation at Vansana-NamNgum Hotel.
Day 5: Bankeun –Vientiane (B/L/D)
• Drive to Vientiane with stopover at “ National zoo” and the nearby village where salt is produced from an extracted of groundwater by local people.
• Transfer to hotel
• Lunch at hotel
• Sight seeing :
• Wat Sisaket : Built in 1818 , is the oldest original temple in Vientiane and the only one to survive the foreign invasion in 1828
• Hor Pra Keo : Was built in 1565 and has been
used as a museum since 1970 . The main structure, which originally housed Pra keo, the Emerald Buddha, now contains some of the finest Buddhist sculptures and artifacts in the country.
• Patoursay : This victory gat , also known as “
Anousavari” , was constructed in 1958 . Its architecture is inspired by the “ Arc of Triumph” in Paris
• That Luang Stupa : the great sacred stupa and national symbol, built in 1566 by King Sethathirat . Its central structure is 45 meters tall. The original stupa is said to contain a relic of Lord Buddha.
• Dinner on the terrace around the swimming pool at hotel with Lao traditional dance show , after dinner , a drink at night club with live band offered by the hotel.
• Accommodation at hotel
Day 6 :Departure (B/L)
• Breakfast at hotel
• If time permits, visit either weaving village of Nongbouathong , Lao cotton and Handicraft center.
• Transfer to the airport or friendship bridge for departure.
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