Day 1: Houeixai – Pakbeng (L/D)
Your local slow boat leaves Houeixai pier at 09:00 hrs for a leisurely cruise down the Mekong to Pakbeng. En route you will make a stop where you will have the opportunity to observe rural life in a remote ethnic minotiry village.
Your local buffet lunch will be served onboard as you continue on down stream, arriving in Pakbeng before sunset. Overnight in Pakbeng.
Day 2: Pakbeng – Pak Ou Caves – Luang Prabang (L/D)
After breakfast we will board our slow boat to continue our cruise to Luang Prabang. This morning we will stop to explore an ethnic Hmong village before having your lunch on board.
Mid afternoon we will arrive at Pak Ou Caves. These caves are an ancient pilgrimage site and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha images left there over hundreds of years.
Continuing down the Mekong River we will arrive in Luang Prabang by late afternoon. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 3: Luang Prabang – half day city tour – Kuang Si Waterfall (B)
We head off this morning on bicycles to see some of the highlights of Luang Prabang including a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts from the Royal period in Luang Prabang. Cycling on, we seeing the city’s oldest temples, the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roof sweeping low to the ground, representing classical Lao architecture, the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham.
This afternoon we journey to Khouangsi Waterfall stopping along the way to visit the morning Phousi Market, this where all the locals of Luang Prabang come to do their daily shopping. You will see a variety of local foodstuffs and products including dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, fish, vegetables and fruit, everything needed for daily life in Laos.
On arrival at the Khouangsi Waterfall you will have the opportunity to cool off with a refreshing swim in the topaz pools below the falls, walk along the forest trails and visit the Bear Sanctuary.
Returning to Luang Prabang late afternoon your evening is free to explore or relax at the hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang
Day 4: Luang Prabang – Vientiane – half day city tour (B)
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Vientiane. You are seeing the major temples of Vientiane including the oldest, Wat Sisaket, with its thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit the national icon of Laos, That Luang Stupa, stopping along the way to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph, from there you visit COPE Center. The COPE was created in response to the need to provide UXO survivors with the care and support they required, namely by way of orthotic and prosthetic devices. This museum was set after in 1997 to help covering the victim during Indochina war. Overnight in Vientiane
Day 5: Vientiane – Departure (B)
Depending on your flight, you may have time at leisure before you will be transferred to the airport in time for your departing flight.
Tour Inclusions:
- Selected accommodation with breakfast in twin share room. Hotels may not meet international star rating standards, especially in the remote areas where accommodation options are limited
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Private air-condition transportation
- Boat at the program
- Experience and friendly English-speaking local guide
- Sightseeing and permit fees during guided times
- Refreshment
- Service charge and VAT taxes
Tour Exclusions:
- Visa stamping fee at the Embassy
- Elephant Trekking
- Domestic flights quote separately
- Int’l air tickets to/from Laos
- Travel Insurance in all kinds
- Other foreign language guide
- Peak tourist season or special event rates
Trip Notes:
– Travelers are highly recommended to purchase Travel Insurance upon commitment of the booking in case of force majeure. Travel Insurance covers such costs as emergency and medical evacuation, hospital fees, property loss, etc. which could possibly happen during the trip.
– Rooms at hotels are available only from 1400 on arrival day till 1200 on departure date. A supplement will be added if early check-in or late check-out is desired.
– The itinerary may subject to change depending on weather conditions and the local situation.
– Reservations during peak times such as Christmas, New Year, Vietnamese Lunar New Year, National Holidays may be subject to supplementary charges.
– If any proposed service is not available at the time of booking, we will try to find alternative and similar option and minimize changes to the program.
– Domestic flights may subject to change or reschedule before departure date
– Vietnam Travel and Cruise is not responsible for any injury, loss, death, inconvenience, delay or damage to personal property in connection with the provision of any goods or services whether resulting from but not limited to acts of God or force majeure, illness, disease, acts of war, civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, animals, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, overbooking or downgrading of services, food poisoning, mechanical or other failure of aircraft or other means of transportation or for failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time. Additional expenses incurred due to delays, accidents, natural disaster, political actions and unrest, must be covered by the clients. Vietnam Travel and Cruise will make every effort to recoup any losses from the service providers.
Booking condition:
Payment:
– A Deposit of AUD$300 per person is required upon confirmation of your booking. This deposit is non-refundable.
– The balance is due 30 days prior to departure. If you fail to pay by the due date we reserve the right to cancel your booking and retain your deposit.
– If you make a booking less than 30 days prior to departure, full payment is due within 48 hours.
Cancellation: Any cancellations must be made in witting.
– Cancellation fees apply to all cancelled reservations. The fee is determined by the date written cancellation received by Vietnam Travel and Cruise.
– Cancellation more than 30 days – Loss of deposit
– Cancellation at 30 or less days – 100% of total booking cost
Special conditions: Depending on airlines, hotels, cruises’ cancellation policies, the above conditions may be modified.
Claims and refunds for unused services
No refunds or exchanges can be made in respect of accommodation, meals, sightseeing tours, transport or any other services, which are included in the tour prices but not utilized by the client.
