Laos and Cambodia Tour Tailormade

Begin your Laos and Cambodia tour when you arrive in one of the most evocative cities in all of Asia. Transfer to your hotel and the rest of the day will be at leisure for you to relax or start to explore. No meals or guided activities today. Overnight Villa Maydou.

This morning we take a tour of Luang Prabang with visits including, Wat Xieng Thong, an exquisite 500 year old temple. Explore the atmospheric back streets before visiting the National Museum, situated in the former Royal Palace. Also visit a small museum dedicated the many ethnic groups of Laos. We take lunch in the town and thereafter, travel a short distance out of town to the impressive waterfalls of Kuang Si. There’s time to relax around the cascades and pools and take a refreshing dip. After a picnic lunch we visit the nearby sun bear refuge to learn about the impact of poaching, and conservation efforts in support of these wonderful but endangered mammals. Overnight Villa Maydou (BL)

For early risers, witness the sacred ritual of monks on their alms rounds, known locally as Sai Bath. Long lines of barefoot monks go through the streets to receive their morning rice from the local villagers. The rest of the day is an immersion into Lao food and local life. You start by visiting a local fresh food market where your local guide will explain some of the produce on show. By boat, you then cross the mighty Mekong and visit the home of your guide. After being greeted by villagers, experience a cooking lesson in the family home and enjoy the delicious food with your host. After lunch, continue upstream to the remarkable Pak Ou caves, home to some 3000 or so Buddha images. Cruising leisurely back down the Mekong to the city, you will stop on the way in a couple of small villages to observe local customs and industry and if you wish try a Lao rice whiskey! Overnight Villa Maydou (BL)

Meet your local guide early this morning at around 07:30am. Starting at Ban Xieng Lom, cross the Nam Khan River trekking to the village of Ban Lao Theung, a traditional village where you can simply observe the people of the Khmu tribe going about their daily rituals.  Continue trekking in scenery of soaring limestone rock faces, arriving for a local lunch in the Hmong village of Lao Sung village. Here you will be able to interact with the locals and play with the curious children, and through your guide learn about their rural existence. After lunch, descend back towards the Nam Khan River passing more sleepy villages on the way. Expect to arrive back in Luang Prabang late afternoon. Overnight Villa Maydou (BL)

Note – The total trekking distance today is around 17 km’s (11 miles) and is considered a medium level of difficulty. Clients should be used to trekking and we expect the trek to take 6 – 8 hours depending in on your pace. If you do not wish to trek, other excursions can be arranged.  

This morning take a local flight south to Pakse. Meet your local guide and enjoy a jeep safari on the beautifully verdant Bolaven Plateau, exploring coffee plantations and remote waterfalls by jeep and on foot. Imbibe the spectacular scenery of this region formed from the remnants of an ancient super volcano. Overnight at Sabaidee Valley Resort (B)

Start the day with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wat Phou.  You then travel to the mystical 4,000 Islands a unique river archipelago where the Mekong River spreads out over a distance of some 14km’s. A short boat ride through the islands gives some sense of the tranquillity that makes archipelago so special. Upon arrival at Don Khone Island the rest of the day is at leisure to relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. Overnight Sala Done Khone (B)

This morning there’s a choice of some gentle cycling through rice paddies and fishing villages, or an exploration of the island by tuk-tuk. In the afternoon we join local fishermen to experience the 4,000 Islands from their perspective. Boarding a fishing boat, we head out to the fishing grounds and try our hand at the skilled practice of net casting. At dusk we continue to a suitably secluded and idyllic spot to enjoy a barbecue while listening to the guide recount local myths and stories. Overnight at Sala Done Khone (BD)

After breakfast we cruise through the 4,000 Islands to Nakasong Pier and onward by road to Pakse. Near the border with Cambodia we visit Kon Phapheng Waterfall, the largest by volume in Asia, encompassing the entire flow of the Mekong in an amazing spectacle of nature. For the next part of our Laos and Cambodia tour, we take a flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia where you will be met on arrival and transfer to your overnight accommodation. Overnight La Niche D’Angkor (B)

This morning at 5:00am depart for Angkor Wat, the largest and most breathtaking monument at Angkor. We enter the temple complex from the quiet east side of Angkor Wat to avoid most of the tourists and spend the early part of the morning exploring one of man’s most magnificent creations before returning to the hotel for a late breakfast. Then continue to the South Gate of Angkor Thom and the temples of Bayon, Baphoun, Phimean Akas, The Royal Enclosure, the terraces of Elephants, the Leper King. Next up is Ta Phrom.  This remarkable jungle-clad temple with overgrown trees exudes a haunting and exotic atmosphere. The magnificent tree roots push between the temple’s huge stone blocks in a strange embrace. Ta Phrom is particularly amazing in the late afternoon light after most of the crowds have left. Finish your Angkor experience with an unforgettable sunset at Pre Rup or Srah Sarong before returning to your accommodation. Overnight La Niche D’Angkor (BL)

Note: Visiting temples or other religious sites in Cambodia, visitors are advised to follow a dress code consisting of long trousers or skirt which covers the knees as well as covered shoulders. Skirts, short shorts, tank tops and revealing clothing are culturally insensitive and not allowed

Today take the opportunity to learn some of the signature dishes of a local Cambodian family and take a leisurely bike ride in the sroksrai Khmer (Cambodian countryside). This morning you will visit a local market shopping for fresh produce and then cycle to the family home in the countryside. You will cook with the family and then enjoy lunch together.  After letting your lunch settle,there will be further opportunity to cycle leisurely next to rice paddies and through small villages to observe traditional Khmer houses and if you wish, interact with the locals. Later in the afternoon, take a scenic drive to Banteay Srei, loosely translated as “Citadel of Women.”, housing some of the finest and best-preserved examples of classical Khmer bas-relief. Return to Siem Reap in the late afternoon. Overnight La Niche D’Angkor (BL)

After breakfast, take to the water at Siem Reap pier, boarding a boat to Battambang. The route traverses Cambodia’s largest lake, Tonlé Sap, and allows time to take in the life of lakeside villages. There is a lunch stop, but you may want to take snacks and water for the journey.  Check in to your accommodation and remaining time today will be at leisure to relax. Overnight at Battambang Resort (B)

Note – Sometimes the boat does not operate to Battambang, in which case you will transfer by road which is a drive of around 4 hours.  

Today you travel through the countryside to Ek Phnom, an ancient temple 15km north of the town, seldom visited by tourists. Along the way we pass small villages and can take the chance to observe traditional culinary craft skills such as making kralan (bamboo sticky rice), fish paste, rice paper and banana paper. Afterwards, return to town and visit the campus of Phare Ponleu Selpak, a non-profit arts school. Stroll through the campus and you may observe students learning new tricks, music students practising beneath shady trees, and watch films produced by trainee animators. Later, after lunch at a local restaurant, the mood changes as we visit Phnom Sampeou’s notorious ‘Killing Caves’. Victims of the notorious Khmer Rouge regime were sadly executed here, their bodies brutally thrown into the chasm. A glass memorial records these events, while the bones of just some of those who perished have been collected to stand as a reminder of these horrific crimes. The hill’s summit offers commanding views over the Cambodian countryside and if you choose to stay until sunset, countless bats emerge from the caves to feed on the evening air. It’s possible to watch the spectacle from a comfortable chair while enjoying a cold drink courtesy of some enterprising local entrepreneurs. After sunset, return to the hotel. Overnight at Battambang Resort (BL)

This morning, travel with driver only to Phnom Penh. The journey will be broken at Udong, the ancient capital of Cambodia where we can stop and walk up the hill, dotted with stupas and pagodas, culminating in stunning views of the Cambodian countryside from the top. Continue on to Phnom Penh for the last leg of your journey. Overnight Villa Langka (B)

Meet your local guide at around 8 am, and on foot and by tuk tuk visit Pshar Kandal, Phnom Penh’s oldest market to optionally delve into local delights such as Mi Char (fried noodle) Lort Char, Sachkor ang (BBQ beef) with papaya salad, noodle soup, Nom krok, small traditional snacks made from rice and coconut juice cooked in clay pots. Afterwards move on towards Pshar Chas where you may wish to try Banh Srung, a small noodle dish with coconut milk and spring roll slices and possibly Chek Ktis – a sweet dessert. Thereafter, walk to the French quarter to observe the intricate colonial era architecture. Continue to the 14^th century stupa and small pagoda of Wat Phnom. This is the tallest religious structure in the city and the oldest building in Phnom Penh. Next stop is the Royal Palace, built in 1866 under King Norodom. Adjacent to the palace is the Silver Pagoda, named after its floor of 5,000 silver tiles. If time allows, call in at the National Museum, notable for its collection of Angkorian artefacts. Lunch is taken at Friends Restaurant which provides underprivileged street children an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the hospitality business. All profits are reinvested into the restaurant’s training programme. This afternoon we explore bleaker aspects of Cambodia’s past, visiting Choeng Ek and its infamous Killing Fields, and the brutal Tuol Sleng prison where thousands perished in the country’s darkest days. Overnight Villa Langka (BL)

Please note: When visiting the Royal Palace, long trousers, over-knee skirts and covered shoulders are required. Those wearing short skirts, small shorts, tank tops and other items of revealing clothing will be denied entry. 

At the appropriate time, transfer to the airport for your onward flight at the end of your Laos and Cambodia tour. (B)

Note – Contact us if you wish to finish your Indochina adventure with a beach stay or to extend your stay elsewhere in the region.