Trip in the moonlight, with a tribe and in Laos!

Flight itinerary suggestions : (Flights booked by yourself, subject to modification without notice by the airline or local authorities).

For a Thai Airways flight TG 931 at 12:30-06:00+1.
Baggage check-in for Luang Prabang. 

Departure from Paris on your flight to Bangkok (Thailand).

Meals and overnight on board.

Breakfast at the hotel, then you will begin your bicycle tour of the main monuments in the city of Luang Prabang, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995:

The Royal Palace, now the National Museum, the Vat Mai, the Vat Xieng Mouane with its training center for monks and the heritage house (Heuan Chan Heritage House). During our visit, we will pass by the French Institute of Luang Prabang, which was once the home of comedian Pierre Desproges.

Lunch at the Pha Khao Lao restaurant, a table with local flavors, particularly featuring culinary specialties from Luang Prabang.

This afternoon, you will visit the ethnology museum (TAEC), which provides a better understanding of Laos's ethnic diversity and cultural wealth. Ideal for an excellent educational approach (closed Mondays).

Then we will go to a textile workshop (Ock Pop Tok). The place is renowned for its work in preserving traditions and expertise in the textile field, which remains an important economic actor in Laos with its hand-woven silks and natural dyes. What natural ingredient is used to produce vermillion? Turquoise? All your questions will be answered here during a visit to the center.

With supplement (please consult us), possibility to get your hands dirty by participating in a practical workshop in dyeing or weaving.

In late afternoon, we take advantage of the last rays of daylight with a visit to Vat Prabat Tai to admire the twilight sunset reflecting on the Mekong.

As an option, we can share a game of boules with experienced locals. It's ideal for immersing yourself in the laid-back atmosphere of the region.

Dinner at your leisure.

Recommendation: The Dyen Sabai, on the opposite bank of the Nam Khan river and accessible by a small bamboo bridge that crosses it from the peninsula. This charming place is ideal for an evening of "sin dad," the Lao barbecue where you grill your own meat on a hot plate and boil your vegetables. A dish very popular with locals, accompanied by a good BeerLao!

Early breakfast at the hotel, before joining the Vat Xieng Thong which is the most renowned temple. Its architecture is remarkable.

Then, you will board a private boat to reach the Pak Ou caves with a stop at the village of Ban Xang Hai, renowned for its rice alcohol production. Handle with care, as the alcohol content varies between 25 and 45 degrees!

Visit to the Pak Ou caves which house hundreds of Buddha statues and is an important pilgrimage site for Laotians, particularly during the Lao New Year in mid-April.

Lunch on board the boat.

Once arrived at Luang Prabang, continue your journey to the magnificent Kuang Si Falls, located 32km from the city. Beautiful rice paddy landscapes will unfold before you. The falls are also home to a small permanent exhibition on the conservation of Southeast Asian black bears, a good opportunity to understand the threats they face.

In addition to the cascades, the natural pools of turquoise and crystal-clear waters will invite you to swim. On the way back to Luang Prabang, a stop at the buffalo farm (Laos Buffalo Dairy).

The buffalo remains an emblematic animal of Asian countryside and Laos is no exception. Beneath its nonchalant air and omnipresence, this bovine is nonetheless under threat of decline. Indeed, a buffalo at birth faces a mortality rate of nearly 50% if it cannot access certain nutritious food.

Therefore, Laos with the aim of expanding its herd, has decided to implement prevention and breeding programs. To benefit from expert advice, the government called upon the Buffalo Farm in Luang Prabang "Laos Buffalo Dairy" to conduct its research programs in partnership with local breeders. This farm was born from the desire of a group of friends from Singapore to escape the urban world to settle in the countryside. Noting a dairy and especially cheese industry virtually non-existent, the challenge led them to create this farm… after all, mozzarella is originally made from buffalo milk!

A visit of approximately 30 minutes to this center can only be enriching. You will begin by receiving several explanations about the situation of buffalo in Laos, the required care and then the program. You will have the opportunity to approach buffalo but also to bottle-feed the young ones.

You must not miss, at the end of the visit, tasting the homemade ice cream made from buffalo milk. Depending on the season, they are flavored with fruit, lemongrass or sesame.

Return to your hotel to rest or you can discover the city at your own pace.

Dinner on your own. We recommend the refined and very fresh local cuisine of chef Linda which will delight you, in this small Restaurant Bamboo Tree Lao that she runs with passion along the Nam Khan river, in the heart of the old town.

This morning, early wake-up to attend a local ritual called "Tak Bat", a Buddhist ceremony that consists of giving offerings to monks who walk silently barefoot through the streets. Laotian and Thai devotees and anyone respectful are welcome to participate or simply observe, depending on their beliefs. Proper conduct is required, respecting the usual rules of decorum.

Return to the hotel for breakfast via the morning market, which takes place in the alleyways around the old Royal Palace. You will discover oddities and the main ingredients used in dishes that Laotians enjoy.

Then we will cross the Mekong to visit the village of Ban Chan. Located on the outskirts of Luang Prabang, on the opposite bank of the Mekong, the "Pottery House" is the ideal place for a half-day craft activity within a family. Terracotta pots and other similar containers are part of Lao culture and notably for storing food such as rice, water or certain sauces like padeck, a sauce made from fermented fish. The objective of this workshop is to have you discover the secrets of Laotian pottery in terms of its design and conception in a tropical climate.

Pickup at 08:30 at your hotel reception for a short transfer to the pier to board a longboat heading to the Ban Chan pottery village a few kilometers downstream. During a visit to this potter's village, you will receive some explanations before joining the center for a demonstration then hands-on practice with local techniques.

Once your activity is finished, it will be time to enjoy a Lao lunch together on site. (Group activity).

Then return to Luang Prabang.

This afternoon, you will learn more about the secrets of bamboo, omnipresent in Laotian culture. You will enjoy, on the outskirts of Luang Prabang, the surrounding nature with its rice fields at the The Bamboo Experience site.

Your discovery will begin with a bamboo weaving class taught by an experienced weaver. This will be followed by several activities that will familiarize you with the usefulness of bamboo-based products in daily life (fishing equipment, hunting gear, musical instruments, dance, among others).

Then you will attend your cooking class on the theme of bamboo-based dishes. You participate in the preparation of the dishes you will taste at the sala overlooking a magnificent landscape.

Note: Depending on the number of participants at the time of confirmation, the group may be divided into 2 teams for each activity.

Return to the hotel and overnight in Luang Prabang.

Breakfast at your hotel, then you will head to Nahm Dong Park for a day of adventure to the sound of waterfalls with superb views overlooking the Luang Prabang valley!

Your day will begin with a hike that will take you through the morning between jungle and suspended bridges, and will end with lunch followed by some well-deserved rest.

You will then be ready for a few hours of treetop adventure activities in the heart of the park. English-speaking supervision.

Return to Luang Prabang and the rest of the day at your leisure.

Dinner is on your own. We recommend the restaurant: Calao, notably for its 19th century building on the riverbanks, where you will have a vast choice of Asian dishes and in particular their ethnic menu which allows you to discover new cuisine full of local flavors.

Breakfast at the hotel and then we will head to the Phou Dindaeng organic farm 3km north of Vang Vieng. This farm aims to promote responsible and organic agriculture as well as perpetuate various traditional vegetable growing and goat farming techniques.

Then, it will be time to join an immersion in Laotian gastronomy with a cooking class (in a group) using products from the farm… a true "farm to table".

Once the practice is finished and the dishes prepared, it will then be time to sit down at the table to eat your own preparations (drinks not included).

In the afternoon, return to your hotel and free time. Your guide will help you organize your activities according to your wishes (fees to be paid on site).

NOTE: Subject to availability, weather conditions, and time permitting, we recommend that you coordinate on site with your guide the day before with a few suggestions to arrange your day at your complete discretion, with a choice of:

• A hot air balloon ride to fly over the karst region of Vang Vieng.

• A motorboat cruise on the Nam Song river before sunset with the jagged mountains of Vang Vieng in the background.

• A bicycle or scooter excursion in the countryside and explore at your own pace the bucolic charm of the Vang Vieng surroundings.

• A buggy or quad adventure to add some spice to your time on site.

• A kayak trip to descend the Nam Song river.
  

You confirm that you are aware of any potential risks associated with these activities and will assume the possible consequences. Any fees and additional charges are to be paid directly on site to the service providers.

Option: Head to the equestrian center "Ponies of Vang Vieng". All activities offered by this centre are suitable for all ages, ranging from pony rides for children to a variety of cart tours. Nothing better to discover the beauty of Vang Vieng in sweet animal company.

Activity(ies) of your choice and at your discretion, for a pony ride ranging from 20 minutes to one hour or more, along the Nam Song river or through forests and rice fields… (to be paid on site)

(Flights booked by you, subject to change without notice by the airline or local authorities).

Connection on the return flight to Paris TG 930 at 00h30–06h50
Meals and overnight on board.
Arrival in Paris CDG early morning and end of trip.