Heritages of Laos & Cambodia – 9 days

Rise before dawn and ride by tuk tuk to Angkor Wat. Built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple and later turned to Buddhist worship, it is the largest religious monument in the world, and watching the sky turn pink and gold behind its five towers is an unforgettable start to the day.

Continue to Angkor Thom, the last and longest-lasting capital of the Khmer empire. Enter through the South Gate and walk along the ancient city wall to Prasat Chrung, a small temple half lost in the trees at its corner, then on to the Bayon, where more than two hundred giant stone faces gaze down with the calm, knowing expression known as the smile of Angkor. See the Terrace of the Elephants, the Royal Palace and the Terrace of the Leper King, with their long walls of carved figures.

As the day warms up, your driver collects you in an air-conditioned car with cold drinks for the short ride to Ta Prohm, where giant fig and silk-cotton trees have wrapped their roots around the ruins. It is the temple that famously appeared in the film “Tomb Raider”.

The rest of the day is yours to relax.

Climb aboard an ox cart for a gentle ride through the rice fields and villages outside Siem Reap. Then take a boat out onto the Tonle Sap, past flooded forest and wide open water, to Kompong Phluk, a village of houses on tall stilts where life follows the rise and fall of the lake. Watch fishermen mending their nets and children paddling to school, and get a real sense of how people live on the water.

Return to Siem Reap and spend the afternoon as you like.

Enjoy a slow morning in Siem Reap before your transfer to the airport for the flight to Vientiane.

Your private local guide welcomes you at the airport and takes you to your hotel.

Take an easy walk around the neighbourhood, or stroll along the Mekong riverbank to watch the sun set over Thailand on the far side.

Begin with an introduction to the country’s history at the National Museum, then visit Wat Sisaket, the oldest surviving temple in the city, whose cloister walls hold thousands of small Buddha images in niches. Across the road is Haw Phra Kaew, built to house the Emerald Buddha and now a museum of fine Buddhist sculpture.

See That Luang, the great golden stupa that is the national symbol of Laos, and Patuxai, the city’s victory monument, with views over Vientiane from the top.

The rest of the day is yours to explore at your own pace.

Enjoy a relaxed morning before your transfer to the airport for the flight to Luang Prabang.

Your private local guide meets you on arrival and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to settle in.

Wander through the old town as the lamps come on, and browse the night market, where Hmong and Lao craftspeople spread out textiles, silver and paper lanterns along the street.

At first light, join the alms round, as lines of monks in saffron robes walk silently through the streets to receive offerings of sticky rice, and receive their blessing in return.

After breakfast, visit Wat Xieng Thong, the finest example of classic Lao temple architecture, with its sweeping roofs and glittering mosaics. Learn about the kingdom’s history at the Royal Palace Museum, then see Wat Aham, the Monastery of the Opened Heart, and the stupa of Wat Visoun next door.

Drive out into the countryside to Kuang Si Waterfalls, where water cascades over limestone terraces into a chain of turquoise pools. Swim, relax in the shade or simply enjoy the scenery, then return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.

After breakfast, walk down to the landing and take a boat upstream on the Mekong. Along the way, village houses peep out from behind the trees, slender canoes bob along the shore, and bamboo poles and floats mark the fishing nets and traps. Stop at Ban Muang Keo, a village known for distilling lao-lao, the local rice whisky, where you can taste a sip or two.

Arrive at Pak Ou, two caves set in a limestone cliff facing the mouth of the Ou River where it meets the Mekong. Inside, thousands of Buddha images, from a few centimetres to two metres tall, have been left by pilgrims over the centuries.

Return to Luang Prabang and drive to Ban Xang Khong on the edge of town, a village known for its handmade mulberry paper and silk woven with natural dyes.

Enjoy breakfast and a final stroll through the old town, perhaps with a coffee by the Mekong.

At the agreed time, transfer to the airport for your onward flight.