Laos Beyond The Ordinary – 7 Days

After breakfast, visit Wat Phou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a remarkable pre-Angkorian temple set among the rice fields and waterways at the foot of a mountain. It rises in three levels: the baray, or reservoir, and the long processional way at the bottom; pavilions and galleries of carvings in the middle; and the sanctuary at the top, with sweeping views over the plain. Once the most important political and economic centre in the region, it is still one of the most revered temples in Laos.

The afternoon is yours to relax on the island.

At sunset, join the island community for a Baci, a traditional Lao ceremony held for weddings, births and the welcoming of guests. Village elders tie white cotton strings around your wrists to bring good fortune and goodwill. Afterwards, sit down to an authentic Lao dinner.

Follow a shaded bamboo path along the Mekong and step into the simple life of southern Laos, from traditional handicrafts to local spiritual practices. Stop at Wat Muang Kang, the oldest active temple in Champasak, which blends colonial, Vietnamese and traditional Lao styles, and a Catholic church built at the end of the 19th century. Depending on the season, you can join the villagers fishing, weaving baskets, planting or harvesting rice.

Having worked up an appetite, help a local family cook a traditional Lao dish, then sit down together to enjoy the meal.

Unwind at the Champasak Spa, where a traditional massage in a pavilion overlooking the Mekong is tailored to your needs by a skilled local therapist, using natural, organic products.

After breakfast, leave Don Daeng and transfer to Pakse Airport for your flight to Luang Prabang.

Your driver meets you on arrival and takes you to your hotel to check in.

Climb the 328 steps to the top of Mount Phousi for a panoramic view over the temple roofs, the rivers and the green hills beyond, as the light turns gold. Walk back to the hotel through the evening market, bright with handicrafts and textiles made by the hill tribes of the north.

Begin at the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum, where the corridors are filled with royal relics and gifts from around the world. Continue to Wat Xieng Thong, one of the oldest and most revered temples in Laos, set at the tip of the peninsula and covered in carvings and glittering glass mosaics. Then visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre with one of its co-founders, who explains the costumes, tools and beliefs of the many ethnic groups of Laos.

After lunch, visit the home of Nithakhong Somsanith, a prince of the Luang Prabang royal family, for a rare and personal encounter. Learn about traditional arts that are now almost forgotten and explore his private collection of artworks and objects from the old court.

If you are happy to rise before dawn, watch the monks walk barefoot from their temples in a long saffron line to receive offerings of sticky rice from local people. It is a beautiful, serene ritual. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

Drive through the countryside to Kuang Si Waterfall, which tumbles down a series of limestone terraces into turquoise pools, perfect for a swim on a hot day. Explore the jungle around the falls on foot, or, if you feel energetic, take the steep track to the top for the views.

Board a long-tail boat and cruise along the Mekong to Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, a research centre that created the first living collection of the plants of Laos. Enjoy a Lao set lunch at its cafe.

After a short introduction, walk through the Ginger Garden and the Ethnobotanic Garden at the heart of the site, then follow the Limestone Walk past mountain views to the old royal hunting lodge, where you learn to make a bamboo toy animal. Continue through the Arboretum, Palm Garden and Bamboo Garden to a viewpoint over the rice fields, stopping at the Mist House to hear about plant conservation. Finish by tasting traditional Lao herbal teas, with an optional orchid talk at the nursery.

Enjoy the morning at leisure for some last shopping or a final stroll through the old town.

At the agreed time, your driver takes you to the airport for your flight home.