Best of Lao & Cambodia (10 days)

• DAY 1 Luang Prabang Meet your new guide at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Luang Prabang is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The charm of splendid scenery and cultural sights and tranquility make the town one of the most delightful places to experience in Laos.
• DAY 2 Luang Prabang <em>An early start today will bring about the fantastic opportunity to participate in the unique daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (sticky rice) from devout residents.</em><br/><br/>After breakfast we visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun, the city’s oldest temple Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping down to the ground. We also tour the shrines of Wat Aham, Wat Mai. In the afternoon we tour the National Museum which is housed in the former Royal Palace and exhibits a lovely collection of various artefacts from the last royal family. Next, we hike up Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a beautiful sunset view. We conclude the day with a walk through the iridescent Night Market and admire a lovely selection of handicrafts.<br/><br/>
• DAY 3 Hill Tribe Villages We pay a visit to the Morning Market of Phosi that offers a wide array of local produces including dried buffalo skin, tea, saltpetre, hill-tribe weavings, vegetables, and livestock. Next, we drive to the villages of Ban Ouay, Ban Ou and Ban Thapene and explore the cultures of the ethnic minority groups there. Continue to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall which offers a chance to cool off with a refreshing swim in the turquoise pools or to walk along the forest trails. Later on, we tour Ban Xangkhong, the village well known for its jute paper. Return to the city for overnight.
• DAY 4 Pak Ou Caves We embark on a cruise along the mighty Mekong River to Pak Ou and explore the two linked caves which are crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by devoted pilgrims. On the way back to town we’ll visit Ban Xang Hai and Ban Phanom, the villages known for the wine called “On the Rock” and skilled hand weaving women. Late afternoon we fly to Vientiane, meet up with a new guide and transfer to the hotel.
• DAY 5 Vientiane A full day tour of the city’s major sights to cover Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues, the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, the sacred That Luang Stupa, the imposing Patuxay Monument, the central market, the Revolutionary Museum, the Buddha Park, the Friendship Bridge.
• DAY 6 Phnom Penh We bid farewell to Laos and board a morning flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In Phnom Penh we’ll visit the Royal Palace complex including the Silver Pagoda, the National Museum, the Independence Monument, Wat Phnom. A leisurely walk along the riverside Sisowath Boulevard to conclude the day.
• DAY 7 Siem Reap We visit the notorious Toul Sleng Museum, the Central/Russian Market, and the Killing Field before an afternoon flight to Siem Reap. This evening we enjoy dinner with entertainment from Apsara dancers and a visit to the Pub Street and the Night Market.
• DAY 8 Siem Reap We start the exciting quest into Siem Reap’s Angkorian relics, from the South Gate of Angkor Thom to the giant smiling faces of Bayon, then to Baphoun and Phimeanakas, then to the Terraces of Elephant and Leper King. In the afternoon we continue with the fascinating temples of Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei, Sras Srang, Takeo, Thommanon, and Chau Say Thevoda. Hike up the sacred Bakheng Hill to contemplate the magnificent view of the sun setting into the western baray of Angkor Wat.
• DAY 9 Siem Reap This morning we’ll be touring the epic Angkor Wat. Comparable to Machu Pichu in grandeur, Angkor Wat is a vast rambling complex of diverse temple structures dating from the 9th to the 13th centuries. Many are adorned with exquisite carvings and bas-reliefs. Afternoon, we drive to Pour Krom and walk through this lovely village to discover the typical Khmer life. Enjoy an ox-cart ride before a cruise on Tonle Sap Lake. We also visit Les Artisans d’Angkor to learn about the rebirth of Khmer Arts. Overnight in Siem Reap.
• DAY 10 Departure Free till transfer to the airport for the departure flight.