The Northern Experience: Laos From Thailand

What travelers love about this tours

Meeting colourful Akha and Yao hilltribe people while exploring Chiang Khong, the Mekong River and Golden Triangle
Exploring remote corners of northern Laos, whether riverside villages or mountainous communities
Meeting some of the ethnic minorities that call these places home, learning about their customs, dress and craftsmanship
Marvelling at caves and hideouts from the Secret War, diving into Laos fascinatingly troubled history

Description

Begin this expedition in the northern portions of Thailand before hopping across the border into Laos. A region of the country covered in vast mountain ranges and deep, lush valleys, this section of Laos is arguably one of its most beautiful. From hill tribe visits to UNESCO explorations, this northern trip has a bit of it all. The beginning of this excursion is filled with trekking, hill tribe encounters and rural visits, getting a taste for what life in the countryside of northern Laos is like. Learn about rice production and the various cultures cohabiting in the region followed by a picturesque boat journey along the Nam Ou River. After the countryside explorations it’s off to the “city” with a final visit to Luang Prabang. Enjoy the comforts of the modern world in this UNESCO-celebrated city, known for its temples, quaint streets, beautiful riverside and tranquil atmosphere.

Features

By Day	Destinations	Activities	Meals
Day 1	arrive Chiang Rai, Chiang Khong	Transport / market town	B
Day 2	Chiang Khong, Laos: Huay Xai, Luang Namt...	Visit Fort Carnot / Kao Rao Cave / River Namtha	B
Day 3	Luang Namtha, Nam Ha National Park Trek	National Park / Phoumpok Stupa / Songtaew to Ban Nam Jang village	B
Day 4	Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Muang La	Lantern village of Namdeng Nua / Pra Xack Kham Temple / Muang La Reso...	B
Day 5	Muang La, Adventure & Ban Phavie Trek	trekking and exploring the local area	B
Day 6	Muang La, Phongsali	Transport & visit of Boun Thai & Boun Nua	B
Day 7	Phongsali	Explore Phongsali & Tea Plantations	B
Day 8	Phongsali, Hatsa, Nam Ou Cruise, Muang K...	Cruise Nam Ou River / visit of Muang Khua	B
Day 9	Muang Khua, Nam Ou	Nam Ou River Cruise, Trek, Nong Khiaw	B
Day 10	Nong Khiaw	Enjoy the day	B
Day 11	Nong Khiaw, Pak Ou Caves, Luang Prabang	Pak Ou caves / Lao architecture / Luang Prabang	B
Day 12	Luang Prabang	Enjoy the day	B
Day 13	depart Luang Prabang	Enjoy the day & Return Flight	B

arrive Chiang Rai, Chiang Khong

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Transport / market town

Upon arrival in Chiang Rai you will be met by your guide then transfer away from the city to the east as far as Chiang Khong, an important market town and border crossing between Thailand and Laos, and overlooking Huay Xai on the Laos side of the Mekong River.

The remainder of your day is at leisure.

Overnight in Chiang Khong.

Chiang Khong, Laos: Huay Xai, Luang Namtha

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Visit Fort Carnot / Kao Rao Cave / River Namtha

Morning departure for Laos.

Having taken care of Thai border formalities, cross the new Friendship Bridge, clearing Laos immigration on the far side. Having entered Laos you will be met by your Laos guide. Visit Fort Carnot, an old French military post that features a jail and a watchtower offering great views over the Mekong River and Huay Xai.

Depart Huay Xai, driving east in the direction of Luang Namtha. This road has recently been improved, and is now a very smooth and comfortable drive. During the journey stops will be made to visit hill tribe villages that are home to Khmu and Lu minorities, in addition to a stop at Kao Rao Cave with its impressive limestone formations. Arrive in Luang Namtha mid-afternoon where you have the remainder of your day at leisure.

Located on the banks of the River Namtha, the town is surrounded by rugged mountains and beautiful tropical forests. Close to the border with both China and Myanmar, it’s the ideal base for trekking or cycling in this truly unspoilt region of North East Laos.

Luang Namtha, Nam Ha National Park Trek

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
National Park / Phoumpok Stupa / Songtaew to Ban Nam Jang village

Enjoy a full day in Nam Ha National Park. Commence your day with a climb to Phoumpok Stupa offering panoramic views of Luang Namtha town, before heading into the jungle with your local guide where you can learn about the different types of medicines and foods which can be collected from the forest.

Break for lunch in the jungle, enjoying some local Akha delicacies prepared by your guide and some local villagers before descending to the village of Ban Nammutmai, a picturesque Akha minority village built on the hillside. Thanks to the linguistic skills of your guide, you will be able to meet with the villagers and learn about their way of life. After some time in the village, continue by Songtaew to Ban Nam Jang village, where they specialize in the making of Saa paper before returning to Luang Namtha and visiting the market.

Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Muang La

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Lantern village of Namdeng Nua / Pra Xack Kham Temple / Muang La Resort

Morning departure south to the village of Muang La. Just outside of Luang Namtha, stop to visit the Lantern village of Namdeng Nua, and then again for lunch in the sleepy provincial capital of Oudomxay.

After lunch there will be time to visit the intriguing Pra Xack Kham Temple with its sacred Buddha image. This 400 year old legendary statue is said to have many supernatural powers, and is widely worshipped among the local Buddhists.

In the late afternoon arrive at Pak La Village and the delightful Muang La Resort, famous for its natural hot springs. The remainder of your day is at leisure to enjoy the serenity of thec and its welcoming hot spring baths.

Muang La District offers great mountain scenery, remote villages with friendly locals and a gentle pace of life. The wide Nam Pak River runs by where you can see water buffalo bathing and local children playing along the river banks. It is a great spot to languish and enjoy the peace and quiet of your surroundings. For those who want more action you can explore mountain trails on foot or by mountain bike, passing through farmland, forest and rice paddies to small minority communities.

Muang La, Adventure & Ban Phavie Trek

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
trekking and exploring the local area

Depart Muang La for a day of trekking and exploring the local area where you will discover minority hill tribe people and their fascinating way of life. Today’s journey is truly off the beaten track and ensures some stunning mountain views along the way. Setting off by 4x4 vehicle in the direction of Pak Khai, it's a pleasant drive with wonderful views across the Nam Pak River to rice paddies and small villages along the river banks.

Commence trekking along a mountain trail that follows a meandering stream where you may encounter local farmers cultivating the fertile land, fishing in the river and hunting for small game. Your trek will take you through lush vegetation and dense forest until you reach the beautiful village of Ban Phavie, a Khamu village atop a hill with superb views over the surrounding area.

After a picnic lunch continue on to a beautiful waterfall where you can relax and take a refreshing dip.

Return to Muang La in the late afternoon where the remainder of your day is at leisure.

Muang La, Phongsali

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Transport & visit of Boun Thai & Boun Nua

After breakfast, depart for the remote northern province of Phongsali. The journey takes approximately six hours and along the way there will be the opportunity to visit a number of colourful minority tribal villages.

Break for lunch and to stretch your legs at Boun Thai. The town is a popular stopping point for travellers heading to Phongsali, and a number of non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) are based here. In the afternoon, continue further north and make a stop in Ban Kong, where the villagers of the Buddhist Tribe Thai Lue reside in homes with beautiful tile roofs which cool the houses in the hot months.

A final stop will be made at Boun Nua, before arriving into Phongsali in the late afternoon.

Unquestionably one of Laos’ most interesting towns and certainly far less visited than most, Phongsali is located close to the Chinese border, with a population unsurprisingly consisting predominantly of Chinese traders, as well as a large number of local ethnic groups such as the Phou Noy and Chinese Ho. In fact it is only due to quite recent French occupation that Phongsali is not part of China.

Phongsali

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Explore Phongsali & Tea Plantations

Spend the day exploring Phongsali and its surrounds.

After breakfast, drive out of town to Phongsali’s famous 400 year old tea plantations, where some of the oldest tea trees in the world grow. Take an easy trek through the plantations and the nearby villages, which are predominantly home to the tea pickers. These villages are rarely visited by foreign tourists, but you will be warmly welcomed and may even be invited for a cup of the local brew.

Returning to Phongsali, spend time strolling through the medieval-looking old quarter, make a stop at the small local market and visit the Museum of Tribes which houses a collection of traditional hill tribe costumes.

In the late afternoon climb up the forested hillside of Phou Fa, or Sky Mountain, in time to enjoy the spectacular sunset view across the town, with tea plantations and valleys as far as the eye can see.

Phongsali, Hatsa, Nam Ou Cruise, Muang Khua

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Cruise Nam Ou River / visit of Muang Khua

After breakfast, depart Phongsali to the village of Hatsa, a scenic but bumpy 1.5 hour drive. On arrival, board a private boat and cruise down a particularly picturesque and uninhabited stretch of the beautiful Nam Ou River.

Your cruise is briefly interrupted as you reach a sign of modern Laos in the shape of a Chinese Hydropower Dam project. Board a local truck to pass by the dam, before continuing on the second leg of your cruise towards Muang Khua. Stops will be made en-route for a picnic lunch and to visit Ban Huay Soy, a rarely visited Khmu village.

By early evening, arrive into Muang Khua and check in to your hotel. Located on the banks of the Nam Ou River and overlooking a floating bridge, Muang Khua is just 60km from the Vietnamese border. The French had a presence here until 1954, when their forces were ousted from Vietnam in the aftermath of the infamous battle at Dien Bien Phu. It has a shanty-town look about it, with rickety, old wooden buildings and narrow winding streets. You will see many minority tribal folk from the surrounding countryside, as they come to buy or sell in the market, especially in the mornings.

Muang Khua, Nam Ou

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Nam Ou River Cruise, Trek, Nong Khiaw

Leaving Muang Khua you will take a slow boat down the Nam Ou River. This particular stretch offers stunning scenery and remote villages, some of which are only accessible by boat. En route, stop to visit Muang Ngoi. Only accessible by boat, it was once a quaint village, nestling at the foothill of a giant limestone outcrop; now it’s an ideal place for travellers to take a break whilst coasting up and down the Nam Ou.

You will meet a local village guide who will lead you on a short trek to a nearby cave, passing through some beautiful paddy field scenery and visiting a Thai Daeng ethnic village.

Return to Muang Ngoi, where you can join the locals for a cooling bathe in the river, before continuing to Nong Khiaw, arriving by early evening. Nong Khiaw is a remote village situated on the banks of the Nam Ou River and flanked on either side by stunning mountainous back-drops.

Nong Khiaw

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Enjoy the day

Your day is at leisure.

Nong Khiaw, Pak Ou Caves, Luang Prabang

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Pak Ou caves / Lao architecture / Luang Prabang

Morning departure by car for Luang Prabang, taking the scenic route that passes amongst rolling hills enjoying intermittent views of the Nam Ou River.

Stop en route to visit the Pak Ou caves, which house literally thousands of Buddha statues, hidden from the looting Chinese Haw in times gone by. The statues range from a few centimetres to the size of a human.

Arrive into Luang Prabang around lunchtime and having checked in to your hotel, the remainder of your day is at leisure.

Luang Prabang, the ‘Jewel of Indochina’, is a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site and regularly voted as one of Asia's premier travel destinations. The ancient royal city is surrounded by mountains and is situated at a junction of the Mekong and Khan rivers. In the centre of the city is Mount Phousi, rewarding climbers of its 328 steps with stunning views of the surrounding temples and hills.

A city where time has seemingly stood still, Luang Prabang is also an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional Lao architecture with structures built by the Colonial authorities in more recent times. Its unique, remarkably well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions.

Luang Prabang

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Enjoy the day

Your day is at leisure.

depart Luang Prabang

Meals:
Breakfast
Activities:
Enjoy the day & Return Flight

Your day is at leisure until your transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Inclusions

Meals

13 breakfasts

Transport

Plane, Car, Walking, Boating

Included services

Exclusions

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The Northern Experience: Laos From Thailand

What travelers love about this tours

Description

Features

arrive Chiang Rai, Chiang Khong

Chiang Khong, Laos: Huay Xai, Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha, Nam Ha National Park Trek

Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Muang La

Muang La, Adventure & Ban Phavie Trek

Muang La, Phongsali

Phongsali

Phongsali, Hatsa, Nam Ou Cruise, Muang Khua

Muang Khua, Nam Ou

Nong Khiaw

Nong Khiaw, Pak Ou Caves, Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang

depart Luang Prabang

Inclusions

Exclusions

""

Multi-country Tours

Reply within 0.5 ~ 12H

100% tailor-made Tour

Enjoy tour in"My Style"

Best Local Support 24/7

Your smiles are our success

Let us assist you if you couldn't find a perfect trip for you!

The Northern Experience: Laos From Thailand

What travelers love about this tours

Description

Features

arrive Chiang Rai, Chiang Khong

Chiang Khong, Laos: Huay Xai, Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha, Nam Ha National Park Trek

Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Muang La

Muang La, Adventure & Ban Phavie Trek

Muang La, Phongsali

Phongsali

Phongsali, Hatsa, Nam Ou Cruise, Muang Khua

Muang Khua, Nam Ou

Nong Khiaw

Nong Khiaw, Pak Ou Caves, Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang

depart Luang Prabang

Inclusions

Exclusions

""

Multi-country Tours

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Reply within 0.5 ~ 12H

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Enjoy tour in"My Style"

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Your smiles are our success

Let us assist you if you couldn't find a perfect trip for you!