2 Days the most epic places and experiences in Luang Prabang (M05)

The tour begin early in the morning (Pickup time 5:15 – 05:45. Depends on sunrise time). We pick you up from your hotel and you have a fantastic opportunity together with the locals to witness the participating centuries old daily tradition of the alms giving ceremony. Following that, we visit local morning market. You return to your hotel for breakfast around 7:00 for breakfast.

We will pick you up again at 8:30 and take you to  a small park on the peninsula tip. You will have a brief introduction to Luang Prabang, standing where the Nam Khan River meets the Mekong River. From there, walk to Wat Xieng Thong, the most revered temple in the country. Learn from your guide the typical architecture of the Luang Prabang style temples with their spectacular low sweeping roofs. Join local pilgrims for a glimpse into the daily Buddhist beliefs of the people.

Next, we will go temple hopping in the neighborhood. At Wat Sene, where there is a school for novice monks, you may meet again with novice monks you met on the morning alms.  Afterwards, we will visit the Royal Palace museum.  It houses a lot of interesting historical items. Every item tells a story…so you will learn quite a lot from your guide about Lao history and about Laos’ royal.

This morning ends with a climb up Phousi Hill. Rising 150m in the centre of town, you enjoy spectacular 360 degree views across the city and its many temples, and over the surrounding landscape to the mountains in the distance. Afterwards, free time for lunch either back at the hotel or in town.

In the afternoon, we will take you to Kuang Si Waterfalls. These waterfalls are magnificent and impressive. Relax and enjoy the spectacular natural beauty of waterfalls. Water from upstream cascades down jagged limestone cliffs into turquoise blue pools of various sizes. We will have 2 hours to explore the three-tiered waterfall, walk along a nature preserve trail, swim in refreshing turquoise puddles, and visit a bear conservation center. Adventurous may walk up the steep path to the top of the falls for a spectacular view.

On the way, we will stop at Ban Na Uang (a Hmong resettlement village). Here you can meet the Hmong people who originally lived in the highlands. We will drop you off at your hotel in Luang Prabang and complete the itinerary for day 1.

Option 1 Cycling

Pick up at around 8:30 am from your hotel in Luang Prabang and head to Nam Ou Bridge, 30km north of Luang Prabang.　From there, we will begin cycling along the path along the Nam Ou and Mekong rivers. This cycling route to Manifa Elephant Camp is approximately 14 kilometers long and follows dirt and paved roads with little traffic and only used by locals. It’s flat except for about 50 meters of ups and downs along the way. Enjoy the scenery along the river and stop at villages to get a glimpse of farming and local life.

Option 2 Elephant

Your experience begins with a transportation service pick up from your accommodation between 8:15 am – 9:00 am. You will visit the mahout (elephant handler) village in Manifa Elephant Camp and observe their daily routine as you see a demonstration of an elephant health check. Your guide will explain the elephants while they examine the elephant’s eyes, ears, mouths, and feet. Learn how to estimate the weight of an elephant by measuring the body used by veterinarians and Mahout. You will understand that riding an elephant is well below 20% of its body weight, which a human, elephant, horse, or most animals generally can carry.
You will know the name of an elephant that will become your partner today and learn how to introduce yourself to your elephant and how to mount your elephant to ride bareback. Then you will have an intimate interaction with the elephant.You will ride your elephant and explore the jungle. Experience how powerful elephant mobility is in the dense vegetation and sloping jungle terrain. After passing through the jungle, your elephant will plunge into the Mekong River. Help your elephant body cool off and bathe in the Mekong River. Finally, you feed and care for your elephant with organic vegetables and fruits.

Option 1 Kayak to Pak Ou Caves, Mekong River Sunset Cruise

After a buffet lunch at Manifa Elephant Camp, we start kayak on the Nam Ou River. We enjoy a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside and see a wonderful nature built limestone cliffs called Pha Aen on the way. 1 hour kayaking takes us to the first destination the confluence of the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers, Pak Ou. We visit the famous Pak Ou Caves – two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by devoted pilgrims. Exploring the caves about 30 min, we start the second course of the kayaking on the Mekong River. We paddle down the Mekong for 30 minutes until we ended our kayak at Manifa Elephant Camp. Shower and change clothes at Elephant Camp.

Return to Luang Prabang with a sunset boat cruise. It is a boat trip of about 25km and one and a half hours. After stopping at Ban Xang Hai (Whiskey Village) on the way, we headed towards Luang Prabang while watching the beautiful sunset. Upon arrival, we will transfer you to your hotel.

Option 2 Boat to Pak Ou Caves, Mekong River Sunset Cruise

After lunch break, we embark a boat trip to Pak Ou Caves on the Mekong River. We see a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside as well as the mysterious nature on the way. 30 minutes boat trip takes us to Pak Ou where the confluence of the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers. We explore Pak Ou Caves about 40 min.
Return to Luang Prabang with a sunset boat cruise. It is a boat trip of about 25km and one and a half hours. After stopping at Ban Xang Hai (Whiskey Village) on the way, we headed towards Luang Prabang while watching the beautiful sunset. Upon arrival, we will transfer you to your hotel.