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HIGHLIGHTS
- Arrival in Vientiane, relaxation, and a stroll along the Mekong River.
- Discover Laotian gastronomy in the evening.
- Overnight at Sabaidee @ Lao.
- Visit Luang Prabang, Nam Ngum, and Vang Vieng.
- Explore Angkor and the lakeside villages of Cambodia.
Day 1: First Steps in Laos in Vientiane
Stops: Vientiane
You will be met at Vientiane Airport by your English-speaking guide. You will be directed to your hotel to rest and enjoy some free time. This is your chance to take your first steps in the capital! A smooth arrival, then you will stroll along the Mekong River at the end of the day to discover the nightlife.
Dinner at a local restaurant for a first introduction to Laotian cuisine.
Day with a guide, lunch at your leisure, and dinner included.
Accommodation: Overnight at Sabaidee @ Lao (Vientiane)
Day 2: Tour of the capital and discovery of Vang Vieng
Stops: Vientiane, Vang Vieng
Your morning will begin with a visit to Vientiane and its most beautiful temples: Wat Sisaket, Patuxai, and Wat Si Muang. You will then head to Vang Vieng.
In the afternoon, explore the Tham Jang Cave, located in a karst cliff, after climbing some 150 stairs!
Then, you’ll board canoes for a trip on the Nam Song River to discover the riverbanks of Vang Vieng.
Late afternoon, settle into your room for a relaxing end to your day.
Day with guide, full board.
Accommodation: Overnight at the Saksiri Boutique Hotel (Vang Vieng)
Day 3: Train to Luang Prabang and First Exploration
Stops: Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang Province
In the morning, you’ll board the country’s brand-new, first-ever train, which will take you to Luang Prabang in less than an hour.
You will begin the afternoon with a walking tour of this UNESCO World Heritage Site: visit one of Luang Prabang’s oldest monasteries, the Ethnic Museum and its collections of the diverse ethnic groups and cultures that characterize Laos, and finally, hike Mount Phousi, a small hill in the middle of the city, from where you can marvel at a 360-degree view of the city.
You will enjoy a sindad dinner at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel for a well-deserved rest.
Day with a guide, full board
Accommodation: Overnight at the Sanctuary (Luang Prabang Province)
Day 4: City Discovery and Sailing on the Mekong River
Stops: Luang Prabang Province
You will begin the day with a stroll through the morning market in the alleys of Luang Prabang. With your guide, you will discover local specialties. You will continue with a visit to the Royal Palace, which has been transformed into a museum, and the main temples of the peninsula before visiting the Heuan Chan House, a former princely residence built on stilts in traditional Lao style.
After lunch, you will board a traditional boat for a cruise on the legendary Mekong River to reach the Pak Ou Caves.
Finally, return to Luang Prabang to enjoy some free time to stroll at your own pace through the night market, which opens daily on the main street.
Full day with a guide, half-board, dinner not included.
Accommodation: Overnight at the Sanctuary (Luang Prabang Province)
Day 5: The turquoise waters of Kuang Si
Stops: Luang Prabang Province
Through the countryside, you will reach Kuang Si and its impressive waterfall. Along the way, you’ll stop at the Lao Buffalo Dairy, a farm where buffaloes from local villagers were raised and whose milk is now used, among other things, to make local cheeses.
You’ll enjoy a Carpe Diem lunch located below the site, away from the crowds.
On the way back, explore the villages of Ban Xang Khong and Ban Xieng Lek, weaving villages for generations, where mulberry paper makers have also recently settled. You’ll have the opportunity to explore these artisans’ workshops and do some shopping.
Full day with a guide, half-board, dinner on your own.
Accommodation: Overnight at Sanctuary Luang Prabang (Luang Prabang Province)
Day 6: Flight to Cambodia
Stops: Siem Reap
In the morning, you’ll be transferred to Luang Prabang airport to catch your flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
After a short rest, you will explore the Angkor National Museum for a first introduction to the splendors of Khmer art. The modern layout of the eight galleries showcases the past with real charm, drawing you into the world of the Khmer dynasties from the 9th to the 12th centuries. Return to your hotel in the mid-afternoon or explore the city at your own pace.
Return to the hotel and meet your guide for dinner at a local restaurant.
Full-day tour with a guide in Siem Reap, half-board, lunch on your own.
Accommodation: Overnight at the Pandora Suite d’Angkor (Siem Reap)
Day 7: Angkor Countryside with a Cambodian Family
Stops: Siem Reap
In the morning, you’ll head to the temples of Banteay Samre and Banteay Srei, the “Citadel of Women,” surrounded by traditional houses and coconut trees.
You’ll stop along the way to discover palm sugar made from the Thnot, the iconic sugar palm that borders Cambodian rice paddies. A typical lunch will be served in a traditional house before your return to the hotel.
In the afternoon, you’ll enter the Angkor site to enjoy the sunset over the temples, followed by a dinner of Khmer specialties at Sovan and Ké Samy’s. You’ll spend a timeless evening in the garden of a traditional house in a small Cambodian village.
Day with a guide, full board.
Accommodation: Overnight at the Pandora Suite d’Angkor (Siem Reap)
Day 8: Conquering the Temples of Angkor
Stops: Siem Reap
Departure from your hotel in a famous Cambodian tuk-tuk to explore the temples of Angkor, a major archaeological site in Southeast Asia that reached its peak between the 10th and 13th centuries. A day to visit the most famous temples, such as Angkor Wat and its magnificent bas-reliefs, or the Bayon and its giant stone heads with smiling faces.
You will end your day with dinner and an Apsara dance performance. Once reserved for Khmer kings and their courts, these captivating dances and legendary dancers are said to have originated in India over 1,000 years ago.
Day with guide, full board.
Accommodation: Overnight at the Pandora Suite d’Angkor (Siem Reap)
Day 9: Sailing on the Tonle Sap and Cycling Through the Countryside
Stops: Tonle Sap, Siem Reap
Your morning will be spent exploring the Cambodian countryside by electric bike, among coconut palms and bamboo. You will have several stops to discover traditional Khmer homes and lifestyles, as well as a pagoda and its small Angkorian temple.
Before lunch, a Cambodian chef will introduce you to typical dishes such as green mango salad, amok, or kokor soup. You will then explore the region’s largest freshwater lake, Tonle Sap. You will then visit the floating village of Metchrey, with its stilt houses, flooded forest, and crocodile farms.
You’ll return to Siem Reap at the end of the day for a street food evening, a colorful journey through local specialties.
Full day with guide, full board.
Accommodation: Overnight at the Pandora Suite d’Angkor (Siem Reap)
Day 10: Discovering Crafts on your last day
Stops: Siem Reap
It’s time to visit the Artisans d’Angkor to discover the Khmer crafts promoted by this NGO. You’ll be able to observe wood and stone carving, silk painting, and traditional lacquer techniques. You’ll then visit the Senteurs d’Angkor workshops. Designed to promote the integration of women, they offer the production of beauty products, spices, and incense.
Then, transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Full day with guide, meals at your leisure.
| DAY | ITINERARY |
| Day 1 | VIENTIANE |
| Day 2 | VIENTIANE – VANG VIENG |
| Day 3 | VANG VIENG – LUANG PRABANG |
| Day 4 | LUANG PRABANG |
| Day 5 | LUANG PRABANG |
| Day 6 | SIEM REAP |
| Day 7 | SIEM REAP |
| Day 8 | SIEM REAP |
| Day 9 | TONLE SAP – SIEM REAP |
| Day 10 | SIEM REAP |
Q&A
Official Language: Khmer
Capital: Phnom Penh
Surface: 181 035 Km2
Population: 16 204 486
Currency: Riel (KHR)
Telephone code: +855
The RIEL is the national currency. But the US Dollar is also accepted throughout the country and prices are generally displayed in Dollars. The exchange rate is relatively stable: 1USD=4000 Riels. Warning: banknotes printed before 1990 are not accepted in Cambodia and their value decreases if the banknote is torn or scratched or graffitied or folded. In the case of a payment in Dollar, the change will be returned to you in Riel. The Euro and other foreign currencies are easily exchangeable in airports and markets.
Credit cards are now widely used in tourist cities (Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville) and you can withdraw Dollars. Cash withdrawals are possible in major cities in Laos, with a credit card (Visa or American Express). Payments are also possible in some hotels, luxury shops, or restaurants. But the cost of the levies (variables) remains quite high (3% commission). We recommend that you carry cash to cover your personal expenses throughout the trip.
No vaccination is required. However, it is recommended to protect yourself against hepatitis A and B (ask your doctor for advice). We advise you to bring your own:
of a broad-spectrum antibiotic;
of your usual medications if you are undergoing treatment;
an anti-diarrheal and an intestinal antiseptic (Intetrix, Immodium…);
a protective cream against mosquitoes;
moisturizing sunscreen, lip stick;
a healing ointment and a local antiseptic.
The Khmer kingdom of Cambodia reached its peak in the 12th century when great temples were erected, but the struggles between Hindus and Buddhists, Khmers, Mon and Cham tore the kingdom apart. The Siamese gradually established their political control over the Khmers while the Vietnamese also sought to dominate and colonize Cambodia. In 1863, France offered its protection to Cambodia, once again threatened by the Siamese (Thais). King Norodom I accepted the protectorate and Cambodia became a French colony. It was only after the Second World War that King Norodom Sihanouk negotiated with France the independence of Cambodia, which was granted on 9 November 1953.
After 15 years of reign, the king could not prevent the Khmer Communist Party from starting the armed struggle in 1968. In 1970, a military coup d’état precipitated Cambodia into a civil war that ended in April 1975 when the Khmer Rouge seized Phnom Penh. The brutality of Pol Pot’s troops served as a pretext for the Vietnamese to invade the country in December 1978.
They left the country following international pressure in September 1989. In May 1993, multi-party parliamentary elections were held. A new constitution was ratified and Norodom Sihanouk was once again proclaimed king. In 2004, he abdicated in favour of his younger son Norodom Sihamoni, currently in charge of the kingdom.
Khmer (sometimes called “Cambodian”) is the official language, with a clear majority; it is estimated to have 11.2 million speakers, or 83.6% of the population, according to 2012 figures, far ahead of Vietnamese (1 million speakers), Cham (475,000 speakers) and Chinese (438,000 speakers). It is mainly spoken in Cambodia and the neighbour regions of Thailand by the Surin Khmer (northern) and in Vietnam by the Khmer Krom.
MINI GLOSSARY
Hello : Sour Seday
Goodbye : Ly hai
Thank You : Orkoun
Can I have the bill? : Som kotleuy
How much does it cost ? : Klei ponman
I don’t understand : Ort yol
My name is : Kyom tchmo
Where are the toilets ? : Bantop teuk neuy na ?
I don’t understand khmer : Kyom atché pissa khmer
Do you speak english ? : Tah nyek neeyay preesah ahng-lay tay ?
Hotel : Santa Khear
On your way, you will often have the opportunity to meet local people. Wherever you are, be discreet and humble. The multiplicity of cultures and traditions means that certain attitudes are perceived differently in different countries. To avoid being disrespectful, take the time to understand the people you meet, take the time to make connections.
There too, listen to the advice of your guide! He knows better than anyone the behaviors to avoid or adopt. For example, if you want to take a picture of someone, always ask them for permission. The best way for acceptance is to have established a prior contact. Similarly, do not distribute gifts at all … This often encourages children to beg, to avoid this kind of drift, it is better to refer to the local structures competent (donate to school, hospital, village chief etc.). Finally, be careful not to wear too light clothing (short shorts, cleavage …) and avoid exuberant behavior.