Day 1: Luang Prabang arrival Day 2: Luang Prabang’s treasures Day 3: Luang Prabang – Kuang Si water fall Day 4: Luang Prabang – Kamu Lodge Day 5: Khamu lodge - Parbeng Day 6: Parbeng – Luang Nam Tha Day 7: Luang Nam Tha visit Day 8: Luang Nam Tha – Muang Khua Day 9: Muang Khua – Muang Ngoi Day 10: Walk in Muang Ngoi Day 11: Muang Ngoi – Luang Prabang Day 12: Luang Prabang departure
Highlight
The rice fields of Luang Nam Tha and Muang Ngoi
The tropical forests of Luang Nam Tha
Villages along the Nam Ou river
The karst mountains of Muang Ngoi
The ancient temples of Luang Prabang
Meeting with ethnic minority numbers: the Khamu of Luang Prabang, the H’mong and Akha of Luang Nam Tha, the Yao of Muang La, the H’mong of Muang Ngoi
Walk in the middle of the rice fields in Luang Nam Tha
Hiking in the Muang Ngoi region
Full itinerary
B (Breakfast), L (Lunch), D (Dinner)
Open and close
Arrival at Luang Prabang Airport, welcome by the iLOTUS TOURS guide and transfer to your hotel. This peaceful city, world heritage, is located in the heart of a mountainous region in the north of the country.
Car: 10km Night: hotel
This day is dedicated to the most important sites of Luang Prabang: venture into Wat Visoun, a temple from the 16th century rehabilitated into a small religious museum, then into Wat Aham, a temple from the early 19th century. Two guardians, laid at the foot of the staircase, represent two characters from the Ramayana (Hanuman, the monkey god and the ferocious Yaksa). Next, Wat Xiengthong, the most important temple of the city dating from the 16th century and embodying the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture. Climb up the 328 steps of Mount Phousi leading to the top of the sacred hill. This shady Mount dominates the sky of Luang Prabang and offers a splendid 360° panorama of the surrounding villages and the Mekong. At the end of the day, enjoy some free time to wander through the wide night market, where you can find a collection of beautiful textiles handmade by local tribes. Overnight at the hotel.
Walking: 3h Night: hotel
After breakfast, drive south for about 30 km to a protected national park where are the Kuang Si Waterfalls. These famous low waterfalls offer a spectacular and beautiful sight in their green setting. Stop along the way and explore Talad Phosy Market, famous for its fresh fruits from all over the region. Discover the village of Ban Na Oune, populated by Hmong, probably the most famous minority group in Laos. Continue your journey and just before getting there, explore the village of Ban Tha Pane, inhabited by the Khmu ethnic minority. Take a short walk to Kuang Si waterfalls. Have a picnic lunch in nature or at a local restaurant before returning to Luang Prabang. Enjoy some free time to wander through the old town and its local market.
Car: 60km/2h Night: hotel
Hop on a local boat cruise up the Mekong River to reach the charming Kamu Lodge. Stop on the way to explore the sacred cave of Pak Ou where, over time, pilgrims have laid hundreds of Buddha statues of all sizes. Continue to Kamu Lodge, lost in the wilderness. After lunch, discover the village and its hospitable inhabitants, its rice paddies and virgin nature. Night at the lodge. Cruising: 3h Night: charming hotel
In the morning, embark the cruise and head to Pakbeng, a local trading city in the region where elephants can be seen in semi-freedom. The ethnic groups of the region trade in their traditional handicrafts. Free time to discover this small town at your leisure. Overnight at the hotel.
Cruising: 4h Night: hotel
Explore the morning market where residents of nearby villages and hill tribes come together to buy and trade goods. Departure for Luang Nam Tha on the national road 13. Stop along the way for the meeting with many local ethnic groups: H’mong, Khamu, Lao… Arrival in Luang Nam Tha, capital of the steep mountains and impenetrable tropical forests. Check in hotel. Free time.
Car: 260km/5h Night: hotel
Luang Namtha is a valley where vast rice fields are planted surrounded by high green mountains. Discovery of these extraordinary landscapes as well as the villages of the Lanten, Kamu, Akha and Yao minorities. Stop at Had Yao village and its craft cooperative which makes baskets, jewelry, ethnic fabrics; then continue to Ban Nam Dee, to observe the manufacture of bamboo paper and in Ban Pa Sak village, specializing in silk weaving. At the end, visit the ethnographic museum of Luang Nam Tha which offers a first approach to the ethnic groups of the region, mostly from South China.
Car: 30km Night: hotel
Departure towards Muang Khua, a Vietnamese border town via Muang La. Discover the typical landscapes and the local ethnic groups: Lanten, Kamu, Akha and Yao… In Muong Khua, the dominant population is Vietnamese, which makes it an important center of trade. The rest of the day free at your leisure.
Car: 230km/5h Night: hotel
Boarding of canoes of about ten meters, equipped with a powerful engine which allows them to cross the rapids on both the climb and the descent. Winding course full of pitfalls: rocks on the surface of the water, tree trunks and rapids. The boatmen show remarkable mastery, leaving you the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful sailing. Stop to visit fishing villages: Sop Chem and Hatsa. Arrival in Muang Ngoi in the afternoon. Check in hotel. Free time to explore the village at your leisure.
Walking: 1h Night: guest house
After breakfast, take the boat for a few minutes downstream. In the village of Sopkhan, hike in karst scenery to reach a H'mong village. Lunch break. Resume the hike to discover a Khmu ethnic village. Cross the Nam Ou River and return to Muang Ngoi.
Hikking: 3h Guest house
After breakfast, continue your boat trip to Nong Khiew, a village on the Nam Ou River banks, then drive to Luang Prabang. Stop several times along the way to explore villages. Then head to the Pak Ou Caves, located along the Mekong River. Pak Ou sanctuaries consist of two large caves and thousands of Buddha representations ranging from a few centimeters to two meters in height. Stop at Ban Xang Hai village to learn about the local distillery of sticky rice alcohol. Arrival in Luang Prabang, transfer and overnight at the hotel.
Car: 140km/3h Night: hotel
Depending on your departure flight, free time to discover the city at your leisure. Transfer to the airport, departure flight. End of our services.
Car: 10km
€ 1,020euro/personneUSD
The price includes
þ Accommodation and breakfasts in hotels on the accommodation list
þ Meals clearly mentioned in the program: B = breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner
þ The entrance fee to the sites
þ Competent English–speaking guides throughout the trip except the free days when it is mentioned clearly: without a guide
þ Private air – conditioned car for all land transport except free days when it is mentioned clearly: without driver
þ One litre of drinking water per person per day
þ Domestic flight in economy class
þ All logistic services necessary for the program
The price does not include
ý International flights and airport taxes from/to your country
ý Visa fees
ý Means of transport not mentioned in the program
ý Meals not mentioned in the program
ý Tipping for services: local guides, crew members, drivers, porters…
ý Drink, telephone, linen or all personal expenses not mentioned in the "price includes" section
You need to know
Trip price
All prices mentioned in the quotes provided to clients are in US Dollars (USD). Euros are accepted, but the exchange rate will be determined by the international website https://www.xe.com/ on the date the payment is made. iLOTUS TOURS guarantees the rates mentioned in the quotes, invoices, or documents given to the client. Upon payment of the deposit or the full price, we guarantee the price of your trip (excluding changes made by you). However, certain force majeure situations may require us to adjust our prices to meet the travel conditions described in the quote. These force majeure situations may include: • An unpredictable and significant increase in the rate of our local providers (hotels, trains, planes, junks, boats, road vehicles...) • A significant currency fluctuation that has a considerable impact on the exchange rate • The introduction of a new tax imposed by the government Proof of these force majeure events will be provided to the client. In these cases of force majeure, even after the deposit has been paid, the client may refuse these increases and cancel their trip. We commit to refunding the deposit you have paid.
Reservation and Confirmation
All reservations must be sent to iLOTUS TOURS by email at: contact@ilotustours.com • Registration must be accompanied by a deposit of 25% of the total cost of the trip and 100% of the cost of international flights. • The deposit required for trips lasting less than one week is 50% of the total trip cost. • A larger deposit may be required in the case of last-minute bookings or depending on the specific requests of certain high-category hotels or airlines. • The balance must be paid upon your arrival, without any reminder from our side. • Upon confirmation of the booking, an invoice will be sent to the client by email.
Payment
The trip can be paid for in cash, by bank transfer, by credit card, or through an application (Wise, Revolut, One Pay...): • Cash payments must be made at the iLOTUS TOURS office located in Hanoi, and the client will not be charged any payment fees. • Credit cards: we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB. Any bank fees are the responsibility of the client. • Bank transfer in US dollars or euros.
Cancellation by the Client
In the event of trip cancellation, all cancellations must be confirmed by email. The client must pay cancellation fees corresponding to the following rates: • 25% of the total trip price, if the cancellation reaches iLOTUS TOURS less than 30 days before the trip start date. • 50% of the total trip price, if the cancellation reaches iLOTUS TOURS less than 10 days before the trip start date. • 75% of the total trip price, if the cancellation reaches iLOTUS TOURS less than 3 days before the trip start date. • 100% of the total trip price, if the cancellation reaches iLOTUS TOURS 2 days before the trip start date or in case of no-show. For trips to Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, your travel advisor will provide you with all the information regarding the deposit and cancellation fees.
Cancellation by iLOTUS TOURS
iLOTUS TOURS reserves the right to cancel trips agreed upon with clients for reasons related to a force majeure situation: war or the threat of war, riots, a natural or nuclear disaster, a port blockade, looting, fires, and any terrorist activity, adverse weather conditions, an epidemic, quarantine, or any similar event. In all these cases of cancellation, iLOTUS TOURS will deduct the amount of these penalties from the deposit paid by the client but will refund the remaining amount to the client by bank transfer, with the client covering all bank fees.
