9 DAYS: DISCOVERY 24HOURS NIGHT SAFARI NAM NERN RIVER NATIONAL PARK AND VISIT THIRD UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN 2019(PLAIN OF JARS).

After breakfast, our experience local guide will meet you at your accommodation for check-out, pick up is approx. 9.00am. From there you will travel approx. 4 hours to the spectacular natural wonder of Muanghiem hot springs and break for lunch. After lunch. Once there we can check in at our guesthouse accommodation, before heading to the nearby Muang Hiem hot springs. Although far too hot for swimming, your guide will demostrate the fantastic power of the spring, hot enough to cook an egg in seconds. We will then return to town for dinner.

After breakfast, we will check out of our accommodation, the Journey will take approx. 2 hours and will depart at 7:30am. And board our private minibus to Ban son Khoua Khmu village at 9:30am and meet your National Park’s English-speaking guide who will be the key person sharing information about the National Park, and translating from Lao, Hmong and Khmu languages information provided by the village wildlife spotters, the former poachers.

The tour begins by a village guide taking you on a short visit around the village to introduce the daily life and the animist traditions of appeasing the village spirits. At around 11am visitors embark on a 1.5-2 hours journey on the Nam Nern River by long-trail boat to the National Park’s Total Protection Zone and the tourism camp located nearby the ranger substation. Along the way see the village upland agriculture and temporary farms. As closer we approach to the National Park boundary as more birdwatching opportunities will occur.

Once arrived at the tourism camp, enjoy Lao lunch prepared by the village cooking group. After lunch, National Park’s staff will share a presentation about the Nam Et Phou Louey National Park and the on the ground efforts in protecting wildlife. You will then be shown to your jungle bamboo bungalows. Free time to relax at the camp.

Optional: The National Park’s guide will invite you on an optional jungle walk around the camp to learn about the use of medicinal plant and the history of the camp site.

Evening: The group departs for the night wildlife spotlighting once it is total dark, drifting silently down the river with the engines switched off. The wildlife guides and boatmen use their headlamp to spot wildlife. If the see something, they will give a clear sign. Then you can switch on your own flashlight to have a better look at the animal. Hence, tourists will have their flashlight switched off most of the time to avoid scaring animals. The wildlife spotter and boat drivers communicate via hand signals to avoid talking that might disturb the animals. Animals that can be seem include Sambar deer, barking deer, various species of Civets, spotted Linsang, Otters. Slow Loris, Porcupines, Owls. Seeing wild cats and beers is very rare, but not impossible! The latest cat sightings by night safari visitors include: Leopard cat in Dec. 2019 and Asian Golden Cat in April 2019.

After breakfast, we will take longtail boat down Nam Nern River to Ban Son Khoua Khmu village, we will arrival at 9:30am. Where you were starting a tour night safari a day before, then you will say goodbye to National Park’s tour guide and team. After safari National Park’s we will board on private minibus traveling to Nam Nern bridge, approx. half hour. And break for lunch, after lunch we will drive to Tam Phiew tragic cave approx. 2.30 hours, then visit famous sites including that of Thampiew the tragic site where 374 people lost their lives to a US missile strike whist seeking refuge in a cave. A day of remembrance is held in Laos each year on the 24 November to mark this tragic event. After Tam Piew cave, another drive 40 minutes to Phonsavan in the Xiengkhuang plateau. Xiengkhuang holds the unfortunate record of being the most heavily bombed place on earth, with more than 2 million tons of bombs dropped during the Indo-China war.

After breakfast, your experience local guide will meet you at your accommodation, pick up is approx. 8:00Am. We will travel to the ‘Plain of Jars’ a colossal megalithic landscape consisting of thousands of stone jars scattered across the upland valleys and lower foothills of central Xiengkhuang. The jars ranging in clusters numbering from one to several hundred were designated collectively as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, and we will be visiting 3 of most important sites.

        From here we will travel to Napia village to visit the local people and see how they recycle the scrap metal leftover from the many USA bombs which remain littering the Laos landscape. The skilled local craftspeople make everything from souvenirs for tourist, to useful household items, such as pots pans and cutlery, breathing new life into the materials making use of the discarded weapons of war.

        Our tour will continue onto Muangkhoun, the original capital of the province, stopping for lunch. The town was heavily bombarded during the war where much of it was destroyed, resulting in the move of the capital to Phonsavan. Although much of the town was reduced to rubble, we are still able to visit the remains of wat Pia temple with its only remaining Buddha statue. After this we will go back to Phonsavan for dinner and to return to our accommodation.

After breakfast, our experience local guide will meet you at your accommodation for check-out, pick up is approx. 8:00am. From here you will take the minibus from Phonsavan to Vang vieng, the journey time is approx. 8 hours, and we will stop along the way to visit buddha cave, and we will stop at various viewpoint and rest stop on route enjoying the marvelous scenery, as well as breaking where is available food for lunch at Phou Phieng Fah, in the cascading mountain. Upon arrival at Vang Vieng, you will check in to your new accommodation, before going for dinner with your tour guide. After dinner, you have the option of retiring to your accommodation, ready for an exciting day tomorrow. Or you can venture out on your own to explore the vibrant, local.

After breakfast, your experienced local guide will meet you at hotel, pick up is approx. 9:00am. From the hotel you will travel by Tuk-Tuk to the kayak starting point, where you will be accompanied by expert local kayaking guides.

        Before entering the water, your guide will give you a kayak briefing to show you how to control the kayak, go through kayak safety, and to explain the route you will take. When you are ready the depart tour will continue downstream of the Namsong river to the famous water cave, enjoying the beautiful surrounds on route with your guides.

        Once at the caves you will swap your kayaks for rubber rings and go ‘tubing’ through the water cave. This is a popular hotspot is a great place to cool off before continuing your kayak journey through the jungle. Along the river you guide will find a suitable place to stop and have a traditional barbeque picnic lunch. After lunch you will get back into the kayak for the final leg downstream where you will exit the water and say goodbye to your kayaking guides. From here you will be picked up by the tuk-tuk, and your experienced local guide will accompany you to the nearby blue lagoon. Here you can go for a quick swim or take a leap from the rope swing into one of the beautiful pools. and then continue hiking up mountain viewpoint, if you have enough energy. Before reboarding the Tuk-Tuk back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

After breakfast, your tour guide will meet you at your hotel for check-out, pick up is approx. 8:00am. From here we will visit Vang Vieng’s famous Tham Jung cave, before taking the highway onto Vientiane Laos’s capital city, the journey time is approx. 2 hours.

We will stop for lunch before going to visit the COPE Centre. This is an organization dedicated to helping victims in Laos affected by the Vietnam war. You will learn about the effects the war had on the Laos people, and how munitions left behind are still harming the local population today. Once finished at the Centre our tour will continue to see some of the main sights of Vientiane such as the Buddha Park temple, Pha Thadluang Vieng Chan Stupa, Victory Gate or Patu Xay monument, and you tour guide will teach you about the history of Vientiane and how it became Laos’ capital city.

After breakfast, your tour guide will meet you at your hotel for check-out, pick up is approx. 8:30am. Depending on your departure flight if your departure flight in the afternoon, you will have time to visit the Hall Pha Keo (Emerald Buddha Temple), and visit Sisakhet Museum. After finished both sightseeing then stop for having lunch, if we have enough time before transfer to Wattay National Airport and say good bye to your tour guide and driver