Departure from Paris on a scheduled airline. Services on board. Night on board.

You will be met at Chiang Rai airport and transferred to your hotel. The room is available from 14:00. Free time to rest and relax by the pool. Lunch in a local restaurant. After dinner at a local restaurant, transfer to the Akkhas night market, held every evening from 5 to 10 pm in the town centre. Return to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Early breakfast. Transfer to Laos, via Chiang Khong (around 150 km and 2 hours' drive). You will then cross the river and be met by your Laotian guide. With him, you will embark on a cruise on the Mekong (around 140 km and 6 hours' sailing) aboard a traditional boat. And so begins your discovery of the banks of the Mekong, the mythical river that flows through China, separates Laos from Burma and Thailand, plunges into Cambodia and ends its course in Vietnam. The scenery is magnificent. The main communication route between the north of the country and Luang Prabang, it is a very busy road lined with numerous villages. Lunch on board.
Arrive in Pakbeng in the late afternoon. Discover on foot this village on the Mekong, halfway between Houey Xay and Luang Prabang, where the H'mong, Lu, Khamou, etc. mix ....

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Sail to Kamu Lodge. VISIT THE LOCAL MARKET and continue down the MEKONG by boat. VISIT the weavers' village and see the rice alcohol distillery. Arrival at KAMU LODGE

All this in a natural environment 100% away from the tourist circuits.

LUNCH

Kamu lodge has twenty thatched tents, in perfect harmony with nature and the style of local dwellings.
Each tent is fitted out with traditional wooden and bamboo furniture and has a permanent bathroom with solar-powered hot water.

Afternoon devoted to Lodge activities, depending on the season

Depending on the season, these activities are available

Planting or harvesting rice in the surrounding paddy fields.
- Searching for gold in the Mekong. If you find any, it's for you!
- Traditional fishing techniques. You can enjoy your catch for dinner!
- Visit to the local village of Kamu.
- Archery competition.

DINNER by the light of a paraffin lamp

NIGHT AT THE LODGE

After breakfast, you rejoin the boat to set off once again on the waters of the Mekong, for a leg that will take you as far as Luang Prabang (around 165 km - around 7h30 of navigation). You'll be cruising through some stunning scenery. The Mekong lies at the bottom of a deep valley, with tropical forest invading the banks and the occasional village. Lunch on board.
Before arriving in the sacred city, you stop off to visit the Pak Ou caves, home to hundreds of Buddha statuettes. The caves offer a magnificent view of the Mekong, which at this point mixes its waters with those of the Nam Ou.

Arrival in Luang Prabang, the former royal capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Dinner at a local restaurant.
Stroll through the Hmong Night Market, which takes place every evening from 5 to 10 pm in the main street.

Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.
City tour by tuk tuk (4 people per tuk tuk)
You will then begin your visit to this city on the left bank of the Mekong. What was once a religious capital still boasts over a hundred temples, some of the finest in Laos. You begin with a visit to the Royal Palace (closed every Tuesday), now transformed into the National Museum. You will also discover Vat Xieng Thong, the Temple of the Royal City. This is a vast complex of sacred buildings and one of the jewels of Lao art: quite simply the most beautiful temple in the city!

We continue our visit with Vat May, built at the end of the 18th century. It takes the form of a sanctuary with a five-sided roof topped by three parasols. We will then take you to Vat Visoun. Here we will discover the city's oldest temple, instantly recognisable thanks to its wooden baluster windows, inspired by the Khmer temple of Vat Phu. Finally, you will visit Vat Aham, located right next to Vat Visoun. It can be recognised by the two majestic banyan trees that frame it.
Lunch in a local restaurant during the visit.
In the late afternoon, a performance of BACI dances, traditional Laotian dances.
Celebrated on the occasion of an event rich in emotion, the Lao baci is a collective ceremony during which the spirits are called upon to unite in order to catalyse: happiness, luck and prosperity for the newborn, the newlyweds, the traveller, etc. In Laos, people see themselves as animated by several souls. If one of them runs away or is snatched up by a wandering, evil spirit, the person falls ill. People also attribute 'souls' to plants, objects and animals, notably the tiger and the elephant. They imagined relationships between object-souls, human souls and elephant souls!
The baci takes place around an altar of flowers from which cotton threads radiate, symbolising links with the spiritual world. The cotton threads, links with the world of souls, are therefore tied to the wrists of the caravaneers and around the ears of the elephant to wish them luck and prosperity during the new year of the Buddhist calendar.
Dinner with local people. Night at the hotel.

Suggestion for early risers: head to the town centre at sunrise (around 6am - 6.30am) to watch the daily quest of the saffron-robed monks.
Breakfast at the hotel.
After checking out of your hotel, you'll be escorted to the Living Land estate. A warm welcome awaits you from the farmers, who will tell you all about the various stages of the activity: 13 in all, including selecting the best seeds, demonstrating with energy and humour how to prepare the rice field, from planting the rice to harvesting and preparing it. You'll also see how to obtain flour, and finally you'll have the chance to taste some of the finished products made from rice. This visit will be an opportunity to learn how the farmers work to make the tools they need. You'll discover how they work metal to make knives, or weave bamboo to make baskets for cooking rice. You will then have the opportunity to visit the organic vegetable garden to discover the cultivation methods and the different plants and aromatic herbs grown on the farm.
Lunch in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, take an excursion to the Khuang Sy waterfall. This is a popular spot for locals. Enjoy a swim in the limpid waters of the waterfall, scattered in numerous pools.
Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

NOTE: from April to September, the temperature is not favourable for trekking in the forest. This trek will be replaced by an excursion to the villages around Luang Prabang.

Transfer by road to Vang Vieng in an air-conditioned vehicle. The winding route takes in some magnificent mountain scenery. Lunch in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, take a pirogue down the river through a beautiful landscape of karst rocks reminiscent of Vietnam's landlocked Halong Bay. Dinner at the hotel or in a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure for a visit to an organic farm in Vang Vieng.
The farm's English-speaking staff will accompany you on your tour and explain any questions you may have.
Vang Vieng Biological Farm favours the use of natural materials and traditional methods for its plant cultivation and animal husbandry. It encourages visitors to take part in running the farm and provides an opportunity for those wishing to learn more about organic farming.
Profits from the farm are used for training and employment, support and education for local villagers through various projects.
We'll show you how organic farming methods can be profitable as well as healthy
During your visit, you can sample green mulberry tea, goat's cheese, mulberry leaf crisp and mulberry wine.
En route, visit the Vang Sang site, home to a dozen high-reliefs of Buddha dating from the 16th century.
Lunch in a local restaurant en route.
Arrival in Vientiane in the late afternoon.
Dinner in a local restaurant
Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure for a visit to an orchid farm in Vientiane, in the village of Ban Phonthong, 15 minutes from the town centre. This one-hour visit will introduce you to everything to do with orchids. At the Orchid Farm, a specialist will welcome you and reveal all the mysteries of these plants. Many species are represented here; 400 in all, all native to Laos. A visit to the farm will give you a good opportunity to learn more about these flowers, and a walk in the forest will give you the chance to observe them in their natural environment.
Return to Vientiane, lunch in a local restaurant
In the afternoon, visit Vientiane's oldest temple, Vat Sisaket. Built in 1818, it is the only temple to survive after all the temples were destroyed during the invasion of 1828. All the other temples are currently being restored. Vat Sisaket contains over 6,840 frescoes depicting images of Buddha. Next, close to Vat Sisaket, you visit the royal temple of Ho Phra Keo. Built in 1565, this temple has been used as a museum since 1970 and houses numerous sculptures and works of Buddhist art. You will then visit Patousay, the triumphal arch inspired by the one on Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris. Finally, you end the day with a visit to the That Luang pagoda, built during the reign of King Sethtathirat in 1566 and today considered to be the national symbol of Laos.
Dinner in a local restaurant. Night at the hotel.

Early morning flight from Vientiane to Pakse (departure 6.00 am). Drive to the Bolaven Plateau via Paksong. The Bolaven Plateau is home to various Mon-Khmer ethnic groups. French colonists planted coffee, bananas and rubber trees here. On the way, stop off at the tea and coffee plantations and at Tadfan, from where you can see the impressive waterfall in the distance. Visit to several minority villages. Stop at the Alak village of Pong Neua for its magnificent spirit house, then at the Katou village of Kok Bhoung. Arrive at the Tadlo Resort for lunch.
Afternoon visit to the Nge village of Khiang Tad Soung. You can relax by the beautiful river or take a dip in the waterfall just below (elephant rides available). Dinner at the hotel. Overnight at the Tadlo Resort.

Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning, transfer by bus to Champassak. Champassak flourished during the French colonial period, but gradually fell asleep. Today it is best known for the ruins of Vat Phu, 8 km from the town. This site has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since March 2002. Even before the Vat was built, this site was considered sacred by the local population, who practised animist worship of the mountain spirits. The oldest ruins of this ancient Khmer sanctuary, whose name means "mountain temple", date back to the 5th and 6th centuries, while the two main buildings are contemporary with Angkor. Some very fine Khmer statues remain. These places steeped in history leave a powerful impression.
Lunch in a local restaurant.
You will then continue on to Pha Pheng Falls, the "Niagara of the Mekong", on the Cambodian border. Return by road to Khong. Walk around the island.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Boat trip through the 4000 Islands region (1h30). The river has invaded the plain, creating numerous islets. Continue to Khone Island, located in the extreme south of the country in a lush natural setting. Cycle to Khone Island, with its many colonial vestiges, to the pier where you can catch a boat to see dolphins, then on to Li Phi Falls.
Local lunch during visits.
Return to Khong Island by boat.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure for the village of BAN KHET NGONG. Ban Kiet Ngong is a village renowned for its elephants, which provide the villagers with a better income.
A ride on the back of an elephant will give you the opportunity to climb Phou Asa, from where the view over the wetlands of the Xe Pian protected area is breathtaking.
A short walk to the summit of Phou Asa will reveal traces of an ancient civilisation, of which no traces have been found to date.
Lunch in a local restaurant.
Drive to Pakse. En route, visit to Ban Nong Bune, a village specialising in the manufacture of wooden masks and statues that are unique in Laos.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning, visit the local market in Pakse, then transfer to the Thai border at Chong Mek (3-hour drive), then to Ubon Ratchanthani airport (approx. 2-hour drive) for the flight to Bangkok.
Lunch in a local restaurant en route.
Dinner on your own. Rooms are available until midday only.
The room is available until midday only.
Night and dinner on board