17 Days Best of Laos and Vietnam with Beach Honeymoon

ITINERARY

Day 1: Vientiane | Arrive Vientiane

International Flight: Excluded

Welcome to Laos! Upon arrival in Vientiane, our guide will greet you at the airport welcome area and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

Accommodation: Settha Palace Hotel

Day 2: Vientiane | Buddha Park and Highlights

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll visit the Buddha Park, an enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures on the Mekong Riverside meadow, near the Friendship Bridge. There are approximately 200 religious images dating back over 500 years, which were created by a mysterious monk spreading his philosophy on life and revealing his ideas about the universe.

Return back to the town to visit the city in the afternoon, including the oldest Wat Sisaket, a temple of thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. Visit Lao national icon, That Luang Stupa, and we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.

Accommodation: Settha Palace Hotel

Day 3: Vientiane – Pakse | Flight to Pakse | Tadfan Waterfalls and Knife Making Village

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Board a morning flight to Pakse. Upon arrival, our guide will greet and transfer you to your resort next to the Mekong River for check-in.

In the afternoon, you’ll go to visit a small village which is famous for knife making. See how knives are produced using traditional techniques before continuing onwards for another 14km to visit some tea plantations, here we see how tea is grown and produced, after which we carry on once again until arriving at the stunning Tad Fan waterfall. Here we take some time to look around and explore the local area which is home to coffee plantations.

Accommodation: The River Resort

Day 4: Pakse | Explore Mekong Dolphins by Kayak

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, transfer to Nakasang village. From here, board a local boat that takes us down the mighty Mekong and through some beautiful scenery until arriving at Don Khon Island. From Don Khon Island we walk along the island to see the old French train and the amazing Liphi waterfalls. At the waterfall, take a short walk to above the falls where we enjoy lunch together amongst some beautiful surroundings!

After our lunch and taking some time to relax, begin kayaking down the Mekong to an area near the Cambodian border where we will have the chance to see Mekong Dolphins. After spending some time to try and spot the dolphins, you’ll return back to your hotel in Pakse. The evening is at your leisure.

Accommodation: The River Resort

Day 5: Pakse | Wat Phou Ancient Ruins

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Discover the hidden charm of Southern Laos in this half-day tour, which encompasses visits to an ancient temple ruin and quaint colonial town. Wat Phou is a ruined Khmer Hindu temple complex that has been inscribed as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Pakse and Champassak are tranquil towns where French colonial buildings are still standing.

After breakfast, a short walking city tour of Pakse will show you some nice remnants of the French period before transferring by road to Wat Phou. The journey takes approximately 1 hour.

Wat Pho Ruins – 17 Days Best Laos Vietnam Beach Honeymoon

Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Wat Phou is a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple that sits amidst the rice fields and waterways of southern Laos. The temple was constructed in three levels: the bottom level is focused on the baray (water reservoir) and promenade, the second level features quadrangular pavilions and galleries of carvings, and the top level is the sanctuary itself. It was built by the rulers of the Khmer empire before the construction of Angkor Wat. This temple served as the most important economic and political centre of the region and still is one of the Lao people’s most revered temples.

Pass through Champassak, driving through streets lined with French colonial buildings, and continue on to Ban Kiet Ngong. Stop en route at the wood carving village of Ban Nong Bune.

When the tour ends, you will be escorted back to your hotel in Pakse.

Accommodation: The River Resort

Day 6: Pakse – Luang Prabang | Flight to Luang Prabang

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Morning is at your leisure to relax.

In the afternoon, board a flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

Feel free to explore the beautiful city of Luang Prabang on your own to discover night markets selling local tapestries and souvenirs.

Evening dinner at Hive Restaurant with “Ethnik Fashion Show” – modern fashion show with a twist – ethnic wedding garments from over 100 ethnic groups in Laos on the show by Hmong underprivileged university students(all donations go to support their families and education).

Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 7: Luang Prabang | Kuang Si Waterfalls and City Highlights

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you’ll start with a visit to the Phousi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, a Khmu village. This then takes us to the beautiful Khouang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. We then return to Luang Prabang.

Kuang Si Waterfalls – 17 Days Best Laos Vietnam Beach Honeymoon

In the afternoon, your half-day city tour begins with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. We then head to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We also have time to visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai.

A visit to Luang Prabang would be incomplete without ascending the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a beautiful sunset view of the city and its glowing reflection on the Mekong River. The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles made by the hill tribes surrounding Luang Prabang.

Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 8: Luang Prabang | Befriending the Gentle Giants of Asia

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, transfer to Elephant Village – an elephant sanctuary with a focus on rehabilitation and care of rescued elephants. Here you’ll meet the camp manager and receive a short briefing about the elephants. Throughout the day, you’ll take place in the following activities:

• • Mahout Training – learn about the commands of how to communicate to the elephant
  • Enjoy lunch at the outdoor garden restaurant
  • Bathe your elephant – Go down to the nearby Nam Khan River to bath your elephant; perhaps the elephant will bathe you as well!

Then return to your hotel for leisure time.

Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 9: Luang Prabang – Hanoi | Pak Ou Caves by Boat | Flight to Hanoi

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, we embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make Laos rice wine and rice whiskey. You’ll be able to try some and see the process they use to make it. Then we’ll reach the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims.

Lunch will be served nearby the caves. During lunch, you’ll have the opportunity to try a local dish called “Orlam” which is a soup with vegetables and features a spicy wood that is partially edible. On return, we disembark the boat to visit a traditional weaving village of Ban Phanom, which is famous for its hand weaving.

Return back to the hotel for check out. Then you’ll transfer by flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

Accommodation: Silk Path Boutique Hotel 

Day 10: Hanoi | Hanoi Highlights

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

In the morning, you’ll be escorted to see the Tran Quoc Pagoda. This 1,400-year-old temple features ten tiers surrounded by gardens and which also hosts a bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the original Buddhist tree under which Buddha sat. Next, you’ll take a stroll around the Hoan Kiem Lake where you can see the Tortoise Tower sitting on the water. Then you’ll enjoy a half-hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter in Hanoi. The cyclo is a historic mode of transportation in the cities of Vietnam where a cyclist escorts you while you sit in a seat affixed to the front with a canopy over top.

Hoan Kiem Lake – 17 Days Best Laos Vietnam Beach Honeymoon

Next, you’ll visit the One Pillar Pagoda – a pagoda situated on a pillar made of a single stone, in the middle of a lotus pond. This pagoda was built by a 9th-century emperor who saw it in a dream and regarded this as divine inspiration to recreate the structure in the vision.

You’ll pass by the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before visiting the highlight of this tour – The Temple of Literature. This ancient university was erected almost a millennium ago and has hosted many of the most prominent scholars through Vietnamese history. The site features many gardens, pools, buildings, and ancient trees where the best and brightest of Vietnam studied under the guidance of Confucius’s teachings.

Traditional Puppet Show and Dinner

The evening will start with a Water Puppet Show performed by the world-renowned Thang Long Opera House. This performance features a talent unique to Vietnam. You’ll watch as water puppets perform the folklore legends of Vietnam while live ethnic music sets the mood. After the show, enjoy traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Once you finish your dinner, return to your hotel.

Accommodation: Silk Path Boutique Hotel 

Day 11: Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay | Voyage Lan Ha Bay with Cruise by Orchid

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning, your guide and driver will transfer you to Halong Bay. Upon arrival, enjoy refreshments at Private Lounge until boarding. Then board Orchid Cruise.

Receive a safety briefing and check in your cabins. The boat sets adrift for Da Chong islet, home to an old French lighthouse. Enjoy a sumptuous feast in the panoramic dining hall while en route to the islets of Con Vit and Gia Luan. The bay opens up to you with stunning green karsts towering above the water. This area receives very few cruise ships as it has just been newly opened up. Continue to Ba Trai Dao beach of Lan Ha Bay. A paradise with perfect beaches and natural beauty. Stop at one of the beaches for swimming or kayaking during the afternoon.

As dusk approaches, welcome the sunset with a local specialty – “Ba Kich”(a liquor made from Noni fruit). Back on board, you’ll join a cooking demonstration to learn a few Vietnamese culinary secrets. Enjoy your creation! Then time for supper in the dining hall. Delicious Vietnamese cuisine and seafood in a romantic setting.

After dinner, you may enjoy watching the stars from the sundeck, watching a movie in the restaurant, or give night squid fishing a try with the staff(subject to seasonal availability).

Accommodation: Orchid Cruise

Day 12: Hanoi – Danang | Lan Ha Bay Sunrise | Flight to Danang

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast

Rise early for one of the top best sunrises in the world. Then head to the sundeck for an invigorating Tai Chi session amongst a picture-perfect backdrop of karsts, sea, and nature. Enjoy breakfast in the dining hall before taking the journey to explore the area around Sang Tai sea cave via canoes.

Return back to the pier for check out and then transfer to Hanoi. Then board a flight to Danang. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and continue to your hotel for check-in.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 13: Hoi An – Danang | 4th Century Cham Ruins and Hoi An Ancient Port Town

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you’ll transfer to the My Son Holy Land. Tucked in the mountains up winding roads with serene views, lay the 4th century My Son Holy Land ruins. The surrounding mountains are strictly forbidden from living or development. The ruins lay in a beautiful surrounding mountainous landscape. You’ll enter the temples while your tour guide gives you the history and stories of the Cham and the site.

Hoi An Ancient Town – 17 Days Best Laos Vietnam Beach Honeymoon

The Ancient Port Town of Vietnam

In the afternoon, you’ll continue to visit Hoi An Ancient Town. This town features the 16th-century Hoi An port town in it’s preserved state. You’ll start the day visiting the Museum of Trade Ceramics. This museum houses art and pottery dating from the 1,500s to the 1,700s.

Then you’ll briefly visit the Chua Ong Pagoda, a temple from the 17th century which features China’s influence in the region. You’ll continue through the Ancient Town as the streets take on a magic of their own with old lanterns, French-style houses, intricately carved wooden doors, and more. You’ll take a stroll through the Old Tam Ky House to see it’s imperial styles meshed with French overtures. Continue on to stroll along the river and see traditional boats and locals on bicycles passing by. You’ll then approach the Japanese Covered Bridge. This bridge has connected the Chinese and Japanese sides of town over the waterway for centuries. The old wooden structure has shown amazing resilience for more than 400 years.

At dusk, enjoy walking along the riverside as colorful lanterns light up the town. After you’ve finished the tour, you will return back to your hotel.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 14: Danang | Relax on the Beach

Meals: Breakfast

Today is at your leisure to relax. Feel free to explore the beaches of Danang or indulge your self with the resort’s spa and other facilities along with amenities.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 15: Danang | Relax on the Beach

Meals: Breakfast

Today is at your leisure to relax. Feel free to explore the beaches of Danang or indulge your self with the resort’s spa and other facilities along with amenities.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 16: Danang | Relax on the Beach

Meals: Breakfast

Today is at your leisure to relax. Feel free to explore the beaches of Danang or indulge your self with the resort’s spa and other facilities along with amenities.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 17: Danang | Farewell!

Meals: Breakfast

Today our guide will transfer you to the airport before your homeward flight and will bid you a fond farewell. Thank you for traveling with us!

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