Laos is one of my favourite countries: it is languid, relaxed and welcoming. For all of it's turbulent past and Communist government Laos has also managed to preserve it's traditions and way of life: Buddhism is the national religion and you can see long lines of monks on their morning alms round. There are ancient and exquisite monasteries all over the country and Luang Prabang is reputed to be the best preserved town in Asia.

Cambodia is the perfect companion to Laos. The two countries were once part of the great Khmer empire that gave the world the temples of Angkor Wat and the ruins of Wat Champassak in Laos. We have time to explore Angkor aswell as some of the nearby villages including the floating village on Tonle Sap lake.

This trip ran successfully in 2011. We intend to run it again in the future and are looking into various options. In the meantime, we have a similar trip to Laos and Vietnam running in November 2012. To see more click on the tab to the right. There are some images from Lao New Year below.

Highlights of this trip

• Lao New Year festivities

• Historic Luang Prabang

• Enigmatic Plain of Jars

• Scenery at Vang Vieng

• Vibrant Buddhist culture

• Monasteries of Vientiane

• Ancient temples of Angkor

tour summary

Impressions of Laos & Cambodia 2011 itinerary

Day 1: Bangkok
Sa-wat dee! Welcome to Thailand. You can arrive at any time today as there are no activities planned until the important welcome meeting. This will be followed by an optional group dinner.

In Bangkok we stay in a 3 star hotel with restaurant and swimming pool.

Day 2: Overnight train
In the morning for a longtail boat tour of Bangkok's famous khlongs (canals), which is a wonderful opportunity to see everyday Thai life in action. We also make a visit to Wat Pho, the city's oldest and largest temple, as well as the home of the world's largest reclining Buddha. The gleaming, gold-plated statue measures 46 m in length, and 15 m in height and its eyes and soles are decorated in mother-of-pearl. The afternoon is free to return to the busy streets of Bangkok: a perfect time for an optional visit to the famous Grand Palace, when it is far less crowded than the mornings!

In the evening, we take a comfortable sleeper-train to Nong Khai on the Laos border (approx. 13 hrs). Trains are clean, simple but comfortable with padded berths, sheet, blanket and pillow. Most trains have a dining car where snacks and beverages are available.

Day 3: Vientiane
We arrive early morning in Nong Khai, where we will make our way to the Laos border across the other side of the mighty Mekong River, before travelling on to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos.

Life in Vientiane is relaxed with daily affairs conducted at a slow pace. The city's isolation from the fast pace of modernity, however, means that there are a wealth of cultural delights to discover, on foot, by bicycle or, for the less energetic, by jumbo (the Laos version of the tuk-tuk). Follow dusty tracks along the river to find villages full of friendly children, dogs and chickens. Vientiane's vibrant, colourful morning market is full of local treasures.

After an early lunch we will venture out on a guided tour of Vientiane, including a visit to Laos's most important national monument, Pha That Luang. We'll also be visiting the oldest temple in Vientiane, Wat Sisaket in addition to the temple of Wat Phra Keo which formerly housed the Jade Buddha which is now on display at the Royal Palace in Bangkok. No visit to Vientiane is complete without a stop at the Patuxay (nick-named the Vertical Runway because it was built from concrete provided by the US Government for the construction of a runway at the airport). Patuxay resembles the Arc De Triumph and was built in honor of those who fought in the struggle for independence from France (the first Indochina War).

In Vientiane we stay in a 3 star standard hotel with restaurant.

Day 4: Vang Vieng
We make our way to Vang Vieng, via Nam Ngum Lake, (90 km), with hundreds of small islands. En-route, we stop to visit Ban Bor, a village where natural salt is produced. After lunch, we relax by taking a boat ride for about an hour viewing around the small islands. We continue to drive north into the central highlands, on the way we also stop at Ban Viengsay, a silk weaving village of Tai Neua who originally migrated from North near China border during the war. We arrive in Vang Vieng and catch the sunset over the mountains.

Situated on a bend in the Nam Song River, Vang Vieng is a charming and relaxed place known for its outdoor adventure activities. In your time here, you can explore nearby limestone cliffs and caverns, many associated with well known local legends, walk along the river bank or simply sit back and soak up peaceful river scenes of local pole boats and fishermen going about their work.

In Vang Vieng we stay in a 3 star standard hotel with restaurant.

Day 5: Vang Vieng
Following breakfast, we start the day by exploring the highlights of this scenic area, we drive to the outskirts of Vang Vieng to visit natural caves of Tham Norn one of the biggest caves in Vang Vieng. We begin to trek through some beautiful forest at the base of the range of high limestone mountains as well as rice fields and gardens to another cave of Tham Phapork.

Day 6: Phonsavan - Plain of Jars
Depart Vang Vieng in the morning for the stunning and winding road trip to Phonsavan - home of the mysterious Plain of Jars (6 hours). Travelling towards Phonsavan you will be struck by the beauty of the high green mountains and verdant valleys. But if you look closer, you will also see how much of the landscape is pock-marked by bomb craters in which little vegetation grows - virtually every town and village in the province was bombed during the America Vietnam (Second Indochina) war.

In Phonsavan we stay in a 2 star standard hotel with restaurant.

Day 7: Phonsavan - Plain of Jars
This morning visit the Plain of Jars, a large undeveloped area where huge jars of unknown origin are scattered about. The jars weigh an average of 600 kg to one tonne each with the largest weighing six tonnes! There are many theories but little concrete evidence explaining what the jars are made of, where they came from, how old they are or what they were used for. However, the most likely explanation is that they are funerary urns carved by Iron Age people around 2500 years ago. Also visit Tham Piu Cave passing through several Hmong and Thai Dam ethnic group villages on the way. The Cave is believed to have been a Vietnamese hospital bombed during the Second Indochina War.

Day 8: Luang Prabang
Depart Phonsavan early for the long, winding and scenic road journey to Luang Prabang (8 hours). Luang Prabang has a magical feel about it. Nestled in the hills of northern Laos, on the confluence of the Mekong and Khan Rivers, this city is studded with ornate temples and French colonial architecture. This evening enjoy a feast of Traditional Laos food.

In Luang Prabang we stay in Laos bungalows with a restaurant.

Day 9: Luang Prabang
While in Luang Prabang take the chance to respectfully view and photograph the early morning procession of saffron clad monks as people line the streets to offer them food. Afterwards, there is free time to experience the charm of Luang Prabang. A climb to the top of Mt Phousi provides a fantastic view over the town and its surrounds and a visit to Dara market is a chance to pick up locally made silks and jewellery. If you're interested in experiencing more of the country's culture and religion, explore the many temples or take a long boat across the river to a traditional Laotian village know for making terracotta pots.

Day 10: Luang Prabang
From this World Heritage listed town, we travel to the beautiful Kuang Si falls, where pale turquoise waters cascade over limestone formations. At the base of the falls there is a large pool that forms a perfect spot for a refreshing swim.

The falls are home to one of our Intrepid Foundation Projects Free the Bears. Asiatic Black Bears can still be found in the wild in Laos, but the numbers are decreasing due to habitat loss and hunting for restaurants and bile trade (bile is found in the stomach of bears and is extracted for traditional medicine). The project protects and attempts to rehabilitate bears that are rescued from trafficking.

We also board a riverboat for a journey up the Mekong (approx 1.5 hours each way) to visit the Pak Ou Caves, an important religious site overlooking the river at the junction of the Mekong and Ou Rivers. These caves contain thousands of Buddha images placed there by pilgrims over hundreds of years.

Day 11: Siem Reap
Today we take a short flight from Luang Prabang to the town of Siem Reap, home to the World Heritage Temples of Angkor. Please note this flight is included in the trip price. After we check into the hotel we head for a walk around the town and our first taste of Khmer food.

In Siem Reap we stay in a 3 star standard hotel with restaurant and swimming pool.

Day 12: Siem Reap
Today, we rise early to make the most of our visit to the world-famous Angkor complex with our local guide, temple-hopping through some of the most spectacular temples. The temples of Angkor were built between the 9th and 13th Centuries when the Khmer Empire was the pre-eminent influence in South-East Asia. The temples were believed to represent the cosmic world and were set in perfect balance, symmetry and composition. The intricately carved bas-reliefs and architectural designs are mind-blowing and there are spectacular photographic opportunities at any time of day. Angkorian ruins are scattered over an area of more than 160 sq km, but we focus our visit on the main cluster of temples close to Siem Reap so we will have plenty of time to fully appreciate the great archaeological sites of Angkor Wat, the Bayon and the jungle-covered Ta Prohm.

Day 13: Siem Reap
This morning depart Siem Reap early for the drive to a more remote and less touristed jungle temple, Beng Mealea. Beng Mealea is situated about 80km North East of Siem Reap in the Svey Leu District. Feel like an early explorer as you wander around the broken towers and galleries which are covered with trees, roots and vines. It is believed that Beng Mealea may have been a prototype for the building of Angkor Wat.

Afterwards travel to Kampong Kleang and take a boat trip on the Tonle Sap Lake. The Tonle Sap is one of the world’s most productive bodies of fresh water. In the wet season, it swells to 12,000 km². During the dry half of the year, the lake shrinks to as small as 2500 km², draining into the Tonle Sap River. Each year, millions of fish come to spawn in the seasonally flooded forest surrounding the lake, attracting a myriad of water birds as well as people, who have settled in villages along the shores and who live with the rhythm of the water. This ecosystem was classified as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1997.Take a boat trip on the Tonle Sap to see the stilted houses and get a taste for life ruled by monsoonal rains and water-based agriculture.

Finish the day with a visit to Bakong which was constructed in 881 and is one of the earliest sites of the 600 year Angkor period that is open to visitors.

Day 14: Siem Reap
This morning we take a trip through the countryside to the small village of Kbal Spean. Pass small villages with friendly children. Stop to watch seasonal activities like rice planting and harvesting, and try local snacks such as sugar palm candy.

Stop at the base of nearby mountains and embark on an easy jungle trek (about 40 minutes) to the River of a Thousand Lingas. Here, you see Hindu sculptures which were carved into the river's granite banks and bed more than a thousand years ago. The path can be a little slippery in the wet, but the more difficult sections have bamboo hand-rails and wooden steps. It is a 1.5km uphill walk to the carvings, but well worth the climb for the view over the valley below. Ensure you have suitable footwear and carry water if you intend to do the walk.

On your return to the base of Kbal Spean visit the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (an Intrepid Foundation Project) which is home to a collection of animals that have been saved from trafficking. Creatures housed here include gibbons, monkeys, anteaters, storks, snakes, giant ibis, turtles, and the bright eyed and cuddly lorus (the ACCB is closed Sundays and public holidays).

Afterwards head to the temple of Banteay Srei. Banteay Srei, is a small and charming pinkish sandstone Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. Considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art, this temple boasts some of the finest and best-preserved stone carvings in the site.

If time and weather permit, return to explore the lovely Banteay Kdei temple a former monastic complex which sprawls largely unrestored; and enjoy sunset at the picturesque reservoir Sras Srang. This was constructed by the same architect as the Pre Rup temple and has a multi-tiered platform adorned with naga balustrades and lion guardians. During the dry season the remains of a temple in the centre of the lake can be seen.

Day 15: Tour ends
There are no activities planned for today and you can depart the hotel at any time.

Lao New Year We have timed our visit to coincide with the Lao New Year (Pi Mai) celebrations at Luang Prabang. This is marked by processions, religious rituals and ever present water fights! The actual dates and events are still to be finalised, but we have tried to time our visit in order to be there for the main events. As the various processions and event become arranged then we will have to adjust our programme in Luang Prabang in order to see as much of the festival, and this wonderful town as possible. This will take some degree of flexibility – which is a great attribute for a travel photographer anyway! In the mean time, the schedule here is the proposed structure of what we will try to see and do in Luang Prabang.