Luang Prabang Nature & Culture

You get up as the sun rises to join the daily morning almsgiving, the most sacred tradition in Laos. In the early morning, more than 200 Buddhist monks depart from temples for the old quarter of Luang Prabang to receive alms from devotees. The monks meditate while moving lightly on their bare feet. The Buddhists prepared offerings such as sticky rice, fruit (mainly bananas), sweets, and some other food and put them in the monk's bowl. Next, you will visit the temporary morning market, where the locals exchange their daily catch for rice, vegetables, fish, or chicken. It is the best chance to experience the flavor of local life.

After breakfast, your city tour begins with a visit to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong, a superb piece of Laos architectural temple, which presents a sweeping two-tiered roof and ornate mosaics, including a beautiful tree of life glass montage on the rear temple wall. Next, you will visit the Royal Palace Museum, which was built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family. Enjoy lunch at Tamarind, offering some of the best local food in Luang Prabang. Drive along the Mekong to the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre to explore the rich diversity of Laos’ ethnic minorities with many traditional costumes, tools, and artifacts on display. In the late afternoon, you ascend to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of a gilded stupa and a panoramic sunset view of the city and the Mekong River.

The dinner will be at the local restaurant with traditional dance & folk songs, the best way to experience Lao culture. The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

In the morning, You head out to a community-based living rice farm in the idyllic countryside of Luang Prabang. Surrounded by mountains and rice paddies, you'll have an opportunity to experience rural life as a Laotian farmer. You will try your hand at various farm activities – or observe them from a traditional Lao rice house balcony, set amidst rice terraces and an organic vegetable farm. You'll have time to check out nearby workshops where local bamboo weavers, blacksmiths, and sugar cane processors practice their crafts. Then take a tour of the organic garden to learn how natural herbs are used in traditional medicine. Lunch will be on the terrace overlooking the rice field.

You then drive to the beautiful three tiers of Kuang Si waterfalls, which lead a 50-meter waterfall to drop into spectacular azure pools before flowing downstream. You take a short visit to the Bear Rescue Center, which houses a couple of dozen animals rescued from the hands of poachers and traffickers. On the way back to the hotel, you visit the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, where weavers, spinners, and batik makers produce top-quality fabrics and offer free tours every half hour. This place is also the perfect spot to admire the sunset. Stay overnight in Luang Prabang.

It combines all of our most popular activities into a single day trip; you will learn to be a professional Mahout, get wet while plunging into the Nam Khan river, and bathe your elephant!

8:30 - 9:00 a.m: Our English-speaking guide will pick you up from your hotel and transport you to the Elephant Village camp.

• Arrival: Meet and greet, and then participate in a short briefing about elephants.

• Be a Mahout: Enjoy the impressive experience of being a Mahout, Laos style (two people per elephant).

• Mahout Training: Receive your basic mahout training on how to move with your elephant just like a mahout!

• Lunch: Dine at the Elephant Camp restaurant. A buffet lunch is served with coffee/tea and drinking water (vegetarian options are available).

• Bathe Your Elephant: Take your elephant down to the Nam Khan river for an exhilarating and once-in-a-lifetime bathing experience!

• Boat trip to the Tad Sae Waterfall: Take a traditional Lao longboat to the Tad Sae Waterfall and relax, dip your feet or take a swim in the clear, cool water (water levels vary with seasonal conditions).

Depart: Finish the tour and transfer back to your hotel in Luang Prabang between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

Notes: Schedules and itineraries are approximate and subject to change due to seasonal conditions in the jungle and at the camp. The Elephant Village reserves the right to break larger groups into smaller groups and/or operate tour activities in a different order than published above. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to Luang Prabang airport for your outbound flight home. End of service.