Luang Prabang (Laos) - 4D/3N - Rating: Easy

Sun 25-Feb-2018

Group size: Maximum 27 pax - 2 spots available

Luang Prabang, formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Laos, is a

township in northern Laos and most of its villages form a Unesco

World Heritage Site. Although it is mainly known for the hundreds of

monks of the various monasteries, walking through the streets during

the early morning hours to collect alms, it has so much more to offer,

cultural, religious, architectural and of course...... nature.

Arrival in Luang Prabang has to be latest on 25/02/2018 by 08:45am.

We will be transferred to our hostel in Luang Prabang to drop our

luggage and you can explore the city which is very colourful and

vibrant.

Although the first day is free and easy, we will guide those who are

interested through the most visited places like the east bank of the

river Mekong, the Buddhist temples, the Royal Palace and the Old

Quarters. If you're exhausted of visiting all these 'Wat', relax in the

beautiful Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden. It might be

interesting/advisable to rent a bicycle for the day to explore Luang

Prabang (it's flat, no hilly terrain in the town...)

We will give participants ample time to venture into and spend some time in Luang Prabang. Its rich

cultural heritage is simply amazing.

If the weather is good, we can walk up Phou Si hill to witness the sunset (early birds can do likewise for

sunrise the next morning...)

Since street food is very famous, venture into the city and explore the night markets.

The second day we will be transferred to the north of the town where we will board a long boat on the

Mekong River (the 12th longest river in the world). We will head for the Pak Ou caves at the confluence of

the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. The cave hosts thousands of Buddhist statues.

After our return trip with the boat we head for Nahm Dong, located south of Luang Prabang. A relatively

short hike will take us first through a park-like environment, fruit gardens, followed by a cascading stream.

Although the hike is quite short (and easy), there's ample variation along the way.

We can also enjoy some spectacular views before jumping into the water for a refreshing dip.

We will spend the entire afternoon in Nahm Dong before being transferred back to Luang Prabang town.

The next morning the ferry boat will take us to the opposite bank of the Mekong River. The living (and

road) conditions are very basic and the first part of our hike is really kampung style.

Even then along the trail there are several 'wat', Buddhist temples, located. Impressive however are the

statues and artifacts on one of the lower hilltops.

We might have two options to return to the ferry, depending on the time and the hiking mood of

participants.

In the afternoon we head for Luang Prabang's main attraction: the very famous three tier Kuang Si

waterfall which is about 60 metres high. But not only the main fall is impressive, so are the many cascades

and several pools, filled with turquoise to aquamarine coloured water - almost a surreal sight...

Also here refreshing dip will be on the programme, so those who can't wait, can jump into the water

straight away. Those who want to join us for a hike to the top of the waterfall and further on to the spring

of the stream have to wait a little longer. The spring has a beautiful aquamarine coloured pool and offers a

much more serene and tranquil environment to enjoy a swim than the main falls area.

The next morning the early birds can witness the alm-giving ceremony in the centre of town. After that we

will head back to the airport in order to catch the morning flight back to Kuala Lumpur.

Physical fitness is a prerequisite!

This hike is ABSOLUTELY suitable for "beginners" and “less experienced hikers”. But be honest to yourself.

So don't confirm for this event if this is the first time that you want to find out what hiking is all about...