CAMBODIA + LAOS

Day 1: ARRIVAL – PHNOM PENH – CITY TOURS ( L/D)

Welcome to Cambodia! Up on arrival at airport in Phnom Penh our guide and driver will transfer you to hotel for check in. have lunch at the local restaurant. After lunch, start to visit the Independence Monument and the notorious Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21 prison). This former school was used as a prison by Pol Pot’s security forces and became the largest center for detention and torture during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. Visit Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh’s namesake, from where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of the city. Founded 1373, the pagoda was built to house Buddhist relics washed ashore by the river.End your day tour at Central Market a labyrinth of stalls, selling everything from CDs and DVDs to silks, crafts, jewelry and more. Have dinner at the local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh

Day 02: PHNOM PENH – CITY TOURS – SIEM REAP BY OVER LAND (B/L/D)

Breakfast in Hotel Phnom Penh City tour: Visit the Victory Monument and the Royal Statue of late King-father Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk and the National Museum, also called Musee des Beaux-Arts. A French archaeologist and painter, Georges Groslier, designed it in Khmer style in 1917. The museum contains a collection of Khmer art-notably sculptures-from throughout the ages. Visit the Royal Palace, built by the French in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda. Located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of the floor, which is made up of 5,000 silver tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha, encrusted and weighing 90 kilograms and small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha.

Transfer to Siem Reap by land with public bus, approximately 6h of drive without guide escorted. Arrival Siem Reap, meet guide and driver at bus station and transfer to hotel for check-in. overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh

Day 03: SIEM REAP – TEMPLE TOUR (B/L/D)

Breakfast in hotel In the morning, visit the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century), Bayon temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), Baphuon recently re-opened after years of restoration), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. After lunch, visit the most famous of all the temples on plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat, the temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodia flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat’s five towers symbolize Meru’s five peaks – the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond. Sunset at Angkor Wat for countryside view.

Dinner will be served at local restaurant with classical/Apsara dance show overnight at hotel in Siem Reap

Day 04: SIEM REAP  – LUANG PRABANG  (B/D)

Breakfast in hotel in the morning, enjoy with your free and easy until the time check out our guide will pick and transfer to the airport for the flight departure.Arrive in Luang Prabang, the ancient first capital of Lane Xang kingdom, the center of religious life in Laos and today the World Heritage City. Arrive in Luang Prabang and transfer to our hotel for check-in, we take a sightseeing tour of the sacred city of temples, of which nearly fifty temples still remain in the town and surrounding areas. Visit Wat Xiengthong, the 16th century temple which, more than any temples in Luang Prabang, epitomizes all the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture; Phousi Hill, the 328 steps leads to the summit of Phousi hill that dominates the sky-line of Luang Prabang overlooking the finest panoramic view in the whole Luang Prabang.

Day 05: LUANG PRABANG – PAK OU CAVE (B/L/D).

Breakfast at hotel, visit Wat Visoun, the 16th century temple served as a small museum for religious artifacts; Wat Aham, the early 19th century temple, whose two guardian figures at the foot of the steps which represent two characters from the Ramayana – Hanuman, the Monkey God and a fierce Yaksa and then take an excursion (a few hours) by boat, upstream on the Mekong to visit Pak Ou cave in the side of a lime stone cliff and opposite of the mouth of the Mekong and Ou rivers. The sanctuaries at Pak Ou consist of two large caves, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images, which range from mere centimeter to two meters in height. En route, Lao typical villages are barely visible behind a screen of foliage. Slender canoes bobbing by the shore, bamboo poles and floats mark the location of nets and fish traps. Our first stop will be at Ban Muangkeo, a well-known village for Lao traditional rice whisky, namely Laoh-Khao to be distilled. We are welcome to taste it and also take away. We arrive back at Luang Prabang in late afternoon. Overnight at hotel.

Day6: LUANG PRABANG – Kuang Si waterfall (B/L/D).

Breakfast at hotel, visit the National Museum, the former Royal Palace which houses the collection of valuables including the famous Prabang Buddha statue, gifts received from foreign dignitaries…etc

Drive to the Khung Si Waterfalls, the Waterfalls tumble over multi-tiered limestone formations into cool, clear pools ideals for swimming and relaxing. on the way to waterfalls, visit the Khmu minority village of Ban Thapaene. Return to Luangprabang. on the way visit Ban Xom, Lowland Lao village known for its cotton producttion and Ban Xang Khong village to see how traditional Sa paper is made.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 7: LUANG PRABANG – DEPARTURE (B).

After breakfast, free at leisure until transfer to next destination.