JOURNEY OF THE MEKONG - SOUTHERN LAOS TO SIEM REAP

Time from Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok to  Trinity Silom  approx. 44 min – 1 hr (39,1Km)
Start  from your location in Thailand  to Suvarnabhumi Airport  then be transferred to  Bangkok city and check-in hotel . Overnight in Bangkok.

Breakfast at your hotel and have a full day at leisure. Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast at hotel, depart to Suvarnabhumi Airport and travel to Ubon Ratchathani by a domestic flight to. Upon arrival Ubon Ratchathani, be picked up by Tour guide and be transferred to hotel then at your leisure until the time of Dinner. Overnight in Ubon Ratchathani
(Flight time subjects to change).

Ubon Ratchathani – Chong Mek Around 1.50 hr (90 km)
Chong Mek – Champasak around 1.40 hr (75 km)
Breakfast then transfer to Chong Mek border and cross to Laos. A local guide awaits and pick you up as soon as you check-in Laos.
Drive towards the Champasak provinnce at the Southern Laos , have a boat ride to Don Daeng, a small island in the middle of the Mekong River and get to La Folie Lodge.
The rest of the day is at leisure to relax and enjoy the beautiful swimming pool of La Folie Lodge with its spectacular views to the river. It’s optional to explore 8 small villages dotting the island’s coast and discover the local daily activites.
Overnight in Don Daeng.

Don Daeng – Wat Phou 20 min by boat
Breakfast then have an easy and short guided bicycle tour on the flat road around the island and explore the villagers’ daily life.
Cruise cross the Mekong river to visit Wat Phou, an UNESCO World Heritage site. This is an amazing pre-Angkorian temple that stands among the paddy fields and waterways in the south of Laos. Wat Phou was built with three levels: the lowest level is focused on water reservoir and promenade, the middle level features quadrangular pavilions and galleries of carvings, and the highest level is a sanctuary . This temple was constructed before the construction of Angkor Wat. Wat Phou was used as the most important economic and political center of the region and until now, it still is one of the most revered temples of Laos’ people
Travel through the Champasak’s small town and explore the French colonial buildings in the area.
Back to Don Daeng Island and at leisure during the rest of the day. Overnight in Don Daeng.

09:00 depart from your hotel for the Bolaven Plateau, a mountainous region that serves dozens of hill tribes, coffee and tea plantations and beauitful waterfalls.
The first visits are at Tad Yuang waterfalls and Tad Fane These spectacular falls are on the edge of the protected area Dong Hua Sao, 38km from Paksé. Tad Fane is a twin waterfall with 120-metre-high formed by water of the Champy and Pak Koot rivers. (Note: water levels may vary accordingly to season).
Have a quick stop in Paksong, the small town and well-known as a capital of coffee then head east to the Sinouk Coffee Resort. Visit the coffee plantation and learn how the coffee trees are grown and the different processing steps.
After that, have a delicious lunch with home-grown organic vegetable then tast the various coffee flavour if you’d like.
On return road, stop at Tad Lo Waterfalls that was set by three separate falls. Admire the beautiful scenery of Tad Hang and Tad Lo from the bridge . If wheather and time allowed, go further 10km upriver to visit the most impressive of the three, Tad Suong waterfall. The next stop is in Ban Houay Houn , visit a small village that well-know with Katu textiles and get the opportunity to observe the women using their legs to stretch the fabric during her work . In late afternoon, return to Don Daeng and back to the hotel. Overnight in Don Daeng.

Dong Daeng – Ban Nakasan 2 hours- (60km)
Breakfast then heading to Sipandon (meaning ‘4000 Islands’), explore the area where Mekong River reaches 14 kilometres wide and dotted by thousand small islands . Drive for around 2 hours to a village in Ban Nakasan then travel by boat to the Done Det and Done Khone island . Explore the peaceful village and plantations on this island by bicycles or a tuktuk (optional ) Have a short boat trip and try to spot the rare Irrawaddy Dolphin. (Please be informed that the visits are more beautiful in the morning and late afternoon when water is cooler)
Continue toward Cambodian Border, on the west of Don Khone, to visit the spectacular Lippi Falls. This fall also named Tad Somphamit, means ‘trapped spirit’ because the local people believed it act as a trap for bad spirits.
Don Khone islands played as important link of Laos to Cambodia and Southern Vietnam during the French Colonial time. To pass through the waterfalls, a bridge and railway were constrcuted and offer visitors an ideal place to take some time and indulge in the beautiful view.
Continue to explore and enjoy the peaceful rythem of life, observe locals daily life activites and have lunch at local restaurant. The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Don Khone.

Dong Khone – Khone Papheng 30 mins(30km)
Laos border – Stung Treng (60 km): 1 h 30 mins
In the morning, take a boat ride from Don Khone Island to the village of Ban Nakasan. Travel to the southern border by car then stop on the way to visit palm-fringed villages and the impressive Khone Papheng waterfalls.
Upon the border, after finishing the border formalities, enter to Cambodia and be greeted by a local English-speaking guide.Have a short drive to the small Ecotourism village of O’Svay which is 25km from the Laos border.
Board a local boat and experience 2.5 hour breathtaking journey through the islands and flooded forests of the Mekong. Enjoy the beautiful landscape, relax then experience a picnic lunch on a remote island to feel escape the ordinary routine works, just indulge in the nature. Continue toward Stung Treng and get there in the afternoon. Overnight in Stung Treng.

Stung Treng – Kratie): 2h30mins(79 km)
Experience a breakfast at a local restaurant near the market in Stung Treng.
Then depart to Mekong Blue, a local silk weaving center offering work and an income to disadvantaged young women in this area. Tour the workshops and shop if your like (Note: Mekong Blue closed on Sundays).
Continue heading South towards Kratie. Stop on the way at Sambo Village to visit Wat Sorsor Mouy Roy. Discover the architecture of this temple sanctuary of the so-called ‘100 Pillars Pagoda’. Drive along the banks of the Mekong en enjoy a beatiful route with great views. Arrive Kampi village , the best spot to view the rare Irrawaddy Dolphins along the Mekong. Take a local boat to go to places of these interesting creatures. As soon as the first dolphins are spotted, the boat’s engine will be off to follow the dolphins silently ( 60min to 90min duration).
Arrive in Kratie have some time at leisure to discover the small town the have lunch at Le Tonlé Tourism Training Center. Have meeting and communicate with students in this center . (Note: The Center is closed on weekends – if visitors come on Sunday and Saturday, dinner will be at the hotel or a local restaurant instead).
In the afternoon, get on the lodge boat (may be shared with other passengers) to Koh Trong Island only 10 minutes boat ride away from Kratie. Explore the typical Cambodian village life, where people’s livelihoods largely depends on rice farming and fruits cultivation (Koh Trong is famous for its pomelo!). Upon arrival, check-in to the hotel and at leisure to enjoy the environment around )
Overnight on Koh Trong Island.

Breakfast at the hotel then visit the island of Kratie , take a local horse cart or cycling around the island. Stop at island’s Wat, where a special activity awaits you: A tree planting project initiated by a local farmer, in order to recultivate the once densely forested island. Contribute to the project by planting a tree here that will carry your name and leave a positive trace on the island.
Have lunch at a typical local house at the riverbank. Continue by horse cart or cycling around the island and sample local fruit and visit a Vietnamese floating village on the southern tip of the island. Return to Kratie by boat and the rest of the day is at leisure. If the weather permits, admire the magnificant sunset over the Mekong that Kratie is famous for. Overnight on Koh Trong Island.

Kratie - Chhlong (20km): 45 mins, Chhlong – Kampong Cham (100km): 2.30 hrs
Kampong Cham - Kampong Thom (114 km): 2 hrs
Breakfast at the hotel and drive towards Kampong Thom. On the way, stop to visit Chhlong (transfer time ca. 45 minutes), a small town with many French colonial houses that considered as the most beautiful in Cambodia.
Upon arrival in Kampong Cham (transfer time around 2.5 hours), have lunch at a local restaurant. Take a short tour of the provincial capital and its typical market, continue to Kampong Thom (transfer time ca. 2 hours) then at leisure to relax in hotel. Overnight in Kampong Thom.

Kampong Thom – Sambor Prei Kuk (30 km): 1 hour
Sambor Prei Kuk – Siem Reap (169 km): 2 hour & 30minutes
Breakfast at the hotel then depart to the rarely visited Sambor Prei Kuk, one of the most important pre-Angkorian sites in the country that has become Cambodia’s most recent UNESCO World Heritage site. Built between the 6th and 7 centuries of the Cenla period, Sambor Prei Kuk composes more than 100 temples scattered in the forest. All the temples has been well preserved and offers an exciting exploration while walking through the jungle with breathtaking views. Around the temple complex, there are some villages where local people still make living by practice ancient art and craft. Stop by a village with community runs the Isanborei Craft Hut next to the temples where you can buy some caft products and have lunch at local restaurant.Continue going to Siem Reap, about 2.5 hours away. Upon arrival, check-in hotel and take a rest.
In the late afternoon ,enjoy a trip with local remork to visit Angkor Wat. Built in the early 12th century, during the reign of King Suryavarman II , Angkor Wat was constructed with design of the temple mountain symbolising Mount Meru, the home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are decorated with stone carvings and bas-reliefs of Hindu mythology and the flightings of King Suryavarman II . Angkor Wat is fasmous for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers sculptural statues decorating the temple. Explore this amazing temple during sunset time, when many visitor left and the Apsaras Statues look so beautiful in the sunset light then return to your hotel. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Siem Reap – Tonle Sap (20 km): 30 mins
This morning , you will explore the East entrance of Angkor Wat. It’s total around 06km trek and this is the best way to see this magnificent ruins . Walk to the Bayon Temple which wasbuilt in 12th century and famous for its dozen of towers decorated with faces representing the Buddha.
After that, drive to visit Ta Prohm temple that is unique because of the giant trees wrapping around the temple . Depending on the season and the crowds, you may have another option to visit Preah Khan temple which was built by the same king with similar architecture. This larger temple complex is less visited and give you a more intimate experience.
Enjoy your lunch at Marum, a local restaurant where some students and trainers are currently employed by NGO to help poor children since 2005 in Siem Reap. The food is mostly tapas style though main courses are also available. ( Note : closed on Sundays).
In late afternoon, take a boat trip on Tonlé Sap Lake , a Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake. Embark on a local boat and visit Kampong Phluck, a village with stilt-houses then pass floating houses and impressive flooded forests, portraying life on the water. (Note: Due to low water levels during the dry season, the boat trip is only possible from July to February. However an alternative floating village at Chong Kneas can be arranged during dry season).
Overnight in Siem Reap.

All morning is at leisure to relax at the hotel or to have shopping at Siem Reap’s colourful markets. Transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for the onward flight