Some 300 years ago, a Lao king resettled entire villages of weavers from all the Lao-speaking world around Luang Prabang specifically to weave for the royal family. Today, in these villages surrounding the city, you can see excellent examples of all the textiles that can be found in Laos, and they are both striking and varied. The weavers in this socialist nation are divided into co-ops and each village has a large open-air hall where they sell their textiles. 

Travel to Oudomxay Province to stay at a remote lodge. Surrounded by rainforest, on the banks of a

river, and isolated from mass tourism, this lodge is the ideal base to explore the many treasures of the region including the rich diversity of ethnic groups living between rice-fields and mountains.

Travel north of Luang Prabang to spend the night at Nong Khiaw. Travel by pak ou river boat on the Nam Ou River through karst limestone mountains to weaving villages.  Also take time to visit Tham Pha Thok, a series of limestone caves.

MandaLao is a  no-ride facility.where you  will walk beside the elephants and feed them. Trek through the jungle with the elephants before returning to the camp for lunch. Tonight you’ll get to meet our Lao family and visit their home for a meal and Baci ceremony.

Each morning at first light well over a thousand saffron-robed monks pass through the city to receive alms, mostly food to sustain them for the day. This morning your host will pick you up early to join our Lao family at the spot where they “make merit” daily. 

Waking up pre-dawn, drive through the morning mist to nearby Wat Phou, once an outpost at the furthest reaches of the Angkorian Empire. The temple complex does not open to the public until later but with special acces you should have the grounds to yourself to explore. Pass through the temple and climb the ancient staircase, flanked by Frangipani trees, and you will be rewarded with sweeping views of the countryside below, and the sun rising over the Mekong River. 

Join our historian, UN expert, and author who has lived in Luang Prabang for nearly 30 years,  He  is fluent in Laotian and personally knows most of the town’s residents, so spending a morning with him is a fascinating, authentic experience. He has a way of bringing the richness of Laotian culture to life, and of course his encyclopedic knowledge of Lao history and architecture always makes for interesting conversation. Spend the morning walking about the Old Town of Luang Prabang, gleaning from his decades of cultural knowledge. 

One of the longest rivers in the world, originating north from China's Tibetan Plateau, the mighty Mekong cuts through Laos before flowing onward through Cambodia and the Vietnam delta. The river is the lifeblood of this land, providing transport, trade, irrigation, fishing, and other opportunities for the people of Laos. Choose from two different cruising options. 

Though it’s the center of commerce and administration within Laos, Vientiane lacks the hustle and bustle of other Southeast Asian capitals. Here, the pace is slow and the riverfront offers a variety of laid-back dining options. 

In southern Laos, visit the center of the great southern Lao kingdom of Champa to see Wat Phou, the oldest archeological site in Laos and explore some of the “4,000 islands” of Laos like Don Khong and Don Khone.