ASIAN COMBINED Laos Cambodia

Flight to Vientiane from Milan or Paris.

. Welcome by a transfer driver, transfer without guide and installation at the hotel.

Rooms available from 2:00 pm. You can leave your luggage in the luggage room while waiting for your check-in time.

Lunch on your own.

Rest time to recover from jet lag. Afternoon at leisure.

7:00 pm: Meet your English-speaking guide in the lobby.

Dinner in a local restaurant for a first taste of Lao cuisine.

Overnight at your hotel.

With guide - With transport.

Breakfast at your hotel. Your room must be vacated by 12:00 pm.

This morning, visit of the capital with :

- The Patuxai, Arc de Triomphe built in the 60s with, rumor has it, concrete supplied by the Americans for use in the construction of airport runways. It was built to honour the memory of the dead from pre-revolutionary conflicts.

-Vat Si Muang, the temple of the city's founding pillar and home to Vientiane's protective spirit, is the capital's busiest temple, where residents regularly come to make wishes and offerings in the hope that they will be fulfilled, to have their car or motorcycle blessed..

- Vat Sisaket, with its unique architecture and cloister walls pierced by thousands of small niches housing Buddha statues. Spared when the city was destroyed by the Siamese in the 19th century, it is the largest and most beautiful temple in Vientiane.

In the late morning, you drive to Vang Vieng, a small town on the banks of the Nam Xong River, renowned for its majestic karst landscapes. (Allow around 01h15 for the drive)

Lunch in a local restaurant in Vang Vieng.

In the afternoon, set off to discover the Tham Thiang cave, set in a karst cliff after a hike of some 150 steps!

Afterwards, you'll board dugout canoes for a trip on the Nam Song River to discover the riverbanks of Vang Vieng.

In the late afternoon, settle into your room for a restful end to the day.

Dinner in a restaurant serving local specialities.

Overnight at your hotel.

With guide - With transport.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out.

Transfer to Vang Vieng railway station, a few kilometers outside town, to take a train with your guide on board to Luang Prabang.

The railroad, built as part of China's New Silk Roads project and due to open in December 2021, crosses Laos from the Chinese border in the north to Vientiane and the Thai border. Crossing one of the most mountainous regions of Laos, this line, with its numerous tunnels and bridges, significantly shortens travel times. You'll reach Luang Prabang in less than an hour, compared with around 04h30 by road.

Luang Prabang is a small town nestled in the middle of mountains covered in lush vegetation, at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, in an unspoilt natural environment. The town's rich architectural heritage - a harmonious blend of traditional Lao wooden houses, colonial brick urban structures and some of the most sophisticated and richly decorated monasteries in South-East Asia - and its exceptional state of preservation, make it a real gem that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. You'll discover sumptuous traditional wooden houses, centuries-old pagodas, the former Royal Palace and beautiful colonial administrative buildings as you stroll along its lanes.... This former royal capital, still the country's cultural and religious center, has a very special atmosphere.

Arrival in Luang Prabang mid-morning and private transfer to the city center.

Room available from 2:00 pm. Free time at your leisure.

Lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, departure for a first discovery by Tuk-Tuk:

- Vat Visoun: one of Luang Prabang's oldest monasteries. Destroyed by Chinese pirates in 1887, it was rebuilt in the early 20th century. Built in the Tai Lue style with baluster windows, inspired by Khmer architecture, it houses the largest Buddha in Luang Prabang ....

- TAEC: A small museum opened in 2007 in a listed building in the heart of Luang Prabang, its rich collections reveal the great ethnic and cultural diversity that characterizes Laos.

-Mount Phousi: A hill in the middle of the peninsula, rising 150 m above the city. A staircase of 328 steps leads to the summit, from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city, the Mekong River and the surrounding mountains.

Return to your hotel for a time of relaxation and rest.

Sindad dinner in a restaurant on the banks of the Nam Khan River.

Overnight at your hotel.

With guide - With transport.

Breakfast at your hotel.

In the early morning, departure with your guide for a day tour of the city's main attractions by Tuk-Tuk.

- The Ban Pakham morning market, held daily in a small street near the Mekong River, for a glimpse into the daily life of the local population

- The Royal Palace, now the National Museum, a blend of French and Lao architectural elements, was the first permanent palace built in Laos for the king and his family in the early 20th century. A recently built chapel in the gardens houses the Prabang, the most sacred Buddha statue in Laos (please note that the site is closed every last Thursday of the month)

- Vat Mai was built in the early 19th century. With its low-sloping 5-sided roof, it is in the Luang Prabang style. Its gold-leaf bas-reliefs tell the story of one of Buddha's past lives, incorporating elements of local life.

- Vat Xieng Thong, a royal monastery from its foundation in the 16th century until 1975, is the most beautiful in the city and considered a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture in Laos, especially the main chapel, whose roof descends almost to the ground.

- Heuan Chan House. This former princely residence, built in the 19th century, was renovated by UNESCO when the town was listed. It is one of the few traditional Lao houses on stilts to be found in Luang Prabang.

Lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, transfer to the town's pier. You'll board a traditional private boat for a short cruise and, after about 1h30 on the water, stop at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers to discover the sacred Pak Ou caves. Tham Thing, overlooking the Mekong, and Tham Phoum, a little further back, have for centuries been home to hundreds of Buddha statuettes deposited by pilgrims over the years.

Return by boat to Luang Prabang and time to relax.

Dinner at your leisure, according to your preferences and the advice of your guide.

Overnight at your hotel.

With guide - With transport.

Breakfast at your hotel.

This morning, transfer with guide to the Kouang Si waterfalls via a beautiful country road (approx. 40 minutes and 60km per journey) between villages and rice fields.

On the way, make a stop at Lao Buffalo Dairy, a farm where buffaloes from local villagers have been taken in, and whose milk is now used, among other things, to make local cheeses... The guided visit is all the more interesting as buffaloes, which a few years ago were quite visible in the rice fields for ploughing, are now becoming increasingly rare, replaced by tractors and other motorized machines. This social enterprise also provides the farmers who own the buffaloes with an additional income, as well as better veterinary care for their animals.

We then discover the magnificent falls. Nestled deep in the forest, the falls cascade over several pools of turquoise water. You can stroll along the waterfall's edge and even take a dip. The path leading to the waterfall takes you past large enclosures housing Asiatic collared bears, a species endemic to Laos that has escaped poachers.

Lunch at the Carpe Diem restaurant below the site, away from the crowds. You'll be surrounded by small turquoise pools, where you can take a dip between courses! What's more, Carpe Diem donates 5% of its profits to the ASAS association, whose aim is to build access to drinking water and help rehabilitate schools in isolated villages in northern Laos.

After enjoying the waterfalls, return by road to the center of Luang Prabang and continue on to Ban Xang Khong and Ban Xieng Lek, villages that have been weaving for generations, and more recently also producing paper from mulberry trees. You can visit the workshops of these craftsmen, and do a little shopping.

Evening and dinner at leisure.

Night in hotel.

With guide if mentioned - With transport.

Early breakfast at the hotel. Check-out.

06:15: Morning transfer without guide to Luang Prabang airport.

08:30 am: Take-off for flight QV 513 to Siem Reap.

11:50 am: Arrival and welcome at Siem Reap airport. Your local English-speaking guide will be waiting for you at the exit. Transfer to your hotel for a presentation of your stay and its Cambodian organization.

Rooms available from 2:00 pm.

Siem Reap, or the defeat of the Siamese, sounds like a revenge taken by the Khmer people against their powerful neighbors. This small village nestled in the meanders of the river that bears its name is a symbol of rebirth and a better future for new generations of Cambodians. Located just a few kilometers from the Angkor archaeological site, Siem Reap is reaping the benefits of the tourism boom, and its development has transformed a small village into an attractive, welcoming town, with a growing number of infrastructures (hotels, restaurants, hospitals, night markets, pedestrian and shopping areas, etc.), now rivalling the world's top destinations.

Lunch at leisure with your guide.

In the afternoon, visit the National Museum of Angkor for a first introduction to the splendors of Khmer art. The modern layout of the 8 galleries displays the past with real charm, drawing you into the world of the Khmer dynasties from the 9th to the 12th centuries. Return to your hotel mid-afternoon or visit the city at your own pace.

Return to your hotel to enjoy the facilities.

Dinner in a local restaurant.

Overnight at your hotel.

With guide - With transport.

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning, drive through the countryside on a road lined with traditional houses and coconut palms to reach the temple of Banteay Samre, citadel of the Samrès ethnic group. It was built by Hindus in the same period as Angkor Wat.

We continue with a visit to Banteay Srei temple, the "citadel of women", reputed to be one of the jewels of 10th-century Khmer art for its finely sculpted decorations in pink sandstone. Stop en route to discover how palm sugar is made from Thnot, the emblematic sugar palm that lines Cambodia's rice fields.

Lunch in a traditional wooden house.

You continue your visit to the Ta Som, Neak Poan and Preah Kahn temples.

Then enjoy a sunset over the Angkor Thom moat.

In a typical Cambodian village on the Angkor site, we invite you to dine with Sovan and Ké Samy. You'll spend an evening in a timeless setting, in a traditional wooden house. After a welcome cocktail, you'll dine on Khmer specialties in the torch-lit garden and surrounding countryside. An unforgettable experience!

Overnight at your hotel.

With guide - With transport.

Breakfast at your hotel.

Today, departure by Tuk-Tuk from your hotel. You begin your visit with the most famous of them all, Angkor Wat, where King Suryavarman II ruled the Kingdom of Cambodia from 1113 to 1152. Angkor Wat is an architectural masterpiece of comparable dimensions to Beijing's Forbidden City. Continue on to Preah Khan temple. Stroll through the maze of doors and corridors to discover some beautiful high-reliefs and, in particular, the only building with round columns, which may have been used to house the king's sacred sword.

Lunch at a local restaurant on site.

In the afternoon, discover the royal city of Angkor Thom... After admiring the city's enigmatic gates, you reach the Bayon, the central temple of this fortified city. Continuing on foot, you enter the royal palace enclosure with the Phimeanakas temple. On your way out, you come to the Terrace of the Elephants, where the king and his court used to watch the games.

In the late afternoon, you enter Ta Prohm, "the ancestor of Brahma", to enjoy magical moments in this temple which has been left, in part, in its natural state to preserve the memory of the visions of the discoverers who revealed Angkor to the West.

Dinner with performance of Apsara dances. Once the preserve of Khmer kings and their courts, the origins of this bewitching dance and its mythical dancers can be traced back to India. The practice is said to date back over 1000 years..

Overnight at hotel.

With guide - With transport.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Your morning will be devoted to discovering the countryside on an electric scooter. After training in safety rules and the use of bicycles (no need to pedal), you'll leave the city gradually to join the laterite tracks lined with coconut palms and bamboo that criss-cross the countryside. Stop off along the way to discover traditional Khmer housing and lifestyle. At the end of a sandy track you'll discover a pagoda and its small Angkorian temple.

Before lunch, a Cambodian chef will introduce you to typical dishes such as green mango salad, Amok and Kokor soup.

At noon, you'll taste the prepared dishes.

The afternoon will be devoted to exploring the Tonle Sap , 15 km south of Siem Reap, by boat. A major asset in the development of the Angkor site, the Tonle Sap lake is now home to over a million people. You'll discover the floating village of Metchrey (depending on the season, the location can be changed with Chong Kneas) to admire its fishing techniques, fishponds and crocodile farms.

Return to downtown Siem Reap in the late afternoon.

Evening "Foody tour": On this tour, we invite you on a colorful journey to the heart of Siem Reap's most important night market. Located along Route 60, on the outskirts of Siem Reap town, this local market is a favorite after-work spot for Cambodians. It's here that families come together to have a good time, enjoy an aperitif or sit on a mat around a "Phnom Plun", the Cambodian grill. Stroll through the stalls, taste whatever you fancy, then take a seat around a local stall to sample the specialties. A total immersion in a typically Khmer universe that few tourists are familiar with!

Overnight at your hotel.

With guide if mentioned - With transport.

Breakfast at the hotel. Room available until 12:00 pm.

Today, visit the Artisans d'Angkor workshops to admire sculpture, lacquer and silk painting techniques. Time permitting, you can also visit the scents of Angkor.

Depending on your flight schedule, transfer to Siem Reap airport with driver and no English-speaking guide.

Departure for your flight to France

Overnight stay on the plane

Arrival in France