Hotels and forest resort

Elevating your adventure in Laos, the accommodation on this adventure is a real highlight. All are ideally located for our explorations, putting us right in the action, plus they all have a pool when you want to unwind.

Vientiane: Eastin Hotel Vientiane (nights 1 and 9)



Right on the Mekong shores, the Eastin is an idyllic spot to start and end our adventure. Head to the fourth floor for a swim with views over the Mekong waters or rise even higher to drink in the views (and a cocktail or two) at the 360°@ Eleven rooftop restaurant and bar.

Vang Vieng: Amari Vang Vieng (nights 2-3)



When you’re not out exploring the wonders of Vang Vieng, the Amari offers a peaceful spot to unwind. The freeform swimming pool has wonderful views of towering karst limestone formations (and there’s a pool bar for drinks, too).

Oudomxay: Nam Kat Yorla Pa Resort (nights 4-5)



Hide yourself in the wild rainforest of Nam Kat Yorla Pa, a sanctuary of luxury within a protected forest. Start your day with a buffet breakfast by the river, explore the biodiversity museum for an insight into the local wildlife, and end the day with a cocktail as you soak in the views. For many, this away-from-it-all retreat will be a highlight of the adventure.

Luang Prabang: Sanakeo Boutique Hotel & Spa (nights 6-8)



With lemongrass-topped walls, lotus flowers and Laotian décor, the Sanakeo is a peaceful place to stay. Treat yourself to a reinvigorating spa treatment, stretch at the yoga relaxation booth, and unwind with a dip in the pool. In the morning, head to the restaurant balcony to watch as more than 100 monks walk past the hotel as part of the ancient tak bat alms-giving ceremony.

Worth knowing

Tailor your trip: Extend your adventure by securing extra hotel nights before or after the main itinerary. Speak to your sales representative to book.
Private rooms: Like most adventure tour operators, we room solo passengers together. If you’d prefer to have a private room, it’s possible to do this on all nights for a supplement. Speak to your sales representative to book.

All breakfasts and one lunch are included.

The food on this trip is a real highlight. The national staple of Laos is sticky rice, which is served with all meals and is often used as a scooping device to pick food up as meals are traditionally eaten with hands and not utensils. Noodle dishes are common and the sweet offerings tend to focus around the abundance of fresh fruit available – be sure to seek out the mangosteen, the sweet segments are a local favourite and unlike any other fruit.

Western food is readily available almost everywhere. Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. Please note, in Southeast Asia the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring these items from home.

— Casual clothes. As it is generally hot and humid, light cotton clothing is recommended. It can often be cold in the mountains in northern Laos between November and early March and you should bring a warm jacket if you are travelling at that time, for the evenings/early mornings. You are expected to cover your legs (to the ankle) and arms (to the elbow) during visits to some temples and palaces.
— Long-sleeve shirts and light trousers (pants) help to keep mosquitoes off during the evenings
— Lightweight waterproof jacket or poncho/umbrella
— A first-aid kit is carried on each trip, but you should bring your own with diarrhoea treatment, painkillers, rehydration sachets and a blister-treatment kit
— Insect repellent containing DEET
— Strong sunscreen and sun hat
— Swimwear

There are opportunities to get laundry done locally at a very affordable price so it’s fine to pack light.

Our groups are a well-balanced mix of solo travellers, friends and couples, all with a passion for exploring the world. Expect to meet those who have clocked up multiple trips with us, and those who are completely new to our adventures. Our small group sizes mean friendships are easily made, while our tour leaders are experts at ensuring every individual has their needs and interests met.

For this trip, we also benefit from having two tour leaders, one from Laos, and one from Thailand, providing extensive insight into the wonders of the nation.

— Immerse yourself in the best of Laos: wild landscapes, golden temples and traditional culture
— Stay in a selection of handpicked hotels, each with a swimming pool
— Kayak down the Nam Song River to explore the rural beauty of Vang Vieng
— Explore the Nam Kat jungles, venturing deep into the protected sanctuary
— Take a longtail boat to the Buddha statue-filled Pak Ou Caves
— Swim under the milky cascades of Kuang Si Waterfall

Key information
Start hotel: Eastin Hotel Vientiane, Unit11, Khaemkong Road Oumoung Village Sikhottabong District, Vientiane
Phone: +856 21 219 999
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time. There will be a welcome briefing around 6pm.
Airport: Wattay International Airport (VTE)
Getting to the start hotel
The start hotel is approximately a 10-minute drive from the airport. We provide free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for everyone. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
Catching your return flight
We provide free departure transfers to Wattay International Airport for everyone from the end hotel.

Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfers will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and from the end (or post-tour) hotel and will be on the date on which the tour starts/ends; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.

— Travel insurance
— Single accommodation (available on request)
— Visas or vaccinations

— Casual clothes. As it is generally hot and humid, light cotton clothing is recommended. It can often be cold in the mountains in northern Laos between November and early March and you should bring a warm jacket if you are travelling at that time, for the evenings/early mornings. You are expected to cover your legs (to the ankle) and arms (to the elbow) during visits to some temples and palaces.
— Long-sleeve shirts and light trousers (pants) help to keep mosquitoes off during the evenings
— Lightweight waterproof jacket or poncho/umbrella
— A first-aid kit is carried on each trip, but you should bring your own with diarrhoea treatment, painkillers, rehydration sachets and a blister-treatment kit
— Insect repellent containing DEET
— Strong sunscreen and sun hat
— Swimwear

There are opportunities to get laundry done locally at a very affordable price so it’s fine to pack light.

— Accommodation: 2 Premium nights (rainforest resort), 7 Superior nights (hotels)
— Travel by train and private air-conditioned minibus
— Group normally 6 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16

Allow about US$250 for meals not included, which will allow you to eat well. Apart from the food, you should allow money to cover soft drinks (more if you like a beer) and souvenirs.

Optional excursions

To make the most of your free time in Luang Prabang (Day 8 afternoon), you may wish to participate in one of the three optional excursions below.

While it may be possible to book and join these excursions locally, this cannot be guaranteed. Each of the activities are popular and are not always available to book locally at late notice.

To avoid disappointment, we recommend pre-booking with us at the time of booking your trip. If you choose to pre-book, this is subject to availability. Please note, it is only possible to do one of the three excursions on the afternoon of Day 8 and they may be shared with people outside of your group. Your options are:

— Afternoon natural tie-dying class: US$45 locally or £47 if pre-booked.

Enjoy a hands-on introduction to silkworms and silk types, creating three natural dyes using plants from a home-grown garden (just like the Lao people have done for hundreds of years). Running from 1pm-4pm, participants are dropped at the venue on the return from Kuang Si Waterfall. Transport is not included but a tuk tuk back to the hotel costs approximately US$15.

— MandaLao, communicating with elephants afternoon tour: US$80 locally or £81 if pre-booked.

Begin the tour by creating nutritious treats for the elephants. After meeting the elephants on the banks of the Nam Kahn, give them your treats and walk briefly with them before coming back to the property for local snacks. This activity includes roundtrip transport from/to the hotel and a local guide from MandaLao. Pick up is at 2pm/2.30pm and you return to the hotel at 5.30pm.

— Cooking class (4.30pm-8pm): US$30 locally or £31 if pre-booked.

A cooking class with a difference! Join us in picturesque lakeside pavilions to cook Lao food and learn about the habits and customs at the heart of Lao cuisine. Fresh ingredients are at the heart of Lao cuisine, with some intriguing and unfamiliar flavours. This activity includes a round-trip transfer from/to the hotel and a local cooking class guide/instructor as part of the activity.

Tipping is customary in Laos and the local staff will probably expect some gratuity.

Tipping kitty: To make things easy, your tour leaders will suggest that you donate US$30 per person towards a kitty. This money is then used to tip local guides, hotel porters, drivers etc. If you do not wish to contribute, you are, of course, free to do so.

Tour leaders: If you feel your tour leaders have performed well over your trip, you may want to show your appreciation of their services. The sum you choose to give is entirely personal, but as a guide, a tip for each tour leader of US$5-US$6 per person per day is a reasonable starting point. The ‘tipping kitty’ explained above is separate from any tips for the tour leaders.

We primarily use trains to travel, sitting in comfortable second-class carriages with short journeys between one and three hours. On some occasions, we also transfer by private air-conditioned minibus.

This trip is rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Journeys: We primarily use trains to travel, sitting in comfortable second-class carriages with short journeys between one and three hours. On some occasions, we also transfer by private air-conditioned minibus.

For most of the year, the weather is hot and humid throughout with daytime temperatures of 28C-34C (82F-93F). It is a little cooler at nights and can be cold from November to March in the mountains with temperatures occasionally dropping as low as 10C (50F).