Southern Laos to Cambodia Overland

9 days, 9 nights
 

 

Brief Itinerary

 

Day to day itinerary

Day 1: Pakse Arrival - Tad Fan Resort

On your arrival in Pakse, our guide will meet you at the airport. We drive eastward to Tad Fane Resort for check in.

In the afternoon, you can take a walk around the Tad Fane Resort located on top of the thickly forested gorge with stunning view of the tall Tad Fane Waterfall far below, this is a truly idyllic place for relaxing. Tad Fane is the most spectacular waterfalls in Laos, with parallel streams from Huay Bang Liang plugging out of dense forest and down more than 120m.

Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse from our list
Transit: 45 minutes by mini bus or car
Trekking time: 1 hour
Trekking difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B, L

Day 2: Tad Fan Trek – Champasak

Following breakfast, we take a short drive to Katoun hill tribe village where we start our trekking. We then trek under the shade of huge coffee plantation farm. The specialty of Bolaven Plateau! We’ll cross the road to Tad Yieng Waterfall for lunch.

After lunch, there is time for swimming. We’ll continue trekking back to Tad Fan thru growing secondary forest full of big trees. When arrive back to Tad Fan Resort, we drive back to Champasak.

Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse from our list
Transit: 1 hour by mini bus or car
Trekking time: 5 hours
Trekking difficulty: Moderate
Meal plan: B, L

Day 3: Champasak - Wat Phou - Ou Moung - Kiet Ngong Elephant Riding - King Fisher Lodge

In the morning, we’ll visit Wat Phou, occupying a dramatic mountainside site over looking the Mekong valley. The wat is divided into lower and upper parts and is joined by a steep stairway .After visiting Wat Phou, we stop for lunch at the boat restaurant.

We’ll head south via Ou Moung where all rocks to build Wat Phou had go by. We arrive at Kingfisher Resort. After check in, there is time for a short rest. We’ll enjoy elephant riding from Ban Kiet Ngong up to the archeological site of Phou Asa which overlooks the Pha Pho wetland, rich with bird life.

Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse from our list
Transit: 2 hour by mini bus or car
Activity time: 2 hours waking/ 2 hours elephant ride
Activity difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B, L

Day 4: King Fisher Lodge - Don Det - Don Khone - Don Khong

After breakfast at the lodge, we travel to Ban Nakasang. From here, we’ll take a short boat ride to Don Det. We then drive by truck thru Don Det and cross the railway bridge (the only line the French ever laid in Laos) to Don Khone, and continue to the dramatic Somphamit Waterfall, a well worth visiting place. We’ll enjoy lunch at Don Khone before driving to Done Khong for the night.

4000 Island (Si Phan Don) is one of nature’s marvels. Here the Mekong suddenly fans out, forming an intricate, beautiful network of channels, rocks and sandbars and island of 14km wide.

Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse from our list
Transit: 3 hour by mini bus or car
Activity time: 2 hours waking/ 15 minutes by boat
Activity difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B, L

Note: In summer time, Si Phan Don gets very high temperature. In the small islands, there is no electricity except Don Khong.

Day 5: 4000 Islands – Veun Kham Border – Stung Treng/ Cambodia – Ban Lung

We leave 4000 Islands and head toward south. We’ll spend sometime visit Khone Phapheng Waterfall. You then enter Cambodia at Veun Kham Border and continue on to Stoeng Treng for lunch.

Following lunch, we continue driving to Ban Lung. Banlung City is the provincial capital of Ratanakiri Province in Cambodia's mountainous northeastern corner. Heavily jungled and home to 12 different 'Khmer Loeu' ethnic minority groups, Ratanakiri province has a real edge-of-the-world feel to it. We spend the night at a local guesthouse in Ban Lung

Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse from our list
Transit: 3 hour by mini bus or car/ 2 hours by boat
Meal plan: B, L

Day 6:  Ban Lung - Virachey National Park Trek

We depart Ban Lung after breakfast and are headed for an overnight in Virachey National Park where there are a high percentage of ethnic minorities living around the park.   We will visit a traditional Kavet village, agricultural lands, secondary forests and overnight in the forest.  Upon waking in the morning we hope to hear Gibbons calling out and a range of riverside and forest birds can be seen.  Lucky ones may even catch a glimpse of a Great Hornbill. 

This tour is in association with the National Park and 100 % of you fee goes to the park on these two days.  Conditions change with the National Park and we will check them before your trip!  Included in the package are all park fees, an ecotourism ranger and a community guide.

Accommodation: Forest camping
Transit: 1.5 hours graded dirt road, variable boat time,
Trekking time: about 1 - 5 hours (variable on season)
Road difficulty: Moderate to Difficult in rainy season
Meal plan: B, L, D

Day 7:  Virachey National Park Trek - Ban Lung

Early breakfast and we take a half day leisurely walk along a half-day loop trail in the park.  On our return to Ban Lung we will stop at some area sites, the volcanic lake and 7 step waterfalls will give us a natural shower after our night in the forest.  Time permitting we will visit a local cemetery of interest.  We return to Ban Lung for the second night.

Note - 2 day trek in Virachey National Park can extend up to 7 days

Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse from our list
Transit: 4 hours dirt road, short boat trip (depending on National Park guide), 3 hours car transit
Trekking time: 2 - 4 hours
Road difficulty: Moderate, challenging in rainy season
Meal plan: B, L

Day 8:  Ban Lung - Stung Treng - Kratie

We depart Ratanakiri Province this morning and are headed to Kratie, home of the Irrawaddy fresh water dolphins with a lunch stop in Stung Treng.  Our lunch in Stung Treng will be at Mekong Blue, a development center assisting vulnerable people, especially women.  Mekong Blue has been recognized by UNESCO and the main product of the NGO is silk weaving, of both traditional and modern designs. 

We continue on to Kratie and before arriving we take a Mekong River boat trip to view the endangered Irrawaddy fresh water dolphins.  We continue to Kratie and after checking in to the hotel, you can take a short tour of the local market.

Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse from our list
Transit: 5 hours by car, 30 – 45 minute boat trip
Trekking time: limited
Road difficulty: Moderate, challenging in rainy season
Meal plan: B, L

Day 9:  Kratie – Phnom Penh

After breakfast, you take a short visit to Cambodian Rural Development Team to see some of demonstration activities and lean about what is being done to support dolphin conservation efforts. Today is our last drive of the trip and we’ll take a road less traveled.  We depart out of Kratie and keep to the Mekong River.  Along the way we will pass through villages lost in time.  Most of the villages have a mixture of Khmer and a heavy Islamic population.  The scent of incense from the local Wat drifts past the Mosque, a truly unique and magical area of Cambodia.  We’ll stop along the way for a local lunch and continue on to Phnom Penh.  We should arrive in Phnom Penh by sunset and a farewell dinner at a Khmer style restaurant ends our journey.

Accommodation: Hotel or guesthouse from our list
Transit: 6 - 7 hours by car
Trekking time: limited
Meal plan: B, L, D

Our trip includes

• English speaking guide
• Accommodation as indicated
• Meals as indicated
• Transfer and pickup airport
• Transportation by car or minivan
• Tour as indicated
• Entrance fee

Our trip excludes

• Domestic and international flights
• Visa & visa arrangement
• Meals not indicated
• Drinking water, soft drink and alcohol
• Tips & personal expenses

Prices contact info@remoteasia.com