Published on November 29, 2017
Khone Phapheng Waterfall. Image (c) Nick Hubbard/Creative Commons.
What You’ll Get
An epic 15-day/14-night tour of Laos and Viet Nam that will strengthen your body and nourish your spirit.
Highlights
For a life-altering change in perspective, this two-week trip through the best of Laos and Viet Nam may be just what the doctor ordered.
Arrive at Luang Prabang and experience the former capital’s restorative atmosphere as you stop and see the city’s most beautiful sights, including Wat Xiengthong, with its roofs sweeping low to the ground. End the first day of your journey up on Phousi Mountain to view your first Luang Prabang sunset.
Your next week in Laos will have you encountering more of its quiet beauty: in the limestone karst views from Phatang Mountain and around the Nam Song River as you relax in the backpackertown of Vang Vieng; in the sacred sites around Vientiane, beginning with Wat Sisaket and its thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the iconic structure of That Luang Stupa; in a meal overlooking the picturesque lake, Nam Ngum; in a trip to the Bolaven Plateau, high above the Mekong Valley, with its waterfalls and tea and coffee plantations.
You will also get to enjoy the island life around the Mekong River as you spend two nights in Don Khong, renowned for its 4,000 islands. You’ll take a tail boat tour to the more serene Don Khone island (compared to backpacker favorite Don Dhet), which provides an authentic Lao experience. Upon returning to the mainland, you’ll get to visit Khone Phapheng Waterfalls, Southeast Asia’s largest waterfalls with its series of cascading falls and rapids.
Your next stop is Ho Chi Minh City, where it seems the noise of the millions of motorbikes will make it hard for you to find some calm. However, a morning stroll outside the Notre Dame Cathedral and some time spent within the walls of the War Museum and Reunification Palace can often reveal moments of peace.
HCMC will be your base as you travel down to the Mekong Delta for a day-trip of floating markets and to the coastal city of Phan Tiet and the resort town of Mui Ne to unwind as your journey comes to a blissful end.
Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. Image courtesy of Mike Aquino.
