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| Click here to view our sample collection of real tailor-made trips prepared for real people who travelled with us. |
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| A small coffee table book full of ideas, insider tips, hotel reviews and clues to make your next trip to Indochina an amazing experience. |
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Laos with the kids |
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9 nights / 10 days |
| This journey was designed for a family of 5. It is often said that Laos and Cambodia are countries in which travelling with the kids is challenging. We believe it is what you make of it. This journey uncovers the wonders and culture of Laos in an exciting, hands-on way that is ideal for kids. An enriching experience for the whole family as you delve in to the traditions of Laos, the kingdom of a million elephants. |
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Chapter 1
The ancient capital of Laos
Day 1
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The journey starts in the spiritual center of Laos, the ancient capital of Luang Prabang. We meet you at the airport and take you to the most family friendly hotel in Luang Prabang. The atmosphere is peaceful and relaxed. The hotel has a great pool and boasts breathtaking views of the mountains.
Check in, unpack, relax.
Luang Prabang is located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River , about 425 km north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province. The current population of the city is about 103,000. The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. The city is also notable as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ancient royal city is surrounded by mountains at the junction of the Mekong and its tributary, the Khan River. In the centre of the city is Mount Phousi with stunning views of the surrounding temples and hills.
Luang Prabang is small, and just about everywhere can be reached by foot. With the kids walking and traveling by tuk tuk are the best ways to get around.
The rest of the day is at your leisure. |
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Day 2 |
Start the day with a visit the fresh morning market. In the morning only, farmers and traders come to sell their fresh vegetables, fruits and other spices, herbs but also meats and Lao delicacies. The walk through the market offers the chance for the kids to see a very different sort of market to the ones at home where they will find ants eggs, live rats, fermented fish sauces, banana flowers, chilies in many forms, dried riverweeds…
The market is near the National Museum, worth a short visit with the kids. The rest of the morning is best spent wandering around town which is quiet and totally charming. Let the kids wonder into one of the many temples if they are interested. Stop for a bite in one of the many lovely cafes on the main road. Try Arisai, a small and intimate restaurant on the main street of Luang Prabang Old quarter. |
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A fun thing to do with the kids in the afternoon is to visit Big Brother Mouse, an organization dedicated to bringing books to the people of Laos, and in particular to the children in small, remote villages. Big Brother Mouse is an organization that employs enthusiastic young Laotians as writers and artists, and publishes colorful books that make it fun and easy for Lao people to learn to read. A visit offers your kids the opportunity to meet the people writing and illustrating books.. If you speak English, you may help them to review their texts… you may then participate in a ‘book party’ where you offer some of the books you purchased to kids of a local school.
The rest of the day is at your leisure. We recommend dinner at “3 Nagas” restaurant. The terrace makes a nice setting to witness people walking by while sipping an aperitif and sampling local or more international specialties. Options for kids are available. |
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Day 3 |
Cruise up the Mekong destined for the Kwansi Waterfalls - with a stop to visit the Pottery Village, Ban Charn. The boat will dock at Ban Muang Khay, a traditional Lao village which features a beautiful old temple which you will walk through. At the waterfall you will enjoy a picnic arranged by Laos In Style. The waterfalls tumble over multi – tiered limestone formations into cool, clear pools ideal for swimming and relaxing. On route back to Luang Prabang stop at the village of Ban Xom, a lowland Lao village known for its cotton production. Stop at Ban Xang Khong village for the kids to see how traditional Sa paper is made.
We recommend dinner at Tamarind restaurant. There, you may sample delicious Lao-style feasts or barbecues, “tasting platters”, and other original drinks made from local ingredients. |
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Chapter2
The Kamu Tribe
Day 4 & 5
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| Today we travel deeper into the heart of Laos to spend a few |
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days with the kids in an eco-lodge approximately 2 hours upstream from Luang Pranag. On route we will visit the Pak Ou caves. The Pak Ou Caves or “Caves of a Thousand Buddha’s” contain some 4,000 wooden images of Buddha standing erect on different levels of rock.
The Lodge takes its name from the area's indigenous clan, the Kamu, whose traditions and customs are shared by guests. Accommodation consists of 20 canvas tents, each covered by a thatched roof. Each tent has a private bathroom attached with solar-powered warm water and electricity.
Children and adults invited to participate in the local culture. The kids will experience traditions and customs of life of the Kamu. Activities for kids include rice planting and harvesting, gold panning in the Mekong, walking into the surrounding forests in search of medicinal plants and trekking to waterfalls, learning about traditional fishing techniques in the river and visiting local villages.
Meals are served in raised thatched enclosures amidst the paddies, on floor mats and cushions gathered at low tables laid with banana leaves. Authentic Laos cuisine is served, and prepared with the freshest locally grown produce. |
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Day 6 |
| Return to Luang Prabang around midday, check into your hotel and in the afternoon why not pay a visit to The Children Cultural Centre. Opened on 15 January 1998 in a former government exhibition room, the Children’s Cultural Centre (CCC – located between the Hmong and Dara Markets) presents a wide range of extra-curricular cultural activities for children, including singing, dancing, music, games, weaving, embroidery, handicrafts, painting and drawing, spoken drama…etc |
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Chapter 3
The city of “sandal wood”.
Day 7
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Today we fly to Vientiane. Upon the arrival meet your local guide and transfer to your hotel.
In Vientiane we recommend a colonial style hotel built in 1932, a throwback to the era of Indochina with period furniture and landscaped gardens. Modern facilities such as wireless internet access and satellite television are available. The hotel rooms and suites are appointed with French colonial decor, four-poster beds and high ceilings.
Vientiane is one of the quietest capital in the world, far away from the usual bustle and hustle Asian capitals.
In the afternoon you may want to visit the Patuxay monument (the Lao Arc de Triomphe), also called Anousavari. The kids will enjoy the panoramic view from the roof top over the city.
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Days 8 & 9
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Today we explore Vientiane with the kids. Vientianne means the city of “sandal wood”.
Hop onto a tuk-tuk and visit Wat Sisaket, the only temple left intact after the Siamese invasion in 1828. One of the most beautiful temple of the capital with its thousands of miniature Buddha statues. Visit Wat Simuang, the most popular and venerated temple in Vientiane which is the guardian of the spirit of the city. Here you will find an angkorian pillar. It is said that one should circle around the pillar 3 times and make a wish.
Lunch at Mak Phet. Established by Friends International, Mak Phet is a charity-run restaurant aiming to train the area’s street children in the hospitality industry. Professional chefs from around the world have volunteered their time in developing the menus and training the staff. The food is excellent, and the staffs excel in bringing true Lao-hospitality in to their service.
One afternoon you might like to visit “Les Artisans Lao” and witness trainees at work transforming recycled and renewable materials into quality crafts such as notebooks, stationary, printer paper etc made processed from bamboo, palm, mulberry and pineapple leaves. Other carved wood materials and coconut based products are also encountered. Help promote poverty alleviation by supporting the creation of livelihood opportunities for disadvantaged groups in the production of contemporary handicraft designs using appropriate technology and recyclable materials. |
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Day 10 |
| The very adventurous might like to take the night train to Bangkok for their onward travel. |
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Ballpark Cost: |
| The price of this trip varies depending on the accomodation, the category of toom, the type of vehicle, whether the guide is english speaking or any other language. Send us a mail and we will send you a detailed quotation. |
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Information and bookings: |
travel@indochinainstyle.com
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