Pakse Exploration - 8 days

Day 1: Pakse Arrival
Arrive in Pakse, the gateway to southern Laos, check in hotel and take some time and explore the hidden treasures of Pakse. If you wander around a little, you’ll soon discover old French Colonial Buildings, a Vietnamese quarter, Buddhist and Chinese temples and an old Catholic church, or you can sit and have a freshly brewed Bolaven Coffee or Lao tea while watching people and life go by.
Meals: N/A
Accommodation: Hotel in Pakse

Day 2: Pakse city tour
After breakfast we enjoy a trip around this quaint town, starting with Vat Luang on the Xe Don riverbank near its confluence with the Mekong. Constructed in 1935, the temple features ornate décor, intricate murals, and a golden Buddha. Arrive at sunrise to witness Buddhist monks collecting alms. Next is the secluded Vat Sop Se Chinese Temple, which presents a rich collection of Chinese Buddhist artefacts with a detailed history of Chinese influence in Pakse. Leave temple for Dao Heuang Market, the largest in southern Laos, for a real local experience. You will find everything you need, as well as many other exotic and not so familiar products.
After lunch we head to the North to visit Ban Don Khor, located at the entrance to Vat Chompet, with its impressive 30-metre high Buddha, here you can observe stone carvers making traditional Buddha images. Our next stop is Weaving village of Ban Saphai, on the banks of the Mekong and the island just a short boat ride from the mainland, are known for their silk weaving and textiles. You can see women weaving in the craft center or, on Don Kho, in the shade of their wooden houses. Before going back to Pakse we take a visit to Phou Salao to capture the best view from the big golden Buddha watching over Pakse and the Mekong River. Back to Pakse and relax.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Pakse

Day 3: Pakse - Tree House
We arrive at Ban Nongluang after an hour drive from Pakse, stroll for a while through the village and chat with the people. The village guides who will accompany us for the next three days give important first safety instructions. We then hike through coffee plantations and vegetable gardens until wild semi-evergreen forest gradually takes over. The trail winds down for a while, sometimes quite steeply, passing ravines, beautiful waterfalls and flower-studded plateaus. Along the way, the guides explain the plants traditionally used in the village kitchen or as herbal medicine.
A breath-taking canopy walkway high in the trees and crossing a steep river valley is a first challenge. We pass the huge Tiger waterfall and reach the giant Kamet fall (name of a monkey), where the water plunges more than 100 m down into a relatively narrow, densely forested valley basin with waterfalls apparently everywhere. Here is where the zip-lines start and the real thrill takes its course. Brace yourself for an adventure of a lifetime!
We take our lunch in the wilderness, explore the forest secrets of the area and may take a cooling swim before mastering the unbelievable zip-lines. The cables crisscross the valley in front of the majestic water wall, stunningly high and us perfectly cooled by the spray of the water. Enjoy the sensation of being weightless and truly one with nature. Let your adrenaline rush come to a maximum.
After a day of great activity, we finally settle for the night in the wonderful camp with restaurant nearby. For dinner, local food and absolutely delicious barbecues are on the menu. Chatting and recollecting the gorgeous experiences of the day, or just relaxing and dreaming under the stars about the incredible wonders of life, we finally retire into our own tree house almost 10 m above ground. These houses designed in traditional style, made of wood, bamboo, and grass, can only be reached by a zip-line. Bathrooms near the restaurant offer hot and cold water. An instant cozy sleep shrouded by the fiddling sound of the forest crickets is guaranteed.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Tree house

Day 4: Trekking - Red Rock Steam - Tree House
We wake up amidst the warbling, piping, chirping, twittering of the innumerable birds in the dense canopy around us. A simple European-style breakfast prepares us for an easy 30-minute trek through great forest before reaching the first cable. Be ready for extended flights through the jungle with the longest zip-line of 400 m as a real highlight. Its speed, its felt infinity, the proximity to the usually invisible upper stratum of the forest is an amazing and unforgettable experience.
A picnic lunch is served in the best of nature. We return to the camp in the later afternoon by passing the 'Red Rock' stream, where we will have time for some rest and swimming before falling asleep in our tree house for another night.
Meals: Breakfast, Pinic lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Tree house

Day 5: Trekking – drive to Don Deang
After breakfast, we slowly trek uphill, then it gets a bit tough and jaw-dropping when the trail suddenly end at a steep rock wall, The trail ends at a steep rock wall that is only by climbed using a steel cable attached to the rock with iron bolts.
After reaching the summit, one of the highest peaks you are rewarded with a stunning vista of forests and water falls. On clear days you can even see into neighboring Thailand. After a mountain-top lunch, hike for about 90 minutes on an easy trail to Ban Nongluang. A car will be waiting to drive you to beautiful island of Don Deang for relax and enjoy laid-back atmosphere.
Meals: Breakfast and Picnic lunch
Accommodation: Tree house

Day 6: Don Deang - Wat Phou - Oum Mong - Tomo village - Don Khong
Today we head further to the south, on the way visit the unique templet of Khmer of Wat Phou which gained the UNESCO World Heritage reward in 2001. Next is the visit of Oum Muong, a small temple built in the 9th century in dedication to Rudani, a consort of Shiva. The Oum Muong ruins are a short walk through the jungle from Tomo, a small village on the east bank of the Mekong River. Arrive in Don Khong and free at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Don Khong

Day 7: 4000 island surrounding - Ban Nong Bueng wood carving village - Pakse
We enjoy a cruise venturing into the widest reach of the Mekong River from where thousands of islands jut out in dry season, giving this area a lovely name 'Si Phan Don' (Four Thousand Islands). Along the way, we’ll stop at the Liphi waterfalls and the fisherman village of Ban Khone. As the legend goes, the name Lii Phii was given to the area due to the fact that it was considered to be a giant fish trap (Lii) not only for fish, but also for ghosts and dead people (Phii). On return, we take a short drive to the Lao-Cambodia border at Weukham and the sight of Khone Phapheng, considered as the jewel or the pearl of the Mekong, as it is Southeast Asia’s largest waterfall. On the way back to Pakse we stop to visit Ban Nong Bueng woodcarving village. The traditional wood carving techniques used here originate from the Ta Oy ethnic group that used to live in the highlands of Southern Laos. Their products are all handmade, you are more than welcome to visit the village and meet the artisans while they work. Feel free to look at the wood carvings and you may want to buy some souvenirs!
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Pakse

Day 8: Pakse departue
Have breakfast at the hotel then we drive to the airport for departure flight.
Meal: Breakfast.

Have a good journey & See you again!

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