A region endowed with immense natural beauty and an ancient past, Luang Prabang is best seen through a local's eyes. Interested in exploring this area? Then we have the perfect tour for you.
Meet your tour guide at our sales office early in the morning for a forty-minute drive to Pak Ou Village where you are free to explore the many crafts that the locals make before crossing the mighty Mekong River by a small boat to the base of a limestone cliff, the site of the Pak Ou Caves. Take your time to explore the impressive lower grottos filled with Buddhist statues and scented with burning incense. Grab a flashlight and head up through a winding series of stairs to find another fascinating and easily navigable cave filled with ancient Buddhist relics.
Enjoy your lunch before crossing the Mekong again by boat and continue with a drive downriver for one and a half hours to the famous Kuang Si Waterfall. On the way, we’ll stop to see the popular Whiskey Village where you have the option to sample the locally made Lao Lao.
The jungle around the waterfall remains lush and beautiful year-round. The waterfall cycles between placid, turquoise waters during the dry season to impressive, roaring falls during the rainy season. Either way, you’re in for a refreshing and beautiful nature experience. Integrated into the landscape is an Asiatic bear sanctuary where you can see these beautiful creatures up close and support efforts to care for the animals in the area.
We’ll end this full-day trip with a return drive to Luang Prabang late in the afternoon.
Please note that the stairs in the lower Pak Ou Cave are short but steep. Access to the upper cave is via a fairly long series of stairs and can be taken at your own pace.
The Pak Ou Cave and Kuang Si Waterfall lie to the north and south of Luang Prabang city, respectively. This tour will take you to both these highlights, with a scenic drive up and down the length of the Mekong River between.