Impressions of Laos 2019

27 November to 10 December 2019 14 days

From £1995 pp excl. flights, based on Room share basis

Optional single supplement: £400

Better Travel Photography Photo tours with Steve Davey www.BetterTravelPhotography.com/laos

The land arrangements for Impressions of Laos are subcontracted to Intrepid Travel who will use their extensive knowledge from over twenty years in the travel industry to make sure that you have the best travel experience, and to work in a way which will be the most beneficial for the countries we travel in.

Our arrangements are now handled by the Intrepid Travel UK Private Groups office, which opens up a range of payment options and also means that your trip can now be protected by the UK travel industry protection. It also means that we can draw on the experience and contacts of other companies in the Intrepid Group. Intrepid in the UK can accept payments by bank transfer, cheque, debit card as well as Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

Intrepid are also able to book flights for you, which will mean that your entire trip can be covered by their full ATOL protection (for any flight/trip combination that starts and finishes in the UK). The flight price that they quote you will include their booking fee. As you are booking with the UK office, your booking will be covered by the UK booking conditions.

Intrepid Travel were formed over twenty years ago in Australia, and have been running excellent small group adventures ever since.

Intrepid's Core Purpose Intrepid's core purpose is to enrich peoples lives by creating unique, interactive travel experiences. They provide fun, affordable and sustainable travel adventures that are beneficial to local communities.

Home From Home Where you stay is all part of your Intrepid experience. Whether it's a centrallylocated city hotel, or a homestay in a tribal village, staying close to a region's people and culture is the guiding principle. Our choices are based on friendliness as well as facilities, character as much as convenience.

Small Groups Travelling in a small group makes it more like travelling with friends than on an organised tour. It means you get to experience more of the local culture, and we don't dominate; we can actually get to know people and do the things they do.

Experienced leaders Intrepid have some of the best leaders in the business: well trained locals who act as ambassadors between you and the place you are travelling in. This means that you can get the most from the country and the people you meet.

Please remember though, these tours are based on an Intrepid trip, but are a completely separate product. They don't appear on the Intrepid website, and you should address any questions through Steve on [email protected]

Impressions of Laos 2019 Impressions of Laos 2019

Highlights of this trip • Historic Luang Prabang • Haunting Plain of Jars

• Vang Vieng scenary • Champasak ruins • Si Phan Don waterfalls • Mekong river boat • Photography tuition

I love Laos. I spent months here some twenty years ago, when it was just opening up as a travel destination following its isolation following its bitter war history. Famously, the most bombed country in the World, in those days, the only way to travel in the North of the country was on a series of large and small river boats!

Laos has changed over the past few years, but it is still one of the most undeveloped and laidback countries in the region: the national currency is not called the kip for nothing! The national religion of Buddhism is practiced with a great deal of devotion, but in a typically relaxed way. Laos is one of the best places in Asia to witness the incredible morning ritual of monks on their morning alms round. In Luang Prabang you can see literally hundreds in long, silent lines.

This comprehensive trip takes in many of the highlights of this country, including the lesser visit places of the Plain of Jars, Si Phan Do in the South and the ruins of Champasak, along with the more visited Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng.

The trip will include extensive photography tuition from professional travel photographer, Steve Davey, countless photo opportunities and the company of fellow photography enthusiasts.

This trip starts in the legendary city of Luang Prabang. Although we have three nights here, I would recommend arriving a few days early if at all possible. Luang Prabang is one of the iconic travellers towns: not only is it beautiful and seemingly stacked with ornate Buddhist Wats or monasteries, but you will be able to witness one of the most spellbing rituals in Asia. Every morning literally hundreds of Buddhist monks head out in the predawn gloom collecting alms in socalled begging bowls. We also take in many of the other highlights of Luang Prabang, including the Kuang Si waterfall and also the Pak Ou caves, which are full of retired Buddha statues and icons.

From Luang Prabang, we drive across stunning mountain scenery to get to Phonsavan the home of the Plain of Jars. Here you will find a mass of enigmatic ancient stone jars littering a number of atmospheric plains.

© Better Travel Photography | www.bettertravelphotography.com 2019 These region of the country was one of the most bombed areas in the World during the war in Indochina, and you can still find war remnants pressed into everyday use. We will also be able to find a number of different hilltribe minorities in this region.

From Phonsavan we head south to the stunnign limestone scenery at the riverside town of Vang Vieng, before continuing on to the capital Vientiane.

Although Vientiane has developed since I was first there, it still retains plenty of its laidback charm. It is still one of the most relaxed capital cities in the World, and home to a number of beautiful and historic Buddhist Wats.

To save time, we catch an internal flight down to the Southern city of Pakse. From here, we explore the waterfalls and coffee plantations of the Bolaven Plateau, and the ancient Khmer ruins of Wat Phu Champasak.

Constructed by the same civilisation who created the now ruined city of Angkor Wat, at a time when their empire stretched over much of the region. The ruins are built into a large hill, and incorporate a holy spring.

In the very South of the country, the Mekong River splits into a delta before crossing into Cambodia. This region is known as Si Phan Don, or 4000 islands. We will spend time here exploring and photographing some of the many waterfalls, before returning to Pakse ready for our onward travel.

This itinerary includes a domestic flight from Vientiane to Pakse. The quoted trip price includes the prevailing domestic flight cost of £110. If this price changes a supplement may be payable, and will be notified at the time of booking.

We will need to manage the bookings so that no one is in a single room, without paying the single supplement. If you are a solo traveller then every effort will be made to ensure there is someone for you to share with. This has usually always been possible, but if you are flexible about the choice of accommodation when booking, it will give you more chance to secure a place.

Impressions of Laos 2019 Impressions of Laos itinerary

Day 1: Luang Prabang Sabaidee! Welcome to Luang Prabang.

Once the heart and soul of the ancient Lao Kingdom (Lan Xang) and designated a World Heritage site in 1995, Luang Prabang is endowed with a legacy of historic redroofed temples and FrenchIndochinese architecture, not to mention some of the country's most refined cuisine, a multiethnic population and rich culture.

There are many sights to see in and around Luang Prabang, or it is simply a fantastic place to wander around. We will start our adventure with a group meeting before we all head out for an optional meal.

Accommodation: Parasol Blanc (Classic room) or similar

Day 2: Luang Prabang All over South East Asia, Buddhist monks head out before dawn to collect alms of food from the faithful. Laos is the best place to see this in the World, and in Luang Prabang you will see lines of one hundred or more orangerobed monks walking silently in bare feet each carrying a metal monk's bowl.

This morning we will get up early up in the misty dawn to photograph the monks on their daily outing collecting alms, a practice that dates back centuries. The people of the town wait out the front of their houses with food for the monks to collect and take back to the temple. It is done early, as the monks cannot eat anything after midday. By giving food to a monk you ‘het bon’ or make merit.

Next we will head to the beautiful Kuang Si Falls, a picturesque, multilevel cascade that offers fantastically blue pools. In the early morning there will be fewer people here, and although the falls will be in shadow, this can be much better for those classic long exposure pictures that result in a misty blurred effect on the water. Apart for the crowds later in the day, parts of the falls will be in direct sunlight giving excessive contrast.

In the afternoon we will explore the town itelf, visiting Wat Xieng Thong, the most enchanting of Laos’ monasteries. Inside you'll find monks eager to practice their English with you. Continue to Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham temple meaning ‘new temple’ used

In the late afternoon you can either climb to the top of Mount Phousi in the centre of town to see the sunset, or shoot down by the river.

Included activities: • Monk alms giving • Kuang Si Water Falls • Wat Xieng Thong Temple • Phousi mount • King's Palace

Accommodation: Parasol Blanc (Classic room) or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 3: Luang Prabang If you are feeling keen, you will have the option of getting up again to see the monks on their morning alms round, or head to the morning maket to photograph the lively sellers of fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs. After breakfast we will take a boat along the Mekong River to visit the Pak Ou and Thamting caves and Ban Sang Hai Village.

An important religious site overlooking the river at the junction of the Mekong and Ou Rivers, the revered Pak Ou Caves consist of two sacred limestone caverns filled with Buddha images of all styles and sizes, brought by devoted villagers over the centuries. The lower cave, known as Tham Ting, is entered from the river by a series of steps and can easily be seen in daylight. The higher cave, Tham Phum, is deeper and requires a torch for viewing.

Impressions of Laos 2019 After the spiritual pursuit of visiting a religious cave, we will reenter the profane world with a visit to Ban Sang Hai Village, known as the Whiskey village. Here you can see the process of making laoLao, the country’s beloved rice whiskey, second only to BeerLao in popularity.

The afternoon will be free to explore this fascinating town. This might include a ferry visit to the far bank of the river where life seems unchanged for generations, or taking in more of the many beautiful Wats.

Included Activities: • Boat trip to Pak Ou Cave and Thamting • Ban Sang Hai Village

Accommodation: Parasol Blanc (Classic room) or similar

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 4: Phonsavan After breakfast you’ll check out and transfer from Luang Prabang to Xiangkhoang (Phonsavan) (approximately 6 hrs). This is a long journey, but passes through stunning scenery. We will also pass a number of hilltribe villages that often straddle the high mountain ridges. We also pass through the town of Phou Khoun that has a busy hilltribe market.

Phonsavan is the provincial capital of Xieng Khouang Province. It was built in the late 1970s and replaced the old Xieng Khouang which had been destroyed during the Second Indochina War. The bestknown tourist attraction is the nearby Plain of Jars, which is to be nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status. Today you will have a chance to visit villages from the Hmong and Yao hilltribe minorities.

Included Activities: • Visit Hmong, Yao villages

Accommodation: Anoulack Khen Lao Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5: Phonsavan Today we will visit the famous Plain of Jars, a vast area extending around Phonsavanh from the southwest to the northeast. Mysterious and

© Better Travel Photography | www.bettertravelphotography.com 2019 ancient, over 300 huge stone jars apparently carved out of solid rock are scattered around the plateau. The jars vary in size from 1 to 3.25 metres and weigh up to six tons each.

There are several different theories as to the purpose of the jars, which are estimated to be 2,500 to 3,000 years old. According to local legend, King Khun Chuang had them constructed to store wine for the celebration of his conquest of the province in the 6th century.

Today's tour will focus on Sites I and II, out of the many sites so far discovered. Afterwards continue to Muang Khoun, an ancient capital and stronghold for the Xieng Khuang royal family which was destroyed during the Indochina War. The town was rebuilt after 1975 with rows of wooden Lao houses and a market area and is surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery.

Included Activities: • Plain of Jars excursion (Sites 1 and 2) and Muang Khoun.

Accommodation: Anoulack Khen Lao Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 6: Vang Vieng Today we will travel to Vang Viang (approximately 67 hrs). Again, it is a long journey, but through stunning scenery. We will be in a private vehicle so we will be able to stop for any photo opportunities. Previously this has included villages, people working in fields and various breath taking views.

Vang Vieng is a riverside town in Central Laos. The town has been known as a party destination for years, and whilst this remains more outdoororiented activities are now available such as

Impressions of Laos 2019 mountain biking, trekking, kayaking, caving, swimming and rock climbing.

Our hotel overlooks the river, and so we will be in the perfect position to photograph the sunset! The sun sets behind the rocks, silhouetting them, but if you get up early in the morning you will capture completely different views.

Accommodation: Silver Naga Hotel (Deluxe Room) or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7: Vang Vieng Vang Vieng is nestled amidst stunning limestone karst rock formations. A popular excursion here is to ride up in a balloon at either sunrise or sunset. If you are lucky the balloon will make the perfect platform for a spot of sunrise photography.

Most of today is free, so you will have time to try some of the avtivities here, or simply walk or bicycle out into the countryside. This could also be a good time to carry out a bit of post processing ready for a review of work in the evening. In the late afternoon we will head out to

visit one of the local caves, and then try to find a good spot to photograph the sunset.

Included Activities: • Cave visit

Accommodation: Silver Naga Hotel (Deluxe Room) or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 8: Vientiane This morning we transfer to Vientiane (34 hrs approximately). Again, we will be in a private vehicle and will be able to stop for any photo opportunities.

Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos, on the banks of the Mekong River near the border with Thailand. There are beautiful sunsets down by the river, and although it has developed over the years, since the first time I visited over twenty years ago, it is still one of the most relaxed and laidback capital cities you will ever visit.

Accommodation: Mali Namphu Boutique Hotel – or similar

Meals included: Breakfast © Better Travel Photography | www.bettertravelphotography.com 2019 Day 9: Vientiane Vientiane, the city of gold and green. With its lush parks and spectacular gilded shrines, temples and statues, the capital of Laos is a relatively calm and agreeable city.

Get ready for a full day of spiritual and significant sightseeing in this chilledout city. The scarlet and gold pillars and awning of Wat Hor Pra Kaeo are up first, followed by Wat Si Saket, one of the oldest temples in the city. Next, visit the grand stone archway of Pratu Xai, a war monument dedicated to those who fought for independence from French colonial rule. The crowningjewel of Vientiane’s monuments is Pha That Luang, a shining Buddhist stupa that sits on ground considered holy for thousands of years. After spending some time admiring this Laotian icon, take a visit to COPE – an organisation that crafts and supplies prosthetics and orthotics free of charge. Spend a time in town, perhaps ask your leader where you’ll have the best chance of finding a khao jee (a baguette with salad, meat and pate).

In the evening, many locals gather down by the Mekong to watch the sunrise with a local BeerLao, before heading to one of the many excellent quality restaurants.

Included Activities: • COPE • Wat Sri Saket • Wat That Luang • Wat Hor Pra Keo • Pratu Xai (Anousavary)

Accommodation: Mali Namphu Boutique Hotel – or similar

Meals included: Breakfast Impressions of Laos 2019 Day 10: Vientiane to Pakse Monks head out collecting alms all over Laos, and the ritual in Vientiane seems all the more incongruous in a relatively modern capital city. It is worth getting up early at least once during your time in Vientiane.

Enjoy breakfast before transferring to the airport for your flight to Pakse. Upon arrival in Pakse transfer to your hotel.

Pakse located on the edge of the Mekong River, Pakse is a frontier town and a crossroad for trade between Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.

On arrival, we will head to discover a few of the impressive waterfalls on the fertile Bolaven Plateau – Laos’ premier coffeegrowing region. During colonial times the Bolaven Plateau was populated by French settlers who were attracted to the cooler climate and fertile soils which created ideal coffeegrowing conditions. Today, Lao coffee beans fetch some of the highest prices in the world, and are a source of income for the hilltribes living on the plateau. We will visit a smallscale Fair Trade organic coffee farm to sample a freshly brewed Arabica and Robusta coffee. Situated in a forestsetting, Tad Lo Lodge is nestled next to big and small stream waterfall along the route.

Included Activities: • Bolaven Plateau • Visit to coffee plantation

Accommodation: Champasak Palace hotel (Standard Room) – or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 11: Si Phan Don From Pakse we take a short drive to Wat Phou temple, one of ruined Khmer Hindu Temple complex in Southern Laos. This was once a part of the Khmer civilisation, that was centred on Angkor Wat, and like these temples it was originally was dedicated to Hinduism, before being taken over by the Buddhist religion. Built into the side of a mountain, the temple was otiginally dedicated to Shiva, while the water from the spring directly behind the temple was considered sacred. A series of steep steps lead up to the upper sanctuary and spring, which often attract many pilgrims. Leading up to this staircase is a wide, pillared causeway, which features a number of stone buildings and a couple of large artificial lakes, much like the temple of Angkor in nearby Cambodia. © Better Travel Photography | www.bettertravelphotography.com 2019 After visiting Wat Phou, we continue on by road to Don Khong, the main island of the area known as Si Phan Don (4000 Islands). This sprawling riverine archipelago offers many shots of traditional life, fishing and of course, shots of the waterfalls.

When the French colonised Indochina, they had high hopes of being able to navigate the entire length of the Mekong, but this dream was dashed by the many islands, rapids and waterfalls of Si Phan Don. To get around this, they built a railway to bypass the Khone Phapheng Falls, with a loading jetty at each end. You can still see the remnants of this railway spanning some of the islands.

The people here have a lot in common with their neighbours across the border in Cambodia, and the climate is predominantly hot and dry compared to the cooler altitudes in the North.

Included Activities: • Wat Phou Temple entrance

Accommodation: Villa Muong Khong – or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 12: Khone Island It is worth an early start again today to see monks on their morning alms round. There are far fewer monks than in manyh of the Northern cities, but the rural location leads to very atmospheric shots.

Impressions of Laos 2019 Today we will be exploring Si Phan Don by boat visiting Ban Khone Village which located in Don Khon Island area and known as fisherman’s village. You will see local life of Laos people here lining with the river. After that take a short drive to Liphi waterfall, one of the highlights of Si Phan Don.

In the evening, we will head out to try to see some of the very rare Mekong River Dolphin. Although the locals believe that these are the spirits of the dead, and traditionally don't try to harm them, there are only a few in this area and we will be lucky to spot them. It is worth a try though, not least as we should also be rewarded by some great sunset shots on the river.

Included Activities: • Si Phan Don boat excursion • Ban Khone visit • Liphi waterfall • Boat service to look for dolphin

Accommodation: Villa Muong Khong – or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 13: Khone Phapeng waterfall Pakse Today we travel to Khone phapheng Falls, the largest waterfalls in Southeast Asia in terms of water volume. Many people called this waterfall as Niagara of Asia, which is somewhat of an exagerratuion, although you will see photographs of the falls on posters all over the country. The local fishermen put bamboo fish traps in the water and you will often see them casting nets into the boiling water of the falls. Predictably, this is a good

© Better Travel Photography | www.bettertravelphotography.com 2019 place to try to shoot blurred water photographs, although to do this you will need a filter to cut down the light. Steve can advise on this before departure if you are interested, and will hold a short workshop instructing how to shoot long exposure waterfall shots at the fall.

Once we have finished our waterfall photography, we will transfer back to Pakse for your departure flight tomorrow. There should be time to explore some of the highlights of Pakse. This evening, we will enjoy an (optional) farewell dinner and review of your best shots from the trip.

Included Activities • Khone Phapeng waterfall

Accommodation: Champasak Palace hotel (Standard Room) – or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 14: Departure Day There are no activities planned for the final day and you are able to depart the accommodation at any time. Hotel check out time at 12:00 noon

Meals included: Breakfast

To keep the trip cost as low as possible, we will need to manage the bookings so that no one is left with a single room, without paying the single supplement. If you are a solo traveller then every effort will be made to ensure that there is someone for you to share with. This has usually always been possible, but if you are flexible about the choice of accommodation when filling out the booking form, then that will give you more chance to secure a place.

Most of the official sites in Laos have limited opening hours, and will often only open at 8am which is obviously not very good for sunrise! We will try to get around this wherever possible, but we are unable to guarantee anything. Sometimes when we make an early start it will involve leaving our accommodation before breakfast is served. In this case we will have to make our own arrangements. Impressions of Laos 2019 © Better Travel Photography | www.bettertravelphotography.com 2019 what is covered on this trip?

As well as enjoying the stunning country of Laos, you will learn a massive amount about photography and many of the techniques used by a professional travel photographer. Steve's tours generally cover a wide range of technical and practical techniques for improving your travel photography. This is done with a combination of practical group and individual demonstrations, illustrated talks on aspects of travel photography and group reviews and discussions.

We have recently completely revitalised our teaching schedules on our trips: we will be setting a lot more projects for people to work towards, and also holding more personal image reviews. Steve tailors the subjects covered on the tours depending on the level of knowledge of people on the tour, individual requirements and the nature of the itinerary. Always very approachable, Steve is always willing to give individual help, look at pictures or enter into a spirited discussion about just about everything.

Introduction to tour and travel photography. Shooting at night: Night photography, Using flash Advanced DSLR techniques: Benefits of shooting RAW, achieving sharp pictures and Other techniques: Panoramas and post focus, White balance, Panning, Exposure & production, Shooting waterfalls to show blur Histograms, ISO and Sensitivity, Choosing between Aperture and Shutter Speed, Post production: Backing up strategies, Digital Asset Management, Sample digital Telling a story with composition: Combining workflow, Simple RAW processing objects, Viewpoint, angle and lens choice If there is anything else that you would like Composition for Balance and Aesthetics: covered on the trip, then please ask at any Rules of composition, Compositional devices time. Steve is always happy to include anything in the trip tuition. Our schedule is flexible, and will be responsive to the needs Shooting Travel Portraits: Approaching and interests of the group. If there is people, Candid photography, Creative anything else that you would like covered on portraits, Fillin flash the trip, then please ask at any time. Steve is Travelling with your camera: Cleaning your always happy to include anything in the trip tuition. gear, Backingup, Safety and security

Impressions of Laos 2019 who is this tour suited to?

Our photo tours cater for a wide spectrum of people at a range of different levels of photography. Steve's skill in explaining things, patience and tireless energy mean that he is able to pitch talks and individual tuition so that they are relevant for a range of different abilities. These tours are primarily aimed at people who have at least a basic knowledge of their cameras and are keen to develop their skills further.

The people who get the most from a trip like this are those who are aware of the areas that they want to develop. It might sound obvious, but if you know your own shortcomings then you are better able to tackle them!

If you have a greater knowledge, then Steve will be able to fill in a lot of the theories behind things that you might have already thought that you knew, which will help make decisions more instinctive and more confident. He will also be able to help you to take your photography forward to the next stage and can teach you a number of advanced techniques and theories.

If you are an absolute beginner, then these tours will still teach you a vast amount about photography. A large part of photography is artistic and not technical. Selecting viewpoints and angles, composition and especially approaching people to take their picture are as vital as apertures and shutter speeds. Allied to this Steve will explain all of the technical aspects that you need to know as they relate to you and your camera.

You will get more out of these tours if you have a basic familiarity with your camera. If it is new, and out of the box then you might spend a great deal of time thumbing through the manual, and not learning about photography. I should also point out that whilst Steve has a lot of experience with different cameras, he doesn't know everything about all of them! If you are not familiar with your camera, then you should definitely bring the manual with you! Between us, we should then be able to sort out most things!

Travel in Laos This trip will require a good level of fitness. We will need to be doing a moderate amount of walking, and although we have opted to trave in the cooler, drier months this part of the world can be both hot and humid.

There are some long journeys on this trip, and some of the road conditions will be rough. The reward will be passing through some stunning scenery and also reaching some incredible and rather remote places.

Culturally, Laos is a very easy country to visit. The people are very relaxed, there is very little hassle and they are very unlikely to show any offence. This means that it is vital that you set your own boundaries and make sure not to do anything that will offend them. In Laos, this includes paying due respect for Buddhism and women especially should not touch monks. We will have an experienced Intrepid Travel local leader with us, who will give you advice on how not to cause offence: if you are the sort of person who is likely to ignore this for your own ego, or for imagined political reasons, then please do not book this trip.

For more information, please contact us and we will help you to assess if this adventurous trip is for you.

© Better Travel Photography | www.bettertravelphotography.com 2019 Group tours and personalities It is important to remember that whilst photography does need patience and sometimes you need to wait for a picture; this is a group tour. There will be a lot of time for you to go off on your own, but there will also be times where we have to meet at a certain time, or during a journey need to maintain our pace. If the group dynamic is not really for you and you have the opinion that everyone else can just wait for you if you are taking a picture, wandering off or shopping, then these (or any group tours) probably aren't for you!

Similarly, if you are the sort of person who gets offended or irritated by other people easily, and just "have to speak your mind" about it, then maybe any group trip is not for you. These trips work better if everyone is prepared to work together as a team, and help each other. We will all have a better time, and come away with better pictures and better memories.

Nonphotographing partners We are often asked about nonphotographing partners coming on our trips, and he always say that they are more than welcome as long as they are not photographerphobic! We believe that travel photography is a great way to engage with a place and the people who live there. Because we are photographers we will see more sunrises, talk to more locals, try more foods and visit more markets than ordinary trips. This means that nonphotographers can engage with us and some even go away with a new interest in photography. We are also about having a good time too we are mindful that this is a holiday as well as a photography tour so we aim to have lively meals, a lot of laughs and the odd drink or two. As someone recently stated abut our tours:

"Your love of photography and travel is infectious and I can honestly say I have never laughed or learnt so much on a holiday before!"

If Steve had to have a mission statement for these tours, then this is it!

Included in the trip price Impressions • 13 nights Hotel accommodation • 13 breakfasts; 1 lunch • All transport as per itinerary of Laos 2019 • Vientiane to Pakse flight • Kuang Si Waterfall entrance 27 November to • Wat Xieng Thong Temple • Luang Prabang King's Palace 10 December 2019 • Boat trip to Pak Ou Cave 14 days • Plain of Jars excursion • Vientiane temple visits From £1995 pp • Wat Phu Temple Champasak excl. flights, based on Room share basis • Bolaven Plateau plantation • Ban Khone Village boat trip • Si Phan Don waterfalls Optional single supplement: £400 • Mekong dolphin excursion • Entrance fees as per itinerary • Pretrip Facebook group to meet other group members To book your place on this tour, and see the full • Experienced Local leader booking conditions, head to: • Expert photographic tuition www.BetterTravelPhotography.com/laos

Impressions of Laos 2019