ADVENTURE IN VIENTIANE AND CHAMPASSAK PROVINCE

Upon your arrival in Vientiane (by land or air), you shall be met by a staff member of Green Discovery and taken via private minivan to your hotel.
The remainder of the day is left free for you to relax and acclimatize or explore the small but fast growing capital of Laos by yourselves as you please.

In a air conditionned minivan or with a Local Tuk Tuk, this city guided tour takes you to the main attractions in Vientiane.
Vientiane (Viengchang) is an ancient city, situated on the bend on the left bank of the Mekong and the largest city, capital of Laos. You will be transported and guided to all main attractions of the city. Vat Prakeo, Vat Sisaketh, Pathouxai, That Luang…and explore the very extravagant Buddha Park!.

The National Protected Area of Phou Khao Khouay is the nearest National Park to Vientiane, just over an hour away. Besides some great scenery and beautiful waterfalls, the NPA offers trails through dry evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, numerous waterfalls and rivers. Wildlife is abundant but elusive. Tropical butterflies and orchids line the way through forests that are home to rare large mammals such as sun bears, tigers and elephants. The friendly Ban Hatkhai village is a good place to learn more about the genuine lifestyle of the lowland Lao. Today marks the first day of your incredible adventure through Laos, Make sure you take full advantage of your hotel’s breakfast as you will need plenty of energy for this day ahead! We will be transferred at 8 from Vientiane to Ban Hatkhai, where we start cycling to Tad Xay Waterfall. The ride offers some great views over Nam Mang and Mekong Rivers. We stop cycling for a picnic lunch at Tad Xai before it gets too hot, after which we have time for swimming in this majestic waterfall to freshen up and enjoy its gentle breeze. We continue onward trekking under an evergreen canopy, accompanied by bird songs and other mysterious sounds of the forest.

Two hours relaxing trek through the forest takes us to Nam Mang, where we jump on Kayaks for an early evening paddling trip downstream back to Ban Hatkai. We will stay overnight in this remote place in the midst of the forest, where a family of the village will warmly welcome us in their home, after cooking a traditional lao dinner for us.

Approximately: 2 ½ hours transfer/ 2 hours cycling/ 2 hours trekking/ 2 hours kayaking
We spend the night at Ban Hatkhai (home-stay).

After an early breakfast, we cycle to the Tad Leuk Waterfall. The Tad Leuk is a local tourist attraction amidst mixed deciduous forest. A permanent exhibit at the Visitor Center gives some good information on the specific flora and fauna of the NPA. The Tad Leuk Nature Trail points out some interesting botanic details. We will have lunch at Tad Leuk. In the afternoon, the trek follows a path along the Nam Leuk to the Tad Sang waterfall, another idyllic place for bathing and relaxation. Along the way, a large number of orchids can be seen, especially in wet season. We shall hike back from this waterfall to Tad Leuk and return to Vientiane by songthaew. (Approximately: 2 ½ hours transfer/ 1 ½ hours cycling/ 4 hours trekking.)

Back in Vientiane, you have time to go for dinner before the transfer to the Southern Bus station, from where the bus to Pakse leaves at 8 pm.

You arrival in Pakse around 6 am in the morning marks the beginning of a once in a life time experience on top of the trees which you can be sure to remember forever!

You will start the day with a good breakfast before we head to our Green Discovery Office in Pakse to start the Tree Top Explorer tour. We arrive in Ban Nongluang after a 1 hour drive. You may want to stroll through the village and chat with the people. The lack of English skills is massively outweighed by their friendliness. Here, you also be met by the village guides who will accompany you for the next three days in the jungle. They first of all give you important safety instructions. We then hike through coffee plantations and small vegetable gardens until wild semi-evergreen forest gradually takes over. The trail winds down for a while, at some stretches quite steeply, passing ravines with beautiful waterfalls and crossing flower-studded plateaus. Along the way, the guides explain the plants traditionally used in the village kitchen or as herbal medicine.

The first challenge is a breath-taking canopy walkway in the heights of the trees and across a steep river valley. The trek continues by passing the huge Tad Seua (‘Tiger’ waterfall) and leading soon after to the giant ‘Kamet’ fall (name of a monkey), where the water plunges more than 100 m down into the valley. It is a relatively narrow, densely forested basin, with waterfalls seemingly everywhere. Here the zip-lines start and the real thrill is taking its course. Brace yourself for an adventure of a lifetime! Depending on the time, you may immediately prove your boldness by taking on the ‘introductory’, smaller cables. Or take a rest first on one of the platforms high up in the trees.

You are invited for a comfortable lunch in the wilderness and/or may go down to explore the secrets of the area or take a cooling swim – if the temptation to master the unbelievable zip-lines right away is not stronger. The cables crisscross the valley in front of the majestic waterfall, letting you feel the stunning height and the cold spray of the water. Enjoy the sensation of being weightless and one with nature. Let your adrenaline rush come to a maximum. It’s joy, sheer joy!

After a day of great activity, we finally settle for the night in the picturesque tree house camp. For dinner, local food and absolutely delicious barbecues are on the unwritten menu. Chatting and recollecting the gorgeous experiences, or just relaxing under the stars and dreaming about the wonders of life, we finally retire into our own tree house almost 10 m above ground. These traditional houses, made of wood, bamboo and grass, can only be reached by a (short) zip-line. Bathrooms near the restaurant offer a refreshing shower even with hot water if you want, environment-friendly generated by tiny hydro-electric devices. With no doubt, you’ll instantly fall into a cozy sleep shrouded by the fiddling sound of the forest crickets.

Recharged and fresh for the adventures of the breaking day, we wake up amidst the warbling, piping, chirping, and twittering of innumerable birds in the dense canopy around us. A simple but energizing European-style breakfast prepares us for an easy 30-minute trek through great forest before reaching the first cable. Today, be ready for extended flights through the jungle! The longest cable (450 m!) is the highlight of the day. Its speed, its felling of infinity, the proximity to the usually invisible upper stratum of the forest all contributes to make it an amazing and unforgettable experience.

We then walk up to Taket waterfall, the most beautiful fall in the area, particularly during the rainy season. A picnic lunch is served here. Before returning to the camp in the later afternoon, we pass the ‘red rock’ stream (Houay Hin Daeng), this time on a 350 m zip-line. Here we will have some time for a rest and for swimming. As a great extra, the daring of us may spend the time to climb up the cliff (on iron bolts or a ‘via ferrata’; similar to ‘Day 3’) and get down again by abseiling/canyoning. An option, but an absolutely stunning affair!

Once back in the camp, we’ll enjoy a deserved dinner as on the first day before falling asleep in our tree house.

It’s another day of excitement and more challenges ahead, but also a day of saying goodbye. After breakfast, we slowly trek uphill, passing a section of forest where gigantic trees dominate, obviously not yet spotted by illegal loggers as their odd object of desire. The zip-line project surely contributes to the rescue of these giants from being felled, keeping them alive for the generations to come.

Then it gets a bit tough and jaw-dropping when the trail suddenly “ends” at a steep rock wall. The way is now narrowing into a ‘via ferrata’, where iron U-bolts are fixed and glued into the rock. Yes, glued, but rock-solid! We have to overcome this obstacle (and maybe our initial fears) via these bolts in order to get to the other side. There is no other way around. But don’t worry, you’re not alone. It’s all safe as well, secured by modern gear like harness and separate safety line. And it is not really long, just thrilling. Latch your karabiner step by step onto the bolts and soon it’s done.

Upon reaching the top of the mountain, one of the highest peaks in the area, an open, almost vegetation-free plateau affords once more – and for the last time – stunning views of three waterfalls and vistas over the Mekong deep into neighboring Thailand. We’ll have our well-deserved lunch here before hiking for 1½ hours, this time without much effort, back to Ban Nongluang, where a car is waiting for bringing us to Pakse. We arrive back in Pakse around 5 pm. Now you have time for dinner before transfer to the bus station for the night bus to Vientiane.

In the morning you arrive in Vientiane around 6.30 am at the Northern bus station ( make your own arrange for next destination).

After short transfer to the boat pier and get on a long-tail boat downstream to Champassak. On the way, we stop to visit Wat Phou Ngoy overlooking the Mekong. Thereafter, float down the Mekong to see local fishermen’s life. Lunch at Champassak. After lunch, we visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wat Phou. This place has been associated with the city of Shrestapura, which was located on the banks of the Mekong directly east of mount Lingaparvata (now called Phu Kao).

After an early breakfast we take the boat to the other side of the Mekong River to Ban Mouang where we will meet our transport to take us on a 2 hours drive to Ban Hat Xay Khoun. Then we take the boat through the famous 4000 Islands, where many shore birds abound in search for fish, crustaceans, worms and other food. While stopping at one of the many beaches, we take a break for lunch, swimming or fishing. Continue to Don Khone to check in at the guesthouse and relax by enjoying a cold drink. Test the fresh coconut milk on the island, you will like it! Early afternoon, we will excursion by cycling around the islands to visit the old colonial French bridge, the Liphi (Somphamit) waterfall, and to catch a beautiful sunset before dinner.

After breakfast we take a short 25 minute boat ride to Nakasang and from here take a minibus to Veunkham where we board a boat for the one hour journey to an area where Irrawaddy dolphins can be spotted! We spend around two hours here watching for the dolphins before heading back to the town of Veunkham. Arriving back to shore we take a 40 minute minubus ride to visit Khone Pheng waterfall which is the largest in the whole of South East Asia! We enjoy lunch here at the waterfall whilst taking in the stunning views of the fall, after this we begin our return to Pakse or alternatively you can continue onwards to the Cambodian border at Veunkham.

Time on your leisure until transfer to airport for your departure flight.