Along The Mekong - Southern Laos to Siem Reap

📍 Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport – Furama Silom Bangkok (39.1 km): approx. 44 min – 1 hr

Depart from the hotel to Suvarnabhumi Airport and be transferred to the hotel in Bangkok.

Overnight in Bangkok

Inclusions:

Breakfast at the hotel. Full day at leisure.

Overnight in Bangkok

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Furama Silom Bangkok - Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (39.1 km): approx. 44 min – 1 hr

Depart from the hotel to Suvarnabhumi Airport and take a domestic flight to Ubon Ratchathani. Your guide will pick you up at Ubon Ratchathani airport and transfer to your hotel.

Recommended Flight: TBA
(Flight departure and arrival time subjects to change)

Dinner and overnight in Ubon Ratchathani

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Ubon Ratchathani – Chong Mek (90 km): 1.5 hours Chong Mek – Champasak (75 km): 1 h 40 min

This morning, transfer to the Chong Mek border and cross into Laos, where a local guide awaits.

Drive south towards Champasak province in Southern Laos, then take a short boat ride to Don Daeng, an island in the middle of the Mekong River, to check into La Folie Lodge.

The remainder of the day is free to relax. La Folie Lodge features a beautiful swimming pool, and its riverfront location offers spectacular views. Eight small villages dot the island’s coast, and a short walk provides a glimpse into local island life for those feeling energetic.

Overnight in Don Daeng

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Don Daeng – Wat Phou by boat: 20 min

After a leisurely breakfast, take a short guided bicycle tour around the island. The road is flat, and the easy ride is a good chance to witness the daily life of the villagers. 

Then cross the Mekong by boat to visit Wat Phou. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Wat Phou is a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple that sits among the rice fields and waterways of southern Laos. The temple was constructed in three levels: the bottom level is focused on the baray (water reservoir) and promenade, the second level features quadrangular pavilions and galleries of carvings, and the top level is the sanctuary itself. The temple was built by the rulers of the Khmer empire before the construction of Angkor Wat. This site served as the most important economic and political centre of the region and still is one of the Lao people’s most revered temples.

Pass through the small town of Champasak, where French colonial buildings offer a great contrast to Wat Phou. 

Return to Don Daeng Island, where the remainder of this afternoon is free at the Lodge.   

Overnight in Don Daeng

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Guests are picked up at the hotel at 0900.

Depart for the Bolaven Plateau, a mountainous region home to numerous hill tribes, waterfalls, and coffee and tea plantations.

The first stops are at Tad Fane and Tad Yuang waterfalls. Tad Fane features twin 120-meter-high waterfalls formed by the merging waters of the Champy and Pak Koot rivers. These impressive falls are situated on the edge of Dong Hua Sao protected area, 38km from Paksé (note: water levels may vary depending on the previous rainy season).

Make a short stop in Paksong, the small capital of coffee, before continuing east to reach the Sinouk Coffee Resort. Be guided by an expert in coffee through the plantation and learn more about the cultivation of coffee trees and the different processing stages.

After the visit, enjoy a delicious lunch. Most of the vegetables used in the cuisine are sourced from the home-grown organic garden. Following lunch, sample a variety of coffee blends.

On the return drive to Pakse, two stops are included. The first is at Tad Lo waterfalls, a beautiful formation of three separate falls. From the bridge, view Tad Hang, followed by Tad Lo in the distance. Tad Suong, the most impressive of the three, is located 10km upriver.

The second stop is at Ban Houay Houn, a small village renowned for Katu textiles. Observe the women weaving without traditional looms, using their legs to stretch the fabric.

Arrive back in Don Daeng in the late afternoon and transfer to the hotel.

Overnight in Don Daeng

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Dong Daeng – Ban Nakasan (60 km): 2 hours

Depart after breakfast, heading to the area locally known as Sipandon, meaning "4000 Islands." In this picturesque region, the Mekong River stretches 14 kilometers wide, with thousands of small islands dotting the waterway.

Travel by car for around two hours to the village of Ban Nakasan. From there, take a local boat to the peaceful islands of Don Det and Don Khone, where plantations and simple villages dominate the landscape. Bicycles are recommended as the best way to explore, or opt for a tuk-tuk for convenience.

Visit the impressive Lippi Falls, located on the western side of Don Khone near the Cambodian border. Known locally as Tad Somphamit, meaning “trap spirit,” these falls are revered by locals, who believe they act as a trap for bad spirits.

The islands played an important role during the French Colonial era, serving as a link between Laos, Cambodia, and Southern Vietnam. To bypass the waterfalls, a railway and bridge were constructed—an ideal spot to pause and take in the views.

Continue exploring and embrace the unhurried pace of life, observing local activities and enjoying the tranquil surroundings. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Don Khone

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Dong Khone – Khone Papheng (30 km): 30 mins Laos border – Stung Treng (60 km): 1h 30 mins Stung Treng – Kratie (135 km): 2 hrs

This morning, be transferred from Don Khone Island to the village of Ban Nakasan. Drive toward the southern border stopping to stroll through palm-fringed villages and explore the imposing Khone Papheng waterfalls.  

Welcome to Cambodia! Upon arrival at the Cambodian border and clear immigration formalities, continue south to the town of Stung Treng.  

In case you cannot find your guide, please call our 24 Hrs Customer Care number +855 12 908 097 (Available on WhatsApp). 

Afternoon travel to Kampi, the best spot to view the rare Irrawaddy Dolphins along the Mekong. Board a local boat that will take you to some of the areas where these interesting creatures are sighted most frequently. Once you have spotted the first dolphin, your boat driver will turn the engine off and you will follow the dolphins silently (duration 1 to 1.5 hours).

Continue to Kratie.  Then hop on a local ferry to Koh Trong Island, only a short 10 minutes boat ride away from Kratie. Upon arrival, transfer by Remork to your homestay. 

Dinner arranged by the host family.

Overnight on Koh Trong Island, Kratie

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Kratie – Kampong Thom (195 km): 4hrs 45 mins

Your breakfast is served at your homestay. 

This morning, you gain the opportunity to get to know more about the host family. It’s the best time to have conversations, and learn about their culture, language, and their perspectives. This can be a much richer and more meaningful travel experience.

Grab a bicycle and cycle around the island. On this Mekong island experience typical Cambodian village life, where people’s livelihood largely depends on rice farming and fruit cultivation (Koh Trong is famous for its pomelo, a grapefruit like fruit).

Enjoy lunch at the homestay

Then hop on a local ferry to Koh Trong Island. Drive to Kampong Thom
 
Overnight in Kampong Thom

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Kampong Thom – Sambor Prei Kuk (18 km): 35 mins Sambor Prei Kuk - Siem Reap (170 km): 3 hours

After breakfast, visit Sambor Prei Kuk. Sambor Prei Kuk is one of the most important pre-Angkorian sites in Cambodia, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sambor Prei Kuk, which features over 100 well-preserved temples scattered in the forest of central Cambodia, was built in the Chenla period between the 6th and 7th centuries and likely served as the religious center of this pre-Angkorian culture.

Continue your journey to Siem Reap 

Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel and time at leisure 

Overnight in Siem Reap

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Temple (6 km): 15 min

Beginning from 07:30, this is the best time to experience Ta Prohm temple. The temple was made famous by the Angelina Jolie film Tomb Raider. The temple is best known for the trees and vines growing atop the temple walls. Enter from the east, to avoid the crowds. Then continue to Angkor Thom, visit The Terrace of The Elephants and the Royal Palace enclosure. Next, take a stroll around the lower galleries of carvings of Bayon, which depict fascinating scenes of life from the late 11th century, then find a quiet spot on the exterior of the temple to appreciate the 54 towers featuring faces of the Buddha looking out into the jungle around you.

Return to your hotel. Lunch on your own account. 

Afternoon visit the magnificent Angkor Wat, a 12th-century temple built by King Suryavarman II. This architectural marvel reflects Mount Meru, the abode of Hindu gods. Inside, intricate carvings and reliefs showcase Hindu myths with over 2,000 Apsara dancers grace the walls. Angkor Wat remains a powerful symbol of Cambodia, even gracing the national flag.

Note: Should you wish to witness a sunset, there are limited options and they can be quite crowded. Consider finding a quiet place away from the crowds, such as atop the city wall beside the West or South gate of Angkor Thom, or Srah Srang, Pre Rup. Be advised that a sunset will typically have you returning to town after 6:00pm. 

Overnight in Siem Reap

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap - Ta Brak (25 km) : 30 min Kampong Khleang - Siem Reap (51 km): 1 hr 10 min

Today embark on an authentic rural Cambodia tour to learn about life in a typical village. Meet friendly locals and discover traditional village customs and cultures.

Head to Khmer smokehouse and meet a warm family. Learn the process of smoking fish, discover Cambodian rural life through stories shared amidst fragrant smoke. Over a fresh coconut juice, get to know the family, engage in discussions, and gain a better understanding of the countryside lifestyle in Cambodia. 

Conclude this morning, partake in a special Buddhist tradition. Local monks will impart wishes of good luck and success in a solemn, age-old ceremony. 

This afternoon, hop on a local wooden boat for a private journey through a canal, all the way to Tonle Sap Lake. As you cruise along the canal, you will see houses on either side: depending on the time of the visit, the houses will either stand perched on stilts high above the ground or be floating directly on the water. This phenomenon is caused by the annual rising and receding waters of the Tonle Sap Lake. Along the way, gain a better understanding of the local lifestyle with lunch in a family house. This is a unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience of the way of life of the local people—sitting inside a stilted house while watching the boats pass outside.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Banteay Srei (35 km): 45 min

This morning, learn about the devastating impact of explosives in Cambodia at the APOPO visitor's centre. See how HeroRATs provide a creative solution by detecting landmines in a simulated environment. 

Drive to the local village and stop at the local village known for this delicious Nom Ah Kour Tnout. A steamed palm sugar cake, learn the fabrication and the use of palm trees in Cambodian life. 

Set out to experience an incredible tour to learn about life in a typical khmer culinary dish. Pradak village which is renowned for all types of traditional Khmer Noodles. Visit a family who is making fresh rice noodles everyday. Learn the process, make your own noodle and savour the village’s signature dish Nam Ben Chok.

This afternoon, continuing to Banteay Srei, the pink sandstone temple is passed over by visitors but is probably the best preserved monument of the entire Angkor complex. Have a great opportunity to enjoy the intricate bas reliefs up close. 

Enjoy an evening of Cambodian culture and artistic at the Phare Cambodian Circus show. Before the show starts, experience exclusive backstage access. Guided by a Phare Circus member, explore the technical room, design area and artist preparation zones.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap - Siem Reap Angkor Airport (46 km): 55 min

Breakfast at hotel 

Transfer to Siem Reap airport for your departure.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast