LAOS BY RAILWAY

Start the day by driving 45 minutes to Buddha Park. Stop along the way and take pictures of the Friendship Bridge, which connects Laos and Thailand and was built by the Australian government in 1994. When you get to Buddha Park, take a walk around. This strange park is also called Xieng Khuan. It has more than 200 statues of Buddhist and Hindu gods. The strange sculptures made by a Lao shaman in 1958 stand in comparison to the peaceful and quiet setting along the Mekong River. Start driving back to Vientiane after visiting Buddha Park. Stop by the Lao Disabled Women Development Center along the way. The goal of this center is to give disabled women the information and skills they need to feel confident and take care of themselves. When you go to the center, you can talk to these women and see how good they are at making things like handmade paper.

If you have time, go back to the city and meet COPE, an organization that helps people who have been hurt by landmines. When you go to the center, you can learn more about the background of the American-Vietnam War, the long-term effects of unexploded ordinances (UXO) in the area, and what is being done to get rid of them. Take a walk along the Mekong River at the end of the day to watch the sun go down. Stay in Vientiane.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Vientiane

Train C82 leaves VTE at 8:00 and arrives at LPQ at 9:56 (second class)

After breakfast, you'll have some free time to do some last-minute shopping before you're taken to the train station and taken to Luang Prabang. When we get to Luang Prabang, our guide and driver will be ready to take us to the hotel so we can check in. After that, we'll go on a short orientation tour of the city. Climb the 328 steps to the top of Mount Phousi in the middle of the city just before it gets dark. When you get to the top, you can see amazing views of the city and the hills around it. After dusk, go down the steps and check out the nearby evening market, which is full of beautiful souvenirs and handicrafts made by hill tribes.the rest of the day is at your own pace. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

After breakfast, you will be taken to the boat dock. Then, we take a cruise upstream on the Mekong River. This gives us a great view of the peaceful countryside and a chance to visit the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. These are two caves that are connected and are full of thousands of gold-lacquered Buddha statues in different shapes and sizes that pilgrims have left behind. After about two hours, you'll reach Ban Xang Hay, a village famous for its traditional weaving and "Lao Lao" rice wine. Walk through the town to get a feel for how people live there. Then, get back on your boat and head to the Pak Ou Caves, which are carved into a cliffside where the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers meet. Follow your guide into the lower cave of Tham Ting, then climb the stairs to the top cave of Tham Phun. In Tham Phun, you can see a mind-boggling number of Buddha statues—about 3,000 of them, ranging in size from a few inches to the height of a person.

As you walk through the cave, your guide will tell you more about the Buddhas and how the cave has become an important spiritual site for Buddhists in the area.Back on the boat, head back to Luang Prabang, stopping along the way to see the town of Ban Xang Khong, which is known for making Sa paper and weaving.  When you finally get back to Luang Prabang, the rest of the day is yours to do as you please. Spend the night in Luang Prabang.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

Start your city tour of Luang Prabang this morning after breakfast at the hotel. Start your trip by going to the National Museum, which is in the old Royal Palace. The walk continues to Wat Mai, a temple known for its golden bas-reliefs, then to the city's oldest monastery, Wat Visoun, then to the city's greatest temple, Wat Aham, and then to the Kuang Si Waterfalls, which are in the countryside outside of Luang Prabang. When you get to Kuang Si Waterfall, you can enjoy the beautiful nature around you or walk through the thick jungle nearby. Those who are feeling brave can walk up a steep path to the top of the falls, where there are beautiful views. These waterfalls flow down a multilevel limestone formation, making a number of turquoise blue pools that are great for swimming on a hot day (if you swim, please dress modestly).

On the way back, you can stop at the Bear Sanctuary, which is run by Free The Bears Fund Inc. The refuge is home to 23 Asiatic Black Bears that were saved from being killed for their fur. You can also go to the Kuang Si Butterfly Park, which has a lot of butterflies from Laos. Come back to Luang Prabang in time to see the nearby hill tribe market in the evening before going back to the hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

There is a very special visit at dawn to see the monks gathering alms. This is for people who get up early. As the sun rises, long lines of orange-robed monks leave their pagodas and walk barefoot through the streets of Luang Prabang to collect gifts from the people who live there. Go back to the hotel and eat breakfast there.

After breakfast at the hotel, you'll have free time until our guide and car pick you up and take you privately to Luang Prabang International Airport for your trip home. Trip ends

Meals: Breakfast