Day 1: Ho Chi Minh city and arrival (Dinner)
Upon arrival in Tan Son Nhat international airport, you will be met by your guide and driver who will transfer you to your hotel in the city center. Take a tour of the vibrant city with visits to a Vietnamese Mosque, Lam Son Square and view historic French architecture including Notre Dame Cathedral, The Old Post Office and The People’s Committee Hall. HCM Opera House and more. Enjoy a fabulous evening dinner cruise on the Saigon river as you are entertained by a live show. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh city – Cu Chi – Vung Tau (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
After breakfast at your hotel, we drive you to Cu Chi where you will experience the labyrinth of web-like tunnels of more than 200km in length. These tunnels were used to as shelters by guerrillas during the American war. They included hospitals, accommodation, kitchens and much more. Return to Ho Chi Minh for a lunch at the Halal/Indian restaurant. After lunch, we head off to Vung Tau City. Vung Tau is situated 125km southeast of Ho Chi Minh city. It is a famous beach resort with long white sandy beaches and warm water the whole year round. A sumptuous dinner awaits you at local restaurant – Sea Food only (no Meat). Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Vung Tau city.

Day 3: Vung Tau – Ho Chi Minh city (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
Breakfast at your hotel. Embark on a Vung Tau city tour including Christ of Vung Tau, a large statue of Christ on a hilltop with the height of 32 meters, the18 meter high Goddess of Mercy statue, Thuy Van beach and Whale Temple dedicated to whales considered as rescuing gods for Vietnamese fisherman in the east sea. Lunch at a local restaurant (sea food only, no meat) before returning to Ho Chi Minh city. Visit the War Museum, China Town, Thien Hau Temple, a lacquer ware factory and handicraft center. A splendid dinner awaits you at a local Halal/India restaurant. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh city – My Tho – Ho Chi Minh city (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
Following breakfast, we take a two hour drive to My Tho. On the way witness picturesque rice fields and buffalos. Upon arrival, enjoy a boat trip on the Mekong River with a stop at Thoi Son islet to taste seasonal fruit whilst enjoying traditional folk music. Then, visit the authentic life of the locals and challenge your bargaining power at cottage handicraft shops. Take an adventurous sampan ride in palm shaded canals. Lunch to be served with sea food (no meat) at Bach Tung Vien res. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon and visit continue visit mosque JAMIA AL MUSLIMIN (Dong Du Mosque) / Dong Du Street, District 1, shopping at TAX (commercial center), Saigon square center. Dinner will be served at a Halal/India Restaurant. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 5: Ho Chi Minh city and departure (Breakfast)
Eat breakfast at your hotel, free your time until transferred to Tan Son Nhat international airport for your departure. End of tour.

Vietnam muslim tours

Tản mạn độc giả – Về Vịnh Hạ Long.

Từ bé

Vịnh Hạ Long được biết tới đầu tiên bằng những câu chuyện của bố, những chuyến thăm quan mà mình rất mong được dịp đi, nhưng vì học hành cũng như điều kiện gia đình mà Vịnh Hạ Long vẫn chỉ là những mong muốn xa vời. Biết rằng là nơi rất rộng rãi, rất nhiều núi, hòn…đi nhiều giờ mới có thể hết được và cái nào cũng rất đẹp, to, hùng vĩ, rồi những hang động nữa chứ.

Cấp 3

Có một số người bạn tới từ Hạ Long, những câu chuyện khi sống ở Hạ Long, nuôi bè hải sản, những cuộc sống ngay trên những con thuyền, học cái chữ của những đứa trẻ. Lại càng khiến thôi thúc để được đi Hạ Long của mình lại càng tăng cao. Lên trên mạng tìm hiểu thêm, những hình ảnh, món ăn cứ “dụ ngọt” mình vậy.

Đi làm

Khi đi làm và có chút tiền có thể cho mình đi du lịch để biết này biết kia, thì tôi lại chưa chọn Vịnh Hạ Long, vì nghe mọi người nói rằng, đi Vịnh Hạ Long chỉ dành cho những người “có tuổi” vì hầu hết chỉ là “ngắm”, đi tàu và nghỉ trên tàu cũng an nhàn và gần như không có gì vận động. Vậy là 2 tháng lương của mình, cuối năm 2011 đã dành để đi một hành trình: Hồ Chí Minh – Cần Thơ – Phonom penh – Hội An – Huế với biết bao điều thú vị.

Vẫn trăn trở về một lần được đi Hạ Long, nhưng gần đây là thông tin về cuộc bầu chọn khá nhảm về 7 kỳ quan thiên nhiên thế giới mới. Mình là dân công nghệ và tìm hiểu rất nhiều chiều về cuộc thi này cũng như cách cả nước ta tham gia bầu chọn. Không phải 2011 là năm đầu chúng ta bầu như vậy. Nhưng việc tốn hàng chục tỉ cho cái gọi là công ty tư nhân vớ vẩn gì đó của gã đứng đầu N7W thì thật là đau xót. Để từ đó, giá vé thăm quan Vịnh Hạ Long gấp 2 lần, rồi chia ra từng điểm, từng chặng, từng tour với vé khá chát. Nếu đi vào Huế, vào đại nội của cung đình xưa cũng chỉ bằng một phần nhỏ của Vịnh Hạ Long.

Giờ thì khi tất cả các công ty du lịch đổ xô về Hạ Long, với cái mác mà N7W đưa cho chúng ta một cách “hữu danh vô thực” có danh đấy, nhưng chẳng ai biết và quan tâm vào giải N7W này, liệu rằng giá sẽ tăng lên như thế nào?

Nói chung, với mong muốn được đi Vinh Ha Long dù một lần của cá nhân mình chắc càng ngày gặp càng nhiều khó khăn. Dẫu sao vẫn mong Hạ Long sẽ bảo tồn tốt di sản văn hóa thế giới này, cho cả thế hệ sau này của chúng ta.

The official language of the LPDR is Lao as spoken and written in Vientiane. As an official language, it has successfully become the lingua franca between all Lao and non-Lao ethnic groups in Laos. Of course, native Lao is spoken with differing tonal accents and with slightly differing vocabularies as you move from one part of the country to the next, especially in a north to south direction. But it is the Vientiane dialect that is most widely understood.

Modern Lao linguists recognize five basic dialects within the country: Vientiane Lao; northern Lao (spoken in Sainyabuli, Bokeo, Udomxai, Phongsali, Luang Nam Tha and Luang Prabang): north-eastern Lao (Xieng Khuang and Hua Phan), central Lao (Khammuan and Bolikhamxui); and finally southern Lao (Champasak, Savannakhet, Salavun, Attapeu and Sekong). Each of these can he further divided into various subdialects; the differences between the Lao spoken in the neighbouring provinces of Xieng Khuang and Hua Phan, for example, is readily apparent to those who know Lao well.

All dialects of Lao are members of the Thai half or the Thai-Kadai family of languages and are closely related to languages spoken in Thailand, northern Myanmar and pockets of China’s Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces. Standard Lao is indeed close enough to standard Thai (as spoken in central Thailand) that, for native speakers, the two are mutually intelligible. In Fact, virtually all of the speakers of Lao west of the Annamite Chain can easily understand spoken Thai, since the bulk of the television and radio they tune in to is broadcast From Thailand.

Among educated Lao, written Thai is also easily understood, in spite of the fact that the two scripts differ (to about the same degree that the Greek and Roman scripts differ). This is because many of the text hooks used at the college and university level in Laos are actually Thai texts.

Even more similar to Standard Lao arc Thailand’s northern and north-eastern Thai dialects. In fact there arc more Lao speakers living in Thailand than in Laos. Hence if you are travelling to Laos after a spell in Thailand (especially the north-cast) you should be able to put whatever you learned in Thailand to good use in Laos. (It doesn’t work as well in the opposite direction; native Thais can’t always understand Lao since they’ve had less exposure to it.)

 Script:

Prior to the consolidation of the various Lao meuang (principalities) in the 14th century, there was little demand for a written language. When a written language was deemed necessary by the Lan Xang monarchy, Lao scholars based their script on an early alphabet devised by the Thais (which in turn had been created by Khmer scholars who used south Indian scripts as models!). The alphabet used in Laos is closer to the original prototype; the original Thai script was later extensively revised (which is why Lao looks ‘older’ than Thai, even though it is newer as a written language).

Before 1975 at least four spelling systems were in use. Because modern printing never really got established in Laos (most of the advanced textbooks being in Thai, French, or Vietnamese before the Revolution), Lao spelling wasn’t standardized until after the Pathet Lao takeover. The current system has been highly simplified by transliterating all foreign loan words according to their sound only, and not their written Form. Lao script can therefore be learned much more quickly than Thai or Khmer, both of which typically attempt to transcribe foreign borrowings letter For letter no mailer what the actual pronunciation is.

One peculiarity of the post-1975 system is that it forbade the use of the Lao letter ‘r’ in words where it was more commonly pronounced as an ‘I’, reportedly because of the association of the ‘r’ with classical Thai although the ‘r’ was virtually lost in Laos (converting to ‘h’ in some cases and to ‘I’ in others), in many parts of Thailand it is still quite strong. Hence the names of former Lao kings Setthathirat and Phothisarat came to be rendered as Setthathilat and Phothisalat in post-1975 Lao script. In the last two or three years the government has loosened its restrictions’ and although the nasty ‘r’ is not taught in the school system, it is once again permitted in signage and in historical documents. Other scripts still in use include lao tham(dhamma Lao), used for’ writing Pali scriptures, and various Thai tribal scripts, the most popular and widespread being that of the Thai Neua (which has become standardized via Xishuangbanna, China).

The Lao script today consists of 30 consonants (formed from 20 basic sounds) and 28 vowels and diphthongs (15 individual symbols used in varying combinations). Complementing the consonant. and vowel symbols are four tone marks, only two of which are commonly used in creating the six different tones (in combination with all the other symbols). Written Lao proceeds from left to right, though vowel-signs may appear in a number of positions relative to consonants: before, after, above, below or ‘around’ (ie before, above and after).

Although learning the alphabet isn’t difficult, the writing system itself is fairly complex, so unless you are planning to have a lengthy stay in Laos you should perhaps make learning to speak the language your main priority.

 Tones:

Basically, Lao is a monosyllabic, tonal language, like the various dialects of Thai and Chinese. Borrowed words from Sanskrit, Pali, French and English often have two or more syllables, however. Many identical phonemes or vowel-consonant combinations are differentiated by their tone only. The word sao, for example, can mean ‘girl’, ‘morning’, ‘pillar’ or ‘twenty’ depending on the tone. For people from non-tonal language backgrounds, it can be very hard to learn at first. Even when we ‘know’ the correct tone, our tendency to denote emotion, emphasis and questions through tone modulation often interferes with uttering the correct tone. So the first rule in learning and using the tone system is to avoid overlaying your native intonation patterns onto the Lao language.

Vientiane Lao has six tones (compared with five used in standard Thai, four in Mandarin and nine in Cantonese). Three of the tones are level (low, mid and high) while three follow pitches inclines (rising, high falling and low falling). All six variations in pitch are relative to the speaker’s natural vocal range, so that one person’s low tone is not necessarily the same pitch as another person’s. Hence, keen pitch recognition is not a prerequisite for learning a tonal language like Lao. A relative distinction between pitch contours within your own voice is all that is necessary. Pitch variation is common to all languages – non tonal languages such as English also use intonation, just in a different way.

 On a visual curve the tones might look like this:

Low Tone Produced at the relative bottom of your conversational tonal range – usually flat level, eg, du, ‘good’. Note, however, that not everyone pronounces it flat and level – some Vientiane natives add a slight rising tone to the end.

Mid Tone Flat like the low tone, but spoken at the relative middle of the speaker’s vocal range. No tone mark is used, eg, het, ‘do’.

High Tone Flat again, this time at the relative top of your vocal range, eg, heua, ‘boat’.

Rising Tone Begins a bit below the mid tone and rises to just at or above the high tone, eg, saam, ‘three’.

High Falling Tone Begins at or above the high tone and falls to the mid level, eg, sao, ‘morning’.

Low Falling Tone Begins at about the mid level and falls to the level of the low tone, cg, khao, ‘rice’.

 Transliteration:

The rendering of Lao words into Roman script is a major problem, since many of the Lao sounds, especially certain vowels, do not occur in English. The problem is compounded by the fact that because of Laos’s colonial history, transcribed words most commonly seen in Laos are based on the old colonial French system of transliteration, which bears little relation to the way an English speaker would usually choose to write a Lao word.

A prime example is the capital of Laos, Vientiane. The Lao pronunciation, following a fairly logical English-Roman transliteration, would he Wieng Chan or Vieng Chan (some might hear it more as Wieng Jan). Since the French don’t have a written consonant that corresponds to ‘w’, they chose to use a ‘v’ to represent all ‘w’ sounds, even though the ‘v’ sound in Lao is closer to an English ‘w’. The same goes for ‘ch ‘ (or ‘j’ J, which for the French: was best rendered ‘ti-”; hence Wieng Chan (which means Sandalwood City) finishes up as ‘Vientiane’ in the French transliteration. The ‘c’ is added so that the final ‘n’ sound isn’t partially lost, as it is in French words ending with ‘n’ .This latter phenomenon also happens with words like laan (million) as in Lan Xung, which most French speakers would write as ‘Lane’, a spelling that leads most English speakers to pronounce this word like the ‘lane’ in ‘Penny Lane’ (which is far from accurate). Many standard place names in Roman script use an ‘x’ for what in English is ‘s’. This ‘x’ stands for a Lao letter that historically was pronounced ‘ch’ but eventually became’s’ in the Lao sound system. There’s no difference in the pronunciation of the two; pronounce all instances of ‘x’ as’s’.

There is no official method of transliterating the Lao language (the government is incredibly inconsistent in this respect, though they tend to follow the old French methods). This book follows the transliteration system which is used in Lonely Planet’s Thailand guide, since Thai and Lao have virtually identical phonetic systems. The only exceptions are where there may be confusion with transliterations that are already in common use (eg, Vientiane vs Wiellg Chan, Luang Probang vs Luang Phabang).

The public and private sectors in Laos are gradually moving towards a more internationally recognizable system along the lines of the Royal Thai General Transcription (which is fairly readable across a large number of language types). This can also be problematic, however, such as when an ‘r’ is written where an ‘h’ or ‘I’ would be heard, simply because the Lao symbols for these sounds look-so much like tire Thai ‘I’ (modern spoken Lao has no ‘r’ sound).

Recent government maps have finally started using the spelling ‘Luang Phabang’ rather than ‘Luang Prabang’. At the same time the government has begun allowing the use of the once-banned written ‘r’ for historical Lao names, such as ‘Sakkarin’ rather than ‘Sakkalin’, or ‘Phothisarat’ instead of ‘Phothisalat ‘.

Book a language study:

Lonely Planet publishes a pocket-sized Lao phrasebook which has a complete guide to Lao grammar and pronunciation, along with several chapters designed to make travel in the country easier and more enjoyable, eg, ‘Around Town’, ‘Accommodation’, ‘Food’, ‘Small Talk’ and ‘Emergencies’. Lao script and Roman transliteration accompanies all lists of words and phrases. It is available wherever Lonely Planet books are distributed, and it can occasionally be bought in Vientiane at the Vientiane Book Centre and at the Vientiane Department Store.

The English-Lao, Lao-English Dictionary by Russell Marcus (Charles Tuttle Co, Suido 1-chorne, 1-6 Bunkyo-chu, Tokyo, Japan) is a handy book to have in Laos. You may not be able to read the Lao-English section, but the English-Lao definitions are fairly extensive and the transliteration is more or less consistent. Transliterated Lao words are also accompanied by tone marks (in this case numbers are used for the six tones).

The same company also publishes Lao for Beginners: An Introduction to the Spoken and Written Language of Laos by Tatsuo Hoshino and Russell Marcus. This 200-page primer is organized according to situation (eg, ‘Coming & Going’, ‘Touring Vientiane’, and ‘Bargaining at the Market’), so the lessons are mostly relevant to everyday needs. The book uses the same transliteration system as the dictionary described above, so the two go together nicely.

A newer and more complete dictionary is the 950-page Modem English-Lac, Lao-English Dictionary by Bounmy Soukbandith (contact PO Box 40021, San Diego, CA 92164, USA.

For more serious students, little else is available. Probably the most complete text is the US Foreign Service Institute’s Lao Basic Course. Volumes 1 & 2 (Superintendent of Documents, Washington, DC 20402, USA, 1971) Volume 1 takes students step by step through the rudiments of Lao pronunciation, grammar and writing. Volume 2 is a Lao reader (all in Lao script with no translation) for more advanced students. Both books are oriented towards pre-1975 Laos, with many references to the monarchy and so on.

Most of the books listed above can be purchased in Bangkok at Asia Books, Sukhumvit Rd Soi 15 (and at several other locations).

Not much is available in Laos itself. In Vientiane’s Phimphone Market you can find the little blue English-Lao Dictionary published by the State Printing Office. This pocket-sized tome contains over 10,000 entries; the Lao entries appear in script only.

A draft copy of the Lao Language Competencies for Peace Corps Volunteers in the LPDR by Xamini de Abrew and Thong Khamphasinovanh was distributed in Vientiane in December 1991, just before the short-lived US Peace Corps experiment was shut down before it really got started. Only 30 copies were originally made, but a few photocopies are available here and there. You might also try directing inquiries to the USPC (CHPTO/PACEM, 1990 K St, Washington, DC 20026, USA). This text contains a good selection of structures and vocabulary but some tones are marked incorrectly and there are some minor vocabulary errors.

In Vientiane’s government bookshops you can also buy children’s first-language primers, which aren’t a bad way to start for those who will be staying a long time in Laos and want to attempt to master the written language.

For information on language courses, see the Courses section of the Facts for the Visitor chapter.

If you plan to travel extensively in any Lao Sung areas, Lonely Planet’s Hill Tribes phrasebook could also be useful.

 Other language

In the cities and towns of the Mekong river valley, French is intermittently understood. In spite of its colonial history, French remains the official second language of the government and many official documents are written in French as well as Lao. Shop signs sometimes appear in French (alongside Lao, as mandated by law), though signs in English are becoming more common these days. As in Vietnam, the former colonial language is increasingly viewed as irrelevant in a region that has adopted English as the lingua franca of business and trade, and among young Lao students English is now much more popular than French. Lao over the age of 50 may understand a little English, but to a lesser extent than French.

Many Russian-trained Lao can also speak Russian, though the language has drastically fallen from favour. The Russian Cultural Centre now offers more English courses than it does Russian, and the most popular event at the centre is an evening satellite TV program of English-language shows. The occasional Lao who studied abroad in Cuba or Eastern Europe may be able to speak Spanish, German, Czech, Polish or even Bulgarian.

It pays to learn as much Lao as possible during your stay in the country, since speaking and understanding the language not only enhances verbal communication but garners a great deal of respect from the Lao people you come into contact with

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, you are met and transferred to hotel for a check-in. The rest of time, you will be free on your own to refresh after a long flight. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Morning: A half-day city tour of dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, includes the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Sai Gon Post Office, the Chinatown, the former Presidential Palace. Afternoon: Transfer about 30km north-west of Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi town. Cu Chi tunnels were used as the base from which the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968. The Cu Chi tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels, the tunnels are between 0.5 to 1m wide, just enough for a person to crawl along. Transfer back and overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

In the morning, you will be transferred to My Tho, take a boat trip downstream to Ben Tre through floating market, where you have the opportunities to meet the locals there to learn about their daily life in Mekong Delta then take an outlook of natural sceneries along banks of river with coconut candy mill, fruit gardens followed by fruit tasting, rice paper mill… Biking or sitting on horse carriage to weave around the zigzag village roads. Later on, we will enjoy a lunch served at a local restaurant on island with local specialty of “Deep fried Elephant – Eared fish”. Lastly we will proceed going to Can Tho. Arrive in Can Tho, the city located on Mekong Delta bank. Overnight in Can Tho.

After breakfast at hotel, transfer to Ninh Kieu wharf for a boat trip to visit Cai Rang floating market. Time for taking part to the local activities and photo shoot. Then continue by boat through small canals to see more local daily life. Walk to visit small boat building local village before returning to the wharf. In the afternoon, you will be driven to Chau Doc, on the way, we will stop by Stork Garden to learn about its ecosystem & take amazing photos before the sunset. We will get to Chau Doc for a check-in at hotel in the late afternoon. Overnight in Chau Doc.

In the afternoon, you will arrive Phnom Penh wharf. Right here our guide & driver will pick you up then drive to hotel for a check-in Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Today, we will spend almost our time visiting the most outstanding tourist sites in Phnom Penh with the Victory Monument and the National Museum, the Royal Palace, built by the French in 1866 on the site of the old town, and Silver Pagoda, which located within the Royal Palace ground. Later on, we will keep on discovering Tuol Sleng museum & Killing Field, where the Khmer Rouge did capture & executive nearly 2 millions Cambodians during the period from 1975 until 1979. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Transfer to Phnom Penh airport for departure to Siem Reap. Upon arrival at Siem Reap airport, meets and transfers to hotel Visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century). See the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), Bayon Temple(unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King In the afternoon, visit the most famous of all the temples on the Angkor plain: Angkor Wat. The temple complex cover 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat’s five tower symbolize Meru’s five peaks, the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat symbolizes the ocean beyond Sunset from Phnom Bakheng, one of two hills dominating the plain of Angkor, from where you will have a spectacular view of the Western Baray and Angkor Wat Overnight in Siem Reap.

In the morning, you will continue your temple visits. Included are Prasat Kravan (with its unique brick sculptures), Srah Srang (“The Royal Boths” was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by four concentric walls), Eastern Mebon (guarded at its corner by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some of which are still in a reasonable state of preservation) and the “Mountain Temple” of Pre Rup. In the afternoon, transfer to the archaeological site and continue to the temple tour. Visit Ta Prohm, one of the most beautiful temples in the area. Ta Prohm has been left relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery Then, visit Takeo, Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda temples. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Visit the floating village of the Chong Khneas, located 10 kilometers south of Siem Reap. Take a traditional wooden boat for a ride on the Tonle Sap, the “Great Lake” of Cambodia and the largest in Asia In the afternoon, visit “Les Artisans d’Angkor – Chantiers Ecoles” of Siem Reap and time at leisure at the local market (if time permits) .Transfer to Siem Reap airport for departure to the next destination.

Embassy of Australia in Laos
KM4, Thadeua Road
Watnak village
Sisattanak District
Vientiane
Laos PDR
City: Vientiane
Phone: +856 21 353800
Fax: +856 21 353801
Web Site: http://www.laos.embassy.gov.au/
Email: austemb.laos@dfat.gov.au
Office Hours: The Embassy is open for general and consular enquiries from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday except for public holidays. The Visa office is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.00am to 12.00 noon.

Bruneian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
No.30, Unit 12 – Ban Thongkang
Sisathanak District
Lanexang Avenue
Vientiane, Laos
P.O.Box 7843
City: Vientiane
Phone: 856 2141 6114
Fax: 856 2141 6115
Email: vientiane.laos@mfa.gov.bn
Office Hours: 0800 – 1200 hrs 1330 – 1600 hrs Monday – Friday

Cambodian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Thadeua Road
KM2 B.P.34
Vientiane, Laos
City: Vientiane
Phone: 8562 131 4950/4952
Fax: (8562) 131 4951
Email: recamlao@laotel.com

Canadian Embassy in Laos
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
15th Floor, Abdulrahim Place,
990 Rama IV Road
Bangkok, Thailand
10500
Phone: (011-66-2) 636-0540
(011-856-21) 353-800 (Australian Embassy)
Fax: (011-66-2) 636-0565

Chinese Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Wat Nak Road
Sisattanak
City: Vientiane
Phone: +856-21-315100
Fax: +856-21-315104
Email: embassyprc@laonet.net

Cuban Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Ban Saphanthong Neua
Neua R-128
Vientiane, Laos
City: Vientiane
Phone: (856-21) 314902
Fax: (856-21) 314901
Email: embacuba@etllao.com

French Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Avenue Sethathirat
Vientiane, BP 6
City: Vientiane
Phone: 856 21 21 52 53
Fax: 856 21 21 52 50
Web Site: http://www.ambafrance-laos.org/
Email: consulat.vientiane-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr

German Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Rue Sokpalouang 26
Vientiane
City: Vientiane
Phone: 856 21 31 21 10
Fax: 856 21 31 43 22
Email: germemb@laotel.com

Indian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
002, Ban Wat-Nak
Thadeua Road, KM 3
Sisattanak District
City: Vientiane
Phone: 00-856-21-352301-04
Fax: 00-856-21-352300
Web Site: http://www.indianembassylao.com
Email: indiaemb@laotel.com

Indonesian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Phone Kheng Road
Vientiane, Laos
(P.O.BOX 277)
City: Vientiane
Phone: (856-21) 413-909, 413-910, 416-264
Fax: (856-21) 214-828
Email: kbrivte@laotel.com

Japanese Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Road Sisangvone, Vientiane
City: Vientiane
Phone: + 856 21 41 4400-3
Fax: + 856 21 414 406

Embassy of Malaysia in Ventianne, Laos
23 Singha Road
Ban Phonxay, P.O Box 789
Vientiane, Laos PDR
City: Ventianne
Phone: 856-21-414205/06
Fax: 856-21-414201
Web Site: http://www.kln.gov.my/perwakilan/vientiane
Email: mwvntian@laopdr.com
Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8.00 am – 4.30 pm

Myanmar Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Ban Thong Kang, P.O. Box No. 11
Sok Palaung
P.O. Box No. 11
City: Vientiane
Phone: (856) (21) 314910, 314911
Fax: (856) (21) 314913
Email: mev@loxinfo.co.th, mevlao@laotel.com

Philippine Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Unit 18, Ban Sibounheuang
Sisattanak District
P.O. Box 2415
Vientiane, Laos
City: Vientiane
Phone: (85621) 452-490/ 491
Fax: (85621) 452-493
Email: vientianepe@dfa.gov.ph

Russian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Thaphalanxay quarter, km 4, Thadeua Str., Vientiane, B.P. 490, Laos
City: Vientiane
Phone: +856 21 312-219, 312-222
Fax: +856 21 312-210
Email: rusemb@laotel.com

Singaporean Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Ban Naxay
Unit 12 Nong Bon Road
Saysettha District
Lao PDR
City: Vientiane
Phone: (856)-(21)-416860
Fax: (856)-(21)-416854
Web Site: http://www.mfa.gov.sg/vientiane
Email: sinemvte@laotel.com

Swedish Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Sokpaluang Road, Quartier Wat Nak
Vientiane
Laos/LAO PDR
City: Vientiane
Phone: +856 (21) 315003
Fax: +856 (21) 315001
Web Site: http://www.swedenabroad.com/vientiane
Email: ambassaden.vientiane@foreign.ministry.se
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9 to 11.30 a.m.

Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Royal Thai Embassy
Avenue Kaysone Phomvihane
Saysettha District, Vientiane .P.O. Box 128
Consular Section, Rue 23 Singha,
Saysettha District,Vientiand
City: Vientiane
Phone: (856-21) 214-581-2
Fax: (856-21) 214-580
Web Site: http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/
Email: thaivte@mfa.go.th

Thai Consulate in Khanthabouly District, Laos
Savannakhet Province
City: Khanthabouly District
Phone: +856-41 212-373 / +856-41 212-445
Fax: +856-41 212-370
Email: thaisvk@mserv.mfa.go.th

American Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
19 Rue Bartholonie,
That Dam Road
City: Vientiane
Phone: (856-21) 267000
Fax: (856-21) 267190
Web Site: http://usembassy.state.gov/laos/

Vietnamese Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
Thatluang Rd.
Vientiane
Laos
City: Vientiane
Phone: (856) 2141 3409
Fax: (856) 2141 3379
Email: lao.dsqvn@mofa.gov.vn

Luang Prabang is Laos’ foremost tourist show piece. Deservedly so The gleaming temple roofs, partially renovated provincial French architecture and eclectic mix of residence gives this town loads of character and style. This four day sightseeing tour presents the highlights of World Culture heritage town, Luang Prabang and surrounding areas. From pagodas to temples, old colonial architecture to a boat trip on the Mekong River and a refreshing swim at Kuang Si Waterfalls.

Trip duration: 4 days 3 nights
Trip start from: Luang Prabang
Ends in: Luang Prabang
Trip grade: Easy
Commencement date: advice upon booking all time around the year
Group size: Private family tour 3 people to above
Highlights: Sightseeing the UNESCO World Heritage town, Luang Prabang -Mekong River boat trip to Pak Ou Caves -Take a dip in Kuang Si Waterfalls – Traditional Lao dinner + music show

Day 1: Luang Prabang arrival day
Day 2: Enjoy Luang Prabang – Pak Ou cave
Day 3: Luang Prabang – Kang Si waterfall
Day 4: Luang Prabang departure day

 Day 1:

Upon arrival in the Laos capital of Vientiane, you will be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel. Vientiane is a charming and fascinating capital, with an interesting mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and American influences. After a short rest, we start visiting the major sights of the capital; including Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. Enroute to Lao’s national icon, the precious and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, you will have the opportunity to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. The Mekong river side is the perfect place to end the day and admire the sunset. Overnight in Vientiane.

 Day 2:

After breakfast, we head out of the city and make our way to Nam Ngum, a huge reservoir created by damming the Nam Ngum River. We stop over at Ban Keun, which is famous for its salt extraction plant and a village that distills the local Lao whiskey. On arrival at Nam Ngum Lake, we embark on a long tail boat visiting fishing villages in the various islets. We take a short walk to explore the lifestyle of the local fishmen. On return, “if time permits”, perhaps you might want to experience gambling at the legal Lao casino located in the valley where you can also enjoy a beautiful view of the lake. We return to Vientiane by late evening. Overnight in Vientiane.

 Day 3

After breakfast, we visit the Morning Market and “if time permits”. The tour ends after your transfer to the airport for departure.

Our day begins with a trip to Talat Sao – the Morning Market – where we will find an abundance of locally made handicrafts – hand-woven textiles, silks, silver and gold jewelry, carvings, rattan products – the list is endless. Then we will tour some of the best sights – the Victory Gate standing proud at the end of the broad Lane Xang Avenue and the impressive That Luang Stupa, Ho Pra Keo, Wat Sisaket and go to ban Nong Buathong the weaving village. Having lunch at famous restaurant in the city, after take a short rest, and refreshed we will be given a short orientation tour. Stroll around the city distance, taking a look at the mix of architectural styles, sit to watch the sunset over the Mekong River and later in the evening enjoy just watching the Lao people relaxing.

Transportation with Air-conditioner
English speaking guide (other languages upon request)
Lunch
Entrance fees
A bottle of water/person.

Day packs
Short should be suggested
Sunglasses
Special request for food should be informed before the trip.
Cameras

Our trip starts at the lobby of the hotel. Today, we enjoy a sightseeing tour of two magnificent temples:
Wat Visoun and Wat Xienthong. And we take a boat trip up the Mekong River to the mysterious Tam Ting Cave with its thousand Buddha statues after that. On the way we will stop at Ban Xanghai village and Ban Xangkhong – a weaving village Ban XiangLek – a village producing “sa” paper. The last place today is the two Lao-Loum village of Ban Chan and Ban Xiengmene.

 Day 2 Luang Prabang waterfall(B,L)

We will be met again today and visit the National Museum. Then we will climb up the steps to the top of Mount Phousi where we can see the sacred stupa and enjoy the magnificent panoramic view of the city. After lunch we take a long drive to Kuangsi Waterfall with brief stops in two more ethnic minority villages – Ban Na Oune, a Hmong village and Ban Tha Pane, a small Khmu village. Then we continue to the beautiful waterfall of Kuangsi set in the lush green surroundings of one of the country’s National Biodiversity Conservation Areas to stroll around and enjoy the forest scenery. On our return to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon we will make our final visit of the day to Wat Siphouthabath where we can see the footprints of the Buddha.

Drive out to the resort and meet the elephants after a small introduction. Enjoy normal elephants riding tour with an explanation about elephant information by mahouts.
Then, take another elephant riding tour with a training how to sit in the neck of an elephant. After that, learn how to walk with the elephants, and how to communicate with them to tell them to turn left, turn right and stop and so on. In the afternoon, bring the elephants back from the camp to the forest to feed them. Then, chain the elephants in the forest, so that they can find enough food. Also you might have sometimes spending with the new elephant baby.
The afternoon (after 16.00 hr) is your free time to spend at leisure in the beautiful natural lodge. Have dinner in local Lao style at the veranda with the mountain views

Wake up at early morning and walk to get the elephants. Optionally for those of you who feel too sleepy, you can meet the elephants at the river for some bathing and swimming with the animals (if water is too high and too dangerous, this activity might not be possible all year round). After washing, bring the elephants to the camp. Then, have breakfast at the camp.

The Elephant Park Project is located on the banks of the Khan River, 15km from Luang Phabang in Laos. The areas within the park are accessible by elephant rides managed by experienced mahouts. Travelers visiting and staying here will have an opportunity to learn about and get close to elephants, take hiking, biking through jungles or take boat journey, rafting or kayaking, and explore exotic and traditional living of local people in the villages through homestay.

Historically, despite having been known as the ‘land of a million elephants’, Laos is gradually losing its biggest and most regal animals to human development. The Elephant Park Project is therefore established to conserve the elephant population in Laos and this project is investing in community-based eco-programmes in Luang Prabang to give Lao Elephants a new home. And as the result of losing more forests, the elephants which used to work there, logging trees, can become neglected.

The experienced mahouts in the project give hands to help the elephants adapt to their new environment. Sick or older elephants are given special attention. The Elephant Park Project plans to expand its refuge to more elephants. Younger animals will learn their eco-tourism skills at an Elephant Training Centre, and an Elephant Information House will explain to visitors how traditional technology can transform dung into bio-gas, fertilizer and natural hand-made paper.

The project does protect not only the Asian elephants but also support the communities around the park, through the eco- tour activities. Guides, cooks, mahouts, and maintenance staff from the surrounding villages work at the Elephant Park, which also funded construction of the local water supply.

1. The package is possible with 2 – 4 persons and GREAT with kids as well.
2. Optional activities:

(a) One – day trekking tour (2 loops are possible: 5 hours or 6 – 7 hours). Both loops are in the fair trek area and your payment and entrance fee will support seven villages.
(b) One- day kayaking tour on Nam Kha River (approximately 3-4 hours). The tour needs only a soft river experience on single or double kayak.

3. The accommodation is in the newly restored 100 year -old Elephant Lodge building, with nicely furnished apartment rooms with bathroom and veranda with view overlooking the Nam Khan River.
4. You can upgrade the overnight sleep in the bungalows for USD 20 per person.