4-Day Luang Prabang Food and Culture Tour with Pak Ou and Kuang Si

You will be met and transferred to your hotel on arrival at the airport. This afternoon at 2:00 pm, begin your exploration of Luang Prabang, the UNESCO Heritage town, by local-style tuk-tuk.

Begin your discoveries with a visit to the National Museum, the former royal palace filled with fine examples of Lao art and furniture. Afterwards, visit the serene Wat Mai temple, which was spared sacking by the Chinese Black Haws in the late 19th century - supposedly because of its beauty and stunning design.

Continue by tuk-tuk to the very tip of the Luang Prabang peninsula, little visited yet one of the most beautiful parts of town. Here, at the scenic junction of the Nam Kham and Mekong rivers, learn about the origins of Luang Prabang and its former royal history.

Walk to the nearby Xieng Thong temple, regarded as the most beautiful temple in Laos and an architectural masterpiece. Dine at a local restaurant, "Sin Dat" Hot Pot and Barbecue, and have fun cooking your own meal for a welcome dinner as the locals do before getting dropped off back at your hotel in the evening. Dinner included.

• Rise early this morning to see robed Buddhist monks collecting morning alms, following a centuries-old ritual. Visit Mount Phousi for sunrise and enjoy the panoramic view of Luang Prabang. With your guide, stroll through the local morning market to begin your foodie walking tour around the UNESCO town of Luang Prabang. Discover all the tasty food spots that the locals love. Sample traditional snacks, learn about monks' Buddhist traditions, and visit a food market and a temple. Start your walking tour at your accommodation, where your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby for a short transfer by vintage tuk-tuk. Walk through Luang Prabang's morning food market to learn about the ingredients of Lao food. Smell the sweet aroma of spices and freshly cooked food as you walk around. Learn all about Lao food's rich, spicy flavour from your guide, and taste one of Lao's special speciality dishes of Luang Prabang.
• Need a morning coffee? Don't worry - kick-start your day with Lao hot coffee. Visit a temple in the UNESCO town to learn about Buddhism from a monk. Next, head for a good feast and enjoy a delicious lunch of papaya salad with sticky rice and, of course, indulge in a Beer Lao.
• In the afternoon, travel by slow boat to Pak Ou Caves. Over the following two hours, enjoy a leisurely boat journey along the Mekong to the mysterious 'Cave of 1,000 Buddhas' at Pak Ou. Along the way, soak up the Mekong riverside scenery: villages, local fishermen, and mountains carpeted with thick green forest. At the caves, in a tradition that has lasted for centuries, local people add annually to a repository of Buddha statues near the base of the small cave. On the way back to Luang Prabang, visit a riverside village and sample the local rice wine (Lao-Lao) before gliding back into town.

Today, you will discover a little about the secrets of Lao cuisine and enjoy some of the wonderful scenery just outside Luang Prabang town.

Begin with a minivan pick-up from your hotel at 8:30 a.m. and head to Tamarind restaurant to meet the rest of your group and have a briefing for your hands-on cooking demonstration. Then, head to a local market for an introduction to some of the wonderful fresh ingredients that define Lao cooking.

At the Tamarind cooking school, 10 km outside town, be introduced to some simple yet delicious Lao recipes by an expert, but patient, instructor. Try your hand at traditional Lao dips, sticky rice, dishes steamed in banana leaf, and more. Savour your creations at the end of your session as you enjoy the idyllic garden setting of the cooking school. Today's emphasis is on having fun and learning a little about a little-known yet delicious cuisine.

After the class, travel by private vehicle to Kuang Si Falls, approximately a 35-minute drive, one of the most beautiful falls in Laos. Have the chance to swim and relax amidst verdant jungle surrounds in the turquoise pools at the base of the falls. Also, get up close to some Asiatic Black Bears, which are cared for at a bear sanctuary near the falls. Many of these bears have been saved from the illegal wildlife trade or have been placed here as a result of habitat degradation. Following your visit to the falls, return to your hotel. Lunch included.

After breakfast, enjoy free time for your own exploration of Luang Prabang until your departure flight. The rest of the morning is at leisure.