On arrival in Laos, you'll be met by your private guide, who will accompany you to your hotel.

Welcome to Selective Asia! This level of personal service (such as private transfers, private tours etc) is what you can expect throughout your trip. A few services (eg boat cruises) will be shared, but we'll always make sure you're aware of these.

Rise before dawn to witness tak bat (the giving of alms to the monks who leave their pagodas to receive offerings of food from local residents) in a respectful and sensitive manner. Get an overview of the city’s history at the Royal Palace National Museum, take in the city’s iconic temples, and get a deeper insight into Laos culture at the excellent Arts and Ethnology Centre. See colourful textiles being woven in the surrounding villages, before heading back to your hotel for some downtime. Early evening, meet up with one of our friends on the ground, who’ll show you a side to the city only the locals know, and give you some insight into life in the city as you graze on streetfood, watch a traditional ceremony or even join a game of petanque.

Spend a day at MandaLao elephant sanctuary, learning about elephant conservation from the dedicated team. Located on the banks of the Nam Khan River, in prime elephant habitat, the project focuses on education and animal welfare, offering an interactive and meaningful elephant experience. The sanctuary is currently home to a handful of elephants who have spent the majority of their lives working in the region’s logging industry, and are now able to engage in natural behaviours within the safety of their new home. After an in-depth briefing, watch the elephants bathing in the river, and walk with them through the wild landscape. Share a meal of produce from the projects organic garden before heading back to Luang Prabang where the rest of your day is at leisure.

Drive to Ban Khone Kham to board a private boat and cruise down the picturesque Nam Ou River. Pass through stunning limestone karst scenery, making a stop at the village of Ban Had Kham, where they produce Lao Khao (the local rice whisky), before enjoying a riverside picnic lunch. Back on board, continue downstream to where the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers converge, to visit the incredible Pak Ou Caves. Marvel at the thousands of Buddha statues, ranging from just a couple of inches tall to the size of a human, hidden in the caves in times gone by. Stop at the Khmu tribal village of Ban Huay Kor, and at the island home of the monks of Wat Donekhoun - an ancient, yet rarely visited, temple - before heading back to Luang Prabang.

After a leisurely breakfast catch your flight to Pakse, where you’ll meet your guide and take the road south towards Si Phan Don, stopping en route to visit the atmospheric ruins of Wat Um Tomo, a 7th century Khmer temple hidden in the forest. See a range of islands, from the inhabited ones to those which are, technically, just sandbanks, all with scenic spots to enjoy. Continue south to Done Khong, the largest of the islands, where the remainder of your day will be at leisure to explore the island by foot or bike, or just settle back into the relaxed Si Phan Don pace.

Cycle right across Done Khong to the island’s southern tip, where you’ll catch a ferry to the peaceful island of Don Phi Man to cycle around the quintessentially Lao fishing village. A short ferry hop over the Mekong takes you to Don Sang Pai to visit an ancient Buddhist temple and learn about the local religion and beliefs. Continue to the neighbouring island of Don Loppadi to see the residents weaving their signature bamboo baskets and much-used fishing nets. Ride across the island to enjoy a home cooked lunch as guests of a local family, then continue to cruise through the region’s waters, passing Don Som and several small uninhabited islands, arriving back at Done Khong in the late afternoon.

Return to the mainland to travel north to the Bolaven Plateau, passing banana, tea, cardamom and coffee plantations along the way. Take refreshing break from the southern heat, stop at the stunning twin streams of the Tad Fan waterfalls, and head on to Ban Beng village where you will explore the plateau with a local guide, in a 1960’s-era Army jeep! Swim in the pools at Tad Moan waterfall and arrive at your farming homestay mid-afternoon to meet your hosts, explore the plantation and learn more about the coffee producing process from bean to cup.

Wake early and watch the sunrise over the plantation fields, sipping a cup of freshly roasted coffee, before jumping in the jeep to head off across the plateau. Stop at a few villages that most travellers never see, picnic in a picturesque spot and relax at the region’s famous Tad Lo waterfalls before travelling south towards Si Phan Don (the 4000 Islands.) Swap your jeep for a ferry across the Mekong to remote Done Deang, where the rest of your day will be at leisure to settle in to the island’s leisurely rhythm.

Take the boat to the opposite bank of the Mekong to wander in the shade of Wat Phou. This UNESCO-listed, pre-Angkorian ruin is one of South-East Asia's most dramatically situated temple sites with superb views across the Mekong River. When you’ve soaked it all in, head off for a walking tour of Champasak. Learn about the rich history of the town, and its contrasting traditional and colonial-style skyline. Chat to a local potter in their workshop, and gaze at the Sisumang Buddha - a huge image of the Buddha sitting within the remains of a Pre-Angkorian temple. Follow the riverside path past ancient ruins and a French-colonial era church, meeting local villagers at work weaving rice baskets and fish traps, before driving back to your hotel.

Your day will be at leisure to relax and make the most of the hotel's facilities.

Transfer by boat and car to Pakse airport for your onward flight.