Code:	TQ 09
Routes:	Kunming - Lijiang - Stone Forest - Jianshui - Mojiang - Jinghong (Xishuangbanna) - Jinghong - Menglun - Mengla - Mohang/Boten - Luang Namtha - Oudomxai-Nongkhio-Luang Prabang - Vientiane
Duration:	12 Days

Itinerary in brief

Day 1   : Arrival - Kunming
Day 2   : Kunming - Stone Forest
Day 3   : Stone Forest - Jianshui
Day 4   : Jianshui - Mojiang
Day 5   : Mojiang - Jinghong
Day 6   : Jinghong
Day 7   : Jinghong - Menglun - Mengla
Day 8   : Mengla - Mohang/Boten - Luang Namtha
Day 9   : Luang Namtha - Oudomxai
Day 10 : Oudomxai-Nongkhio-Luang Prabang
Day 11 : Luang Prabang - Vientiane
Day 12 : Vientiane - departure

Detail Itinerary

Day 1 : Arrival - Kunming (Dinner*)
After the formalities at the airport, transfer to the Horison Jianguo Hotel. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at the Horizon Jianguo Hotel.

Day 2 : Kunming - Stone Forest (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the Stone Forest. On the way, you will visit the Golden Temple, a unique Taoist temple, a jade factory and an ostrich farm. Lunch at the Stone Forest. In the afternoon, discover one of China's most remarkable phenomena. The Stone Forest consists of innumerable bizarre-shaped ancient limestone cliffs and peaks created by wind and water erosion some 200 million years ago. Dinner at local restaurant followed by a Sani dance show. Overnight at the Stone Forest Hotel.

Day 3 : Stone Forest - Jianshui (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Jianshui through very beautiful scenery. On arrival lunch at Linan Hotel. In the afternoon, you will have time to visit Jianshui which was in ancient time a very important political center and is still today a very interesting city because of its special architecture; the Temple of Confucius set in a magnificent way with its glistening glazed tiled roof; the garden of the Family Zhu, a typical residential structure of southern Yunnan; the Twin Dragon Bridge which was built during the Qing Dynasty. Dinner and overnight at Linan Hotel.

Day 4 : Jianshui - Mojiang (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Simao through subtropical landscape and fabulous view to deep ravines, endless terraced rice padies, sugar cane and tea plantations. Stop at villages to discover the countryside life of the Chinese peasants. Lunch en route. Dinner and overnight at Zijin Hotel.

Day 5 : Mojiang - Jinghong (Xishuangbanna) (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at the hotel. Continue the route through a lush and overflowing jungle filled with impenetrable greenery. Lunch en route. You will finally come out high above a river valley and then rapidly descend towards the huge yellow bends of the Mekong River. Dinner and overnight at the Dai Garden Hotel.

Day 6 : Jinghong (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at the hotel. A day drive through a marvellously rich and fecund area, holding one quarter of China's animals and one sixth of its plants species. On the way, stop at a typical Dai Village and market, the Dai being one of Yunnan's major minority groups. In Xiaomenglun, you wil visit the Tropical Garden, one of the richest botanical concentrations in the world. Lunch en route. Dinner with dances and songs of the Xishuangbanna minorities. Overnight at the Dai Garden Hotel.

Day 7 : Jinghong - Menglun - Mengla (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at the hotel. A drive of 176 km, traveling through a marvelously rich and fecund area, holding one quarter of China's faunal species and one sixth of its plants. On the way, stop at a Hani village and at a typical Dai market, the Dai being one of Yunnan's major minority groups. In Xiaomenglun, you will also visit the Tropical Botanical Center, one of the richest botanical concentrations in the world. Lunch en route. Dinner and overnight at the Jin Xiu Hotel of Mengla.

Day 8 : Mengla - Mohang/Boten - Luang Namtha (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Mohang for custom & immigration clearance. After crossing the Chinese-Laos border, lunch at Boten. Drive to Luang Namtha. On the way, discover the minority villages of Thai Dam and Thai Neua. Dinner and overnight at the Boat Landing Guesthouse.

Day 9 : Luang Namtha - Oudomxai (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at the hotel. Excursion by car to Oudomxai about 112 Kms. On the way, stop over to visit. China border at Boten and continue driving to Oudomxai. Lunch at a local restaurant at Ban Nateuy. After lunch, continue excursion to Oudomxai and many stops can be visited at minority villages of Hmong, Khmou, Ikor Noy. Arrive Oudomxai before sunset and check in hotel in town. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the Singthong hotel.

Day 10 : Oudomxai-Nongkhio-Luang Prabang (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at local restaurant. Visit local market of Oudomxai to wach minority hill tribes to barter and exchange goods. Then excursion by car to Nongkhio. On the way, stop over to visiit tai Hoon at Ban Mouang Hoon, and Hmong village at Ban Chong Cha and arrive Nongkhio before lunch. Lunch at local restaurant at Nong Khio
After lunch, continue excursion by boat to Luang Prabang approximately 4 hours. Enroute, stop over to visit Tham Ting and Tham Phoum at Pak Ou where is housing a hundred Buddha inside and Ban Xang Hai where sticky rice wine distillation can be seen. Arrive Luang Prabang at late afternoon. Transfer to hotel for check in at Villa Santi Hotel or similar. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 : Luang Prabang - Vientiane (B, L, D*)
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit main highlights of Luang Prabang: National Museum the former Royal King Palace, Wat Xieng Thong, Phousi Hill, Wat Visoun and Wat Aham. Lunch at hotel. Transfer to airport and flight to Vientiane. Arrive in Vientiane, transfer to the Lao Plaza Hotel. If time permit sightseeing tour of Vientiane including visits to Hophrakeo; Wat Si Saket, Patousay (the Arc of Triumph). Dinner and overnight at the Lao Plaza Hotel.

Day 12 : Vientiane - departure (B*)
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to airport for departure flight to next destination.

*** The detailed programme and schedule flights are subject to change without prior notice.

*B : Breakfast, L : Lunch, D : Dinner