Upon arrival at the Luang Prabang airport, our local guide will meet us and transfer us to the hotel for checking in. Luang Prabang, located in the center of northern Laos, is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding cultural, historical and architectural values. It boasts a harmonious relationship between the natural and human-made environment. We re free to take a stroll around the city for our first impression of this ancient city.

After breakfast, we take the tuk-tuk to the meeting point in town. We enjoy a 15-minute boat trip down the Mekong river on The Pha Tad Ke boat which departs Ban Wat That at 9:00 (We are to arrive at the pier by 8:45). We receive a short presentation about the gardens upon arrival at the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden reception. We walk through the centerpiece of the gardens, the Ginger and the Ethno-botanic Garden. We follow down the path through the Limestone Walk and take in the fantastic mountainous Mekong landscape. We learn how to make a bamboo stick animal at the site which used to be a former royal family's hunting lodge. We continue walking through the Arboretum, Palm Garden and Bamboo Garden to our viewpoint that overlooks the rice fields. We stop by the Mist House to learn more about the vitality of biodiversity conservation. We can take an optional orchid talk at the Pha Tad Ke Nursery. The gardens have panels and labels. We are free to ask the expert staff any questions we might have.

We enjoy a delicious Lao set lunch at the Pha Tad Ke café before taking the boat back to Luang Prabang.

In the afternoon we visit the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. Continue to Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief, which is one of the most beautiful temples in town.

If time permits, we take our time to observe the local lifestyle around the streets. Late afternoon, we head to the top of Mount Phousi which offers an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa. The spot also offers the panoramic sunset view of the city alongside the Mekong River. Finally, we visit the famous Night Market, where we stumble across a lovely selection of local handmade textiles made by the hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.

After breakfast at the hotel, we start cycling to the Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park (Note: closed on 01 Jan; 15 Apr – 30 Jun and 01-14 Sep every year). The mission of this park is to create a research center and study the different species of butterflies in Laos. It focuses on publishing about these butterflies, host plants and preservation.

We then continue to cycle further to the cascading Kuang Si waterfalls. The falls is the biggest in the Luang Prabang area with three tiers leading to a 50-meter drop into pristine azure pools before flowing downstream. The lakes make great swimming holes and are very popular with both tourists and locals.

We have the chance to walk to the nearby village of Ban Thapene, rarely visited by tourists, we can explore the hidden waterfalls there.

If we wish, we can make a short visit to the Bear Rescue Center. The center houses a couple of dozen animals rescued from the hands of poachers and traffickers.

Back on the way to Luang Prabang, we take a short visit to the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, set serenely close to the Mekong, this beautiful, traditionally styled workshop, where weavers, spinners and batik makers produce top-quality fabrics. The workshop offers free tours every half-hour. The spot also offers a view of one of the most admiring sunsets in Luang Prabang. We cycle back to our hotel late afternoon.

After breakfast, we will cycle through the countryside to Nong Khiaw. Along the way, there is plenty of chance to visit the local village, admire the view, or take some rest. We arrive in Nong Khiaw mid-afternoon, check-in at the hotel to take some rest.

If we wish, we can cycle around the town to see the local life or visit the nearby historical Tham Phathok. Cycle back to the hotel while the sun is setting behind the mountain.

Our day of adventure begins with a serene boat ride on the Nam Ou River, in Northern Laos. Along the riverside lies a small Lao village which we can explore to learn about the village lifestyle.

We begin the '100 Waterfalls Adventure Trail', walking through rice paddies and small streams. We arrive at the bottom of the 100 Waterfalls which were only recently first explored in October 2008. The next few hours we the serene sound of the waterfall cascades are music to our ears accompanying the amazingly green landscape. The pools around seem to invite us for a splash in its refreshing waters. Our local guide will prepare us a local style lunch for us to enjoy.

We head down the valley hiking through a small village trail leading down from the top of the '100 Waterfalls'. The path offers extensive views over the Nam Ou valley.

Once back in the village we will have some more time to experience the daily life of the Nam Ou riverside village before heading back to Nong Khiaw (Nong Khiau) by boat.

After breakfast, we transfer back to Luang Prabang. After about a 20 minute drive, we will take a right turn at Ban Bom onto the dirt road to Ban Na Yang (12km from the main road), which is the Thai Lue minority village. The village has traditional houses and showcases hand-weaving technique.

After that, we are transferred directly to Ban Pak Ou, where we take our lunch (on our own) at the riverside restaurant overlooking the Nam Ou River, and Mekong River.

The afternoon follows with a visit to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. The pilgrims left the two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold-plated Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes.

After some safety briefing, we start paddling down the Mekong River back to Luang Prabang.

We arrive and transfer to the hotel in Luang Prabang just before the sunset.

We are free to stroll around the resort and the nearby village or relax at the inviting pool before taking the departure flight. Upon arrival at Siem Reap, we are picked up from the airport and then transferred to check-in at the hotel.

After our breakfast at the hotel, we start our sightseeing tour by bike to the Angkor area where we spend our day exploring the spectacular ancient ruins. Famous for its series of giant human faces carved in stone at the South Gate of Angkor Thom, the impressive Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, the Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and the Angkor Wat temple complex which is the largest and the most complete temple. This 12th-century architectural masterpiece covers an area of about 210 hectares. We then continue to Preah Khan, built in 1191 during the reign of King Jayavarman VII; a warrior king celebrated for reconstructing the once fragmented Khmer Empire. In 1165, when Jayavarman rushed home from the Cham Kingdom, he arrived too late to prevent Tribhuvanadityavarman from crowning himself as the King of the Khmers at the island of Neak Pean.

We continue our visit to the temple of Ta Prohm. The jungle covered temple is an astounding sight. Enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers embrace the stone foundations of the structure. Such a view gives us an impression of the powerful forces of nature reclaiming man's creation.

After our breakfast at the hotel and we pedal our way into the tranquil village of Wat Tabeng. We then continue to head out of town to the temple of Banteay Srei, an intricately carved and well-preserved monument.

We drive through the countryside to the Phnom Kulen Mountain, regarded as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire by the Cambodians. It stands out from the surrounding plains and provides Siem Reap with its water. 487m is the height of its highest peak.

We visit a modern style pagoda that lies on the top of the mountain where King Jayavarman II claimed independence from Java in 802 A.D. We also see the eight-meter tall statue of a reclining Buddha and purify our mind and body by washing our hands at the Linga statue. We continue to visit the River of One Thousand Lingas. We then take a refreshing swim in the stream and pool of the magnificent waterfall nearby.

After breakfast, we return from the Koulen mountain. Located south of Siem Reap, we visit the floating village of Chong Khneas. We climb on a traditional wooden boat on the Tonle Sap Lake. The "Great Lake" of Cambodia is also one of the largest lakes in Asia.