Andrew / Strong Travel / VOS - US

Transcription

1 Leisure Consultant: Anh Thai (Ms.) Date: December 07, 2010 (Take out hotel and round trip transfers in Singapore) Guest s Name: GROUP TO LUANG PRABANG, LAOS IN OCTOBER 2011 Please give full passport information for flight reservation & hotel check-in Number of Guests: 2 60 persons Room type: Double/Twin/Single Rooms Room Preference: Non smoking/nice view (where available) Travel Dates: From: October 27, 2011 To: October 30, 2011 Travel Style: Cultural & History Destination/s: Luang Prabang - Laos Remarks:

2 OPTION 2 3 NIGHTS IN LUANG PRABANG, LAOS Please note that this proposed itinerary is subject to availability. We will only proceed with all reservations upon receiving your written confirmation. We recommend your confirmation as early as possible. October 27, 2011 (Thu): Singapore Bangkok (TG /0900 Economy class) Bangkok Luang Prabang (PG /1340 Economy class) 09:00 am, Flight arrives into Bangkok. On your arrival, we have arranged for a member of airport staff to be waiting for you when you enter the airport from the plane. They will be holding a sign with your group name on it and will then assist you with your luggage and check-in at Bangkok Airways desk. 11:40 am, flight PG943 departs for Luang Prabang. 01:40 pm, flight arrives into Luang Prabang. On your arrival, please look out for a representative who will be holding a sign with your group name on it and will then assist you with your visa and ensure that you pass through Immigration as quickly as possible. Please ensure that you have 1 passport photo with you and have completed your visa application form on the flight in order to ensure that this process is as quick and efficient as possible. Please make sure that your passports must be still valid 06 months prior to the expired date. Once you have passed through Customs and Immigration, our representative will be waiting to greet you in the Arrivals Area and will then transfer you to the La Residence Phouvao hotel, where you will check into a deluxe garden view room for a three-night stay. Check in time: 14:00 hrs. Early check in is subject to availability. 04:00 pm, drive to visit the Wat Pak Khan, built in 1567 overlooking Nam Khan river, it is home to six monks and 20 novices. Here you can witness the evening chanting, and learn more about a Buddhist monk s life by interacting with the head monk Mr. Onh Keo. You will also get to understand the influence of Buddhism in daily local life. 15 minutes: visit the temple 30 minutes: interact with the head monk 05:00 pm, enjoy Baci ceremony at Heritage House with traditional music & dance. Baci ceremonies are an integral part of Lao culture. Held to celebrate a special event, whether a marriage, a homecoming, or a departure, it is based on an ancient belief that the human being is a union of 32 organs and the kwan (or soul) watches over each of them. Since kwan is often the attributed cause of an illness or bad fortune, the Baci ceremony calls the kwan from wherever it may be roaming back to the body and re-establishes equilibrium. The mohkwan is a village elder who chant and call the kwan. At the end of the ceremony, the village elders wrap a white cotton thread around your wrist while chanting an invocation to strengthen the power of the blessings. In Laos, white is the color of peace, good fortune, honesty and warmth. The ceremony is set up at a 115-year-old rustic house on a lotus pond. Enjoy traditional music and dance after the ceremony.

3 06:00 pm, walk to visit night market, the only nightlife of this laid-back town, for traditional textiles and handicrafts made by the hill tribes. 07:00 pm, enjoy dinner (meal only, no drinks/water) at the original Luang Prabang institution, the renovated L Elephant remains a favourite with dinners looking for delicious, classic French fare. The menu is impressively simple and almost every dish is worth writing home about whether it s a simple pumpkin soup or a plate of boneless, stuffed quail. Meals: Dinner. Accommodation: La Residence Phou Vao / Deluxe Garden View Room October 28, 2011 (Fri): Luang Prabang Note: With the Morning Alms Giving, if you do not wish to make an offering, please keep an appropriate distance and observe the ritual in silence. Dress appropriately shoulder, chest and legs should be covered. You have the option to wake up before dawn to witness and participate in offering alms to hundreds of saffronrobed monks an awe-inspiring sight for many travelers. Please tell your guide if you wish to make an offer so he/she can prepare some food for you. This early morning ritual dates back generations in Laos. Watch the town come to life in the morning and then return to hotel for breakfast. 09:00 am: Enjoy a walking tour with your guide to visit the National Museum (closed on Tue), the former Royal Palace housing a collection of valuables including the famous Prabang Buddha statue and gifts from foreign dignitaries. 10:30 am: Continue to visit the Wat Visoun, the 16 th century temple that served as a small museum for religious artifacts; Wat Xiengthong, the 16 th century temple said to be the most beautiful temple in town, epitomizing all the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture. 12:30 pm: Enjoy lunch at hotel (Set Lao menu, meal only, no drinks/water) 02:00 pm: Proceed to visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, a non-profit museum and resource centre dedicated to the ethnic cultures of Laos. Its goal is to promote understanding, appreciation, and preservation of Laos ethnic cultures. This tour will be led by the owner/curator of the Museum Ms. Tara Gudjahur. An interaction with the founder, Ms. Tara Gujadhur, is a great way to further your understanding of the varied lifestyles and traditions of Laos ethnic diversity. Tara has a BA in Anthropology of Southeast Asia and also spent a significant amount of time in Lao rural villages conducting tourism surveys and developing community activities. 03:30 pm: Drive to Ock Pop Tok Living Crafts Centre to enjoy the Seminar the symbols of Laos led by Veo Duangdala and Joanna Smith, co-founded OckPopTok weaving workshop in April Veo comes from a family renowned for its weaving. Jo had left her career in the UK as a magazine photographer in search of something different. They met in 1999 when Veo taught Jo to weave in her village, Ban Xieng Leck, bringing the original members of OckPopTok together. The spacious grounds of the Living Crafts Centre boasts a traditional Lao wooden house, a flower garden and a beautiful river view ideal for sipping cocktails while watching the sun goes down. Enjoy a chat with one of the owners for a glimpse of the whole silk process. Try your hand at making some simple dye from amazing natural resources. 05:30 pm: Drive back to hotel.

4 7:00 pm: Dinner at your hotel (meals only, no drinks/water) Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Accommodation: La Residence Phou Vao / Deluxe Garden View Room October 29, 2011 (Sat): Biking around Luang Prabang (70-100km biking) After breakfast, head towards Pak Ou Cave, through Road 13 along the winding, hilly road. After 10km, we reach Ban Phannom, home to the Tailu hill tribe, who originally came from China a few centuries ago chat with the local people and learn more about the traditional method of silk weaving. You can purchase some beautiful wall hangings here. Return to Road 13, head northwards for another 25km, and cross the Nam Ou River by boat to reach the Pak Ou Cave where hundreds of gilded and wooden Buddha statues ranging in size from a few centimeters to a couple of metres are housed inside a towering limestone cliff. Return by boat to Luang Prabang for lunch while your bikes will be transferred. After lunch at 3 Nagas Restaurant (meal only, no drinks/water), start the afternoon ride towards Phone Say village. Lying hidden along the Mekong River, the local women here weave textiles while the men fish. This charming village with bumpy dirt roads is perfect if you are looking for an adventure. This is also a good chance to see authentic Lao village life. 07:00 pm 09:30 pm: Enjoy 30 minute pre-dinner drinks with canapés and dinner at the World Heritage Villa, just 2 minutes drive from the hotel. A dining experience you will never forget at this World Heritage Unesco site, where we will set the tone with lighting and an incredible dinner in this heaven of peace surrounded by water and lotus flowers. The dinner event is inclusive of: - 30 minute pre-dinner drinks with canapés including House white & red wine, Lao beer, soft drinks (Coke, Diet coke, Sprite, Fanta, Tonic, Fresh fruit juices, Soda water and Mineral water), Snacks (cashew nuts and cheese bread sticks), as well as the following selection of 4 canapés per person. Canapés selection: Breaded chicken lollipop on lemongrass skewer Ham Bruschetta Crispy vegetable spring roll Shrimp and marinated mango toast - Set Lao Dinner with two hour free flow of House white & red wine, Lao beer, soft drinks (Coke, Diet coke, Sprite, Fanta, Tonic, Fresh fruit juices, Soda water and Mineral water). - Private Classical dance during the pre-dinner drinks and dinner. Each dance lasts 7 to 10 minutes. A classical dance has around 6 dances for approximate 1 hour. We will set up a couple of dances during the 30 minutes pre dinner drinks and then spread the dances throughout dinner for the group to enjoy the show and the music without being obtrusive if it is played constantly. Note: Dinner at the villa of the World Heritage Villa is just for a group of 15 persons up. If the group is below 15 persons, the dinner will be at the hotel (meal only, no drinks/water). Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Accommodation: La Residence Phou Vao / Deluxe Garden View Room

5 October 30, 2011 (Sun): Luang Prabang Bangkok (PG / Economy class) Bangkok Singapore (TG /2245 Economy class) Morning is free at leisure until check out of hotel by 12:00 noon. Transfer to the airport for the afternoon flight to Singapore via Bangkok. On arrival, you will make your own transfer from Singapore airport to your hotel for check in. Lunch and Dinner are on own. No services in Singapore are required. Meals: Accommodation: End of services Breakfast Fairmont Hotel / Own arrangement I/ HOTEL & LAND TOUR COST WITHOUT The tour cost is based on the above suggested hotel/room categories. It is subject to change due to space unavailability when making reservation. 01 FOC for tour leader in one single room from range of 15 paying persons to 29 paying persons. 02 FOCs for tour leaders in one double room from range of 30 paying persons onwards. All tour prices (except airfares) are valid from 01 Oct 2011 until 31 Oct PAX 3-4 PAX 5-6 PAX Single Supplement US$ 1,567 US$ 1,424 US$ 1,308 US$ 587 room per night for upgrade to Deluxe Residence PV hotel 7-10 PAX PAX Single Supplement US$ 1,298 US$ 1,250 US$ 587 US$35

6 15-19 Paying PAX + 1 FOC in SGL Paying PAX + 1 FOC in SGL Paying PAX + 1 FOC in SGL Single Supplement US$ 1,528 US$ 1,460 US$ 1,420 US$ Paying PAX Paying PAX Paying PAX Single Supplement US$ 1,412 US$ 1,390 US$ 1,371 US$ Paying PAX Paying PAX Paying PAX Single Supplement US$ 1,358 US$ 1,347 US$ 1,337 US$ 587 II/ Airfares Airfare SIN-BKK-LPQ as of April 15, 2010: US$, per person and airport tax is included in airfare Airfare SIN-BKK-LPQ & LPQ-BKK-SIN as of April 15, 2010: US$, per person and airport tax is included in airfare US$, per economy class ticket and WITHOUT ANY FOC for the trip leader US$664 US$1,106 Note: - The above is our airfare as of April 15, This airfare is NOT inclusive of any FOC for the trip leader. - The above airfare is subject to change in accordance with actual airfares upon ticket issuance.

7 SERVICES TO BE INCLUDED & NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR COST Inclusive of Laos visa Fast track service in Bangkok (on October 27 only) Airport arrival/departure assistance service in Luang Prabang 3 nights hotel with daily breakfast in Luang Prabang Private transfers and transportation on tour as per program Separate luggage trucks with porter Local English speaking guide Entrance fees and private boat ride as per program Local bikes in Luang Prabang Special activities as mentioned in the program Meals with or without drinks as specified in the program Water & tissue on sightseeing days Non-inclusive of: All flights (please see separate costs given above) Hotel Accommodation in Singapore All services in Singapore Other meals & drinks where not included in the itinerary Hotel early check in / late check out Overweight luggage Personal expenses Travel & Trip insurance Tips & gratuities Other services not listed in inclusive column * Note: the regular hotel check-in hour and 1200pm