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Plain of Jars tours

Route: Vientiane - Phonsavan - Plain of Jars - Phonsavan

The 'Plain of jars' is one of the most extraordinary attractions in Laos. This plain is strewn with 2000 year old stone containers of unknown origin. While walking through the hills, the mystery will follow you too. To begin this Laos tour, you'll fly from Vientiane to Phonsavan, a town located in hilly northwest Laos. Aside from a visit to the plain of jars in Laos, you'll also go on a short walk through the rice paddies surrounding Phonsavan. You'll visit a local minority village living in this area where they make their own Lao Whisky (Lao Lao) and weave beautiful fabrics. You can also choose to extend your stay in Phonsavan with one night. This will give you sufficient time to visit the Tham Piu cave or the waterfalls.

If you'd like to start building your own holiday in Laos, take a look at our range of bite-sized Laos tours. Alternatively, if you'd rather leave the planning to us, you can take your pick from our selection of ready-made Laos holidays.

Duration	3 days/ 2 nights Departs Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Vientiane or Vang Vieng	Accommodation	Two nights in a guest house with en-suite. Comfort level 2/3 (see accommodation)
Price	£248 per person - based on 2 people Minimum 2 travellers	Includes	Accommodation with breakfast, domestic flight to Phonsavan, guide on day 2
Transport	Domestic flight and local bus	Excludes	All other meals and excursions

Day 1: Vientiane - Phonsavan

It's day one of your Laos tour and during the morning you'll travel to the airport on your own; it's probably best to take a taxi (costs approx. £10). After a short flight you'll arrive in Phonsavan, the capital of Xieng Khouang province. While flying above the area, we could see the devastation left by the American's secret war on Laos: the B-52 bombs have left enormous craters in the landscape and this remains the province most heavily contaminated with UXO.

When you land, you'll easily be able to arrange your own transfer from the airport to the centre of Phonsavan. Around noon you'll arrive at your guest house. Leave your baggage for a bit and enjoy a fresh fruit shake before unpacking. You'll have the afternoon to spend as you please. Why not visit the MAG (Mines Advisory Group) centre, where you can find out all about how UXO affects the lives of the local people and help fund clearing efforts.

Day 2: Plain of Jars

There are three plains in the Phonsavan area of Laos where ancient sandstone jars are strewn. According to some experts, these giant jars were once used to store wine or rice. Others believe that the dead were once buried in them. Perhaps you might come up with your own ideas about their origin and what they were used for during your Laos tour. You'll visit Site 1 in the morning with your guide, where a giant urn weighing thousands of kilos can be found. According to the Laotians this jar was the victory-cup of the mythical King Jeuan, who won numerous battles in this area. Aside from this victory-cup, you'll find 250 other jars with oval or round openings and at times even with a square opening. From time to time you'll also see 'lids' with special decorations on them. However, according to archaeologists these lids were never used to shut the jars... the mystery surrounding the 'Plain of Jars' in Laos is nowhere near being solved.

Next on your Laos tour, you'll head to a local village where the inhabitants create beautifully coloured weavings which they display in front of their homes with pride. They also make their own Lao Whisky (Lao Lao) and you can buy both these creations from the villagers themselves thereby contributing directly to the local community. After a quick look round the village you'll head to Site 2 which is situated on a hill. We found this area to be wonderfully peaceful, and if you listen carefully you can hear the tinkling of cow bells in the distance. After a lunch at a small, local restaurant (own expense of around £2), you'll take a walk through the lush green rice paddies and hilly landscape with your guide to site 3. On the way you might be lucky enough to see water-buffalo or the local villagers tending their fields. At the end of the afternoon you'll arrive back at your Phonsavan guest house. After all of these activities on your Laos tour, you'll have built up quite an appetite and you'll be sure to enjoy your dinner, wherever you choose to eat!

Day 3: Phonsavan - Vientiane

It's the last day of this Laos tour and this morning you'll have some spare time to explore the city for one last time. You won't be able to miss the lucrative trade in war remnants. Many unexploded materials serve a variety of purposes. Empty cluster bombs are used as building materials for homes (see picture) and aluminium from planes is used in kitchen utensils. This module will end after breakfast.

From Phonsavan you can fly back to Vientiane. From here you can travel onwards to visit one of the most interesting cities in Laos on a Luang Prabang trip. You could also choose our southern trip in Laos and visit the Waterfalls and Rainforests of the Bolaven Plateau.

If you wish, you can extend this Laos tour with one day in Phonsavan. Or you could continue your Vietnam travels overland on our Laos to Vietnam trip.

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