Suggestions on Itinerary in LAOS!!!!!

Hello folks,

My gf and myself will be in Laos for 10+ days during X'mas time via Bangkok (BKK) and would like to ask for comments from all of you who have been there...

My preliminary Itin is:-

22 Dec - arriving in BKK at night
23 Dec - taking noon flight to Luang Prabang (LP)
5-6 days - LP and its surrondings
2-3 days - bus from LP to Vang Vieng (vv), and its surrondings
1-2 days - bus from vv to Capital
early Jan - cross the border to Thailand, catching night train back to BKK
3 Jan - noon flight back

My questions are...

I am not sure whether 5-6 days in LP is too much or just appropriate. Same query for my stay in vv and Capital.

If it's too much, then I am thinking of taking domestic flight to Plain of Jars from LB, staying there for 1 or 2 days, then flight again to Capital. So I shorten the time for each city and give it to Plain of Jars. I do not prefer to take the bus to Plain of Jars (if there is) in order to save my time.

Could anyone of you please suggest some ideas?

We are at mid 20s, love walking around, taking photos, meeting people and probably doing some outdoor water activities in vv.

Million thanks
Franky

why not fly Luam P then next am do the waterfalls and after lunch do the palace in the evening do the show at the palace and next day temples market etc etc get early am bus to plain of jars and then 1 day tour and next am to Vang vianne means 3 days [2 full days on bus] maybe after Luam P take minibus up to NonKai and then 2 days up river in mong noi 1 day walk through school yard to caves swim through the large one and then walk to on to next village, 1 day relax in your hammock watch the river go by and take boat if possible to Luam P and then early am bus to Vang V 2 days and 1 day in Vientianne is enough
please note if time is of essence there is an overnight bus direct pm from Non Kai to Bangkok airport gets there about 6am also overnight buses back to Bangkok, international bus from central bus station Vientianne to non Kai bus station

Id try to sneek in a 2-3 day trek out of LP. Otherwise, the
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<hr>meeting people<hr></blockquote>
part of you desire will be pretty much limited to tourists and those serving tourists.

i spent 10 days in and around LP and still wasn't bored when it came to leaving, didn't want to leave. 5/6 days is good time. there's lots to do, lots of trekking and beautiful scenery around.

VV is the place to go for water activities, lots of adrenallin rushes to be had around there!

If you have time, do try to make it down south. The islands down south are magnificient. Don Det is a little untouched paradise. At least it was when i was last there....

Enjoy Laos!

Id make sure you book them flights damn quick. Those ATR 72's are small planes and if you leave it much longer they will be gone. The other way round all flights from LP tp BKK are sold out from the 1st till the 5th of january.. Get skates on..

As others have warned, Luang Prabang gets an influx of tourists for the Xmas/New Year's holidays so if you're planning to take any flights with Lao Airlines OR Bangkok Airways, best to secure those flights soon, or even now!

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<hr>early Jan - cross the border to Thailand, catching night train back to BKK<hr></blockquote>

AS with the holidays, the days right after the New Year's, train travel can get booked out well in advance on the Bangkok-Nong Khai corridor so you might want to secure your train tickets in advance [possible via some Thai travel agencies but you pay a commission/fee]. Waiting until you arrive in Bangkok on Dec. 22 might be too late to secure sleeping berths. And if you try to book in Laos it's 50% more expensive.

given the time you have your itenerarie sounds quiet reasonabele (forget about going south its really great there but you have not the time). many things to see and do in and around lp so 5-6 days is ok. plain of jaws is not that great (just my opinion) to squeeze it in your tight schedule. as the others said you should book flights really soon (or now). going from nong khai to bkk can also be done by bus (if you dont get a train which is quite busy then) and you will always find a seat there. you can try to book train tickets online on the thai railway website and pick up the ticket at hualampong station in bangkok to save the fees of the travel agents (ive done that several times and had no problems).

Million thanks for all the replies.

Probably I will give a miss to Plain of Jars and southern Laos this time.

I have already booked the flight from BKK to LP on 23 Dec. Only outstanding is the night train from Nong Khai back to BKK, which I will try to email the Thai Railway to make a reservation.

Thanks again
Franky