Welcome to the “Kingdom of One Million Elephants” for an unforgettable multi-stage event offering a great mix culture and sport.
Laos is a country as yet untouched by the modern demands, stress and peace of life. Its beauty lies in the Lao people, century-old traditions and heritage, and its lush, pristine landscape.
Mysterious yet authentic, Laos is a mountainous and landlocked country sharing its borders with Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, Thailand to the west, and Myanmar and China to the north.
Laos is squeezed between vastly larger neighbors. The kingdom was initially a Khmer vassal state. After a succession dispute, the kingdom split in three in 1694 and later came under Siamese rule.
The area east of the Mekong, however, was soon wrenched back from Siam by the French, who wanted a buffer state to protect Vietnam, and set up Laos as a unified territory in 1907. Briefly occupied by Japan in 1945, a three-decade-long conflict was triggered when France wanted to retake its colony. Granted full independence in 1953, the war continued with the Communist and North Vietnam-allied Pathet Lao struggling to overthrow the French-leaning monarchy. During the Vietnam War (1964-1973) the United States heavily bombed Laos.
In 1975 the Communist Pathet Lao took control of Vientiane and ended the monarchy.
Despite being just one hour by air from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, life in Laos has continued in much the same way it has for hundreds of years although monks still outnumber tourists throughout the country. This is now rapidly changing, with tourist numbers rising every year. Indeed, Vientiane is a laid-back, yet charming cosmopolitan village.
Despite its small population, Laos has 49 ethnic groups, or tribes, from which Lao, Khmou and Hmong constitute approximately three-quarters of the population. Most tribes are small, with some having just a few hundred members.
Laos is officially Buddhist, and the national symbol, the gilded stupa of Pha That Luang, has replaced the hammer and sickle even on the state seal.
PROGRAM OF THE RACE 
Day 1: 1st May – Paris/Bangkok/Vientiane
Meet at CDG Paris
Check-in and distribution of visas and passports.
In-flight dinner
Paris / Bangkok
Bangkok / Vientiane
Day 2: 2nd May Vientiane
Arrival at Vientiane airport
Each participant will receive a bouquet of flowers
Check in at hotel, lunch and “carte blanche” for the afternoon
Vientiane is the capital of Laos
Guided visit of the Boudda Parc (Vat Xieng Khung) 25km from Vientiane.
The Golden Stupa That Luang.
Welcome Dinner.
Night in Hotel Sabaide@lao
Day 3: 3 May – Vientiane
Buffet breakfast in the hotel.
Coach departure for the banks of the Mekong for the 1st Stage.
Return to Vientiane and lunch in the Tamnak Lao restaurant.
Visit of:
- Vat Prakeo, an old royal chapel, converted into a museum.
- Arc de Triumph Patuxai
- Vat Sisakhet
Vientiane boasts several beautiful temples or wats, but one of the most impressive and interesting of them is Wat Ho Phra Keo. It was originally constructed in 1565 as the Lao royal family’s personal chapel, and as a home for the Emerald Buddha after it was snatched from northern Siam (Thailand).
Wat Si Saket was built in 1818 on the orders of King Anouvong (Sethathirath V.) in the Siamese style of Buddhist architecture, with a surrounding terrace and an ornate five-tiered roof.
Dinner in a restaurant in the town.
Night in the Sabaide@lao Hotel
Day 4: 4th May – Vientiane – Thakek
Breakfast buffet in the hotel.
Depart for Takhet by coach. Visit of Vat Prabath en route.
2nd stage Ted Xai waterfall
Continuation of journey by coach to Ban Hat Kai
Lunch in the village of Tha Bok
Coach transfer to Thakek
Night in the Riviera Hotel.
Day 5: THAKEK/SAVANNAKHET
Breakfast in the hotel.
Transfer for 3RD stage.
Half-Marathon Pha Lem along the rice-fields with the mountainous/forest back-drop of Pha Lem.
Return to Thakek and lunch in the hotel.
Depart by coach to Savannakhet, on the Mekong River. Savannakhet is the most populated capital of the province and growing business hub.It is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. The town’s proximity to Thailand’s booming economy has brought about new commercial development.
Check in at hotel and free time to relax around the pool.
Dinner in the hotel.
Night in Daosavanh Resort & Spa.
Day 6: 6 May – SAVANNAKHET/PAKSE
Breakfast in the hotel
Stage 4: Savannakhet
Transfer by coach to Pakse, 300km. Lunch en route to the Tong Hong Restaurant.
Arrival in Pakse, relatively recent town founded by the French in 1905.
Check-in and dinner in the hotel.
Night in the Pakse Hotel.
Day 7: 7 May – PAKSE/BOLIVIAN PLATEAU
Breakfast in the hotel.
Stage on the Bolovens Plateau
Lunch
A hike to the Tad Fan Falls, the highest in the country.
Tour of a tea and coffee plantation and the village of Kaleum.
Dinner and night in the Hotel Pakse
Day 8: PAKSE/CHAMPASSAK-PAKSE
Breakfast in the hotel.
Vat Phou Temples Stage
Lunch in a restaurant near the temple.
Visit of the Vat Phou Temple. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the Mekong river in Champasak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it remains today.
Return to Pakse, dinner and night in the Pakse Hotel
Day 9: PAKSE/KHONG ISLAND/PAKSE
Breakfast in the hotel.
Depart by motor-boat to the Khong Island.
The island is 18 kilometres long. The former President of Laos, Khamtai Siphandon has a residence on the island, which is a possible explanation for the high-quality of infrastructure, such as asphalted roads and electricity, on Khong Island. Locals tend to travel on longtail boats.
Khong Island is noted for its natural beauty and is a growing tourist destination.
Lunch
Bicycle ride to the Island of Khone.
Return to Pakse, dinner and night in the Pakse Hotel.
Farewell Dinner and Prize-Giving
Day 10: 10 May – PAKSE – UBON-BANGKOK/PARIS
Breakfast in the hotel.
Chill morning – Lunch in the hotel. Check out.
Transfer to border post Chomek.
Transfer to Ubon Airport/Bangkok
Transit and Flight to Paris
For more information check out the SDPO web-site:
http://www.sdpo.com/sdpo/SDPO-ENGLAND/FOULEES-DE-LA-SOIE-IN-LAOS—-THE-SILK-ROAD-RACE.html
niandicarmont 