day tour
Tour Level: Relaxed/Easy
Tour Comfort: Luxury
Tour Period: 5:45 - 7:30 hours
tour details
Join us for an early morning cruise to observe the Buddhist ritual of giving morning alms.
Why choose this tour?
This private tour will take you to witness a very special daily ritual of locals in Laos – morning almsgiving or ‘Tak Bat’. This is an alternative location, away from the main street of Luang Prabang, from which to observe this daily ritual. From the short cruise on the Mekong River to breakfast overlooking it, marvel at the striking colours and serene atmosphere, bathed in beautiful early morning light.
tour description
One of the best ways to explore the culture of Laos is to take part in one of the local Buddhist customs. Morning Alms or ‘Tak Bat’ is a renowned daily Buddhist ritual. At dawn, the saffron-clad monks leave their wats and walk barefoot through the streets and the local people kneel silently and present food offerings which they place in the bowl or ‘bat’. Ban Don Kao is a semi-rural village where it is still possible to observe this timeless ceremony in its original simplicity away from the busy tourist areas in Luang Prabang town.
At 5:45 hours: Board the iMekong boat for a magical dawn journey along the Mekong. Enjoy the tranquillity and soft colours of the early morning and observe life on the river at this hour.
Arrive at Ban Don Kao, about 6km outside of Luang Prabang, and be greeted by your host, a social anthropologist, in her Mekong riverside property. A short walk will take you to witness a daily ritual of locals in Laos – morning almsgiving or ‘Tak Bat’. This ritual is an integral part of the Buddhist traditions in Laos. The giving, earns merit, or ‘bun’, towards their next life, improving their existence the next time on earth.
Enjoy breakfast with your host on a terrace overlooking the Mekong while watching the sunrise and grace a new day. Breakfast is lovingly prepared, by a host who is herself a food lover, and provides a delicious choice of fare, including local, homemade products.
Return by boat to Luang Prabang for 7:30 hours.
At 5:45 hours: Board the iMekong boat for a magical dawn journey along the Mekong. Enjoy the tranquillity and soft colours of the early morning and observe life on the river at this hour.
Arrive at Ban Don Kao, about 6km outside of Luang Prabang, and be greeted by your host, a social anthropologist, in her Mekong riverside property. A short walk will take you to witness a daily ritual of locals in Laos – morning almsgiving or ‘Tak Bat’. This ritual is an integral part of the Buddhist traditions in Laos. The giving, earns merit, or ‘bun’, towards their next life, improving their existence the next time on earth.
Enjoy breakfast with your host on a terrace overlooking the Mekong while watching the sunrise and grace a new day. Breakfast is lovingly prepared, by a host who is herself a food lover, and provides a delicious choice of fare, including local, homemade products.
Return by boat to Luang Prabang for 7:30 hours.
customise the tour
- Combine with another half day tour:
- Discover Lao cuisine on a cooking class
- Nature lovers will enjoy a trip to Kuang Si waterfall
- Animal lovers can experience a once in a lifetime Elephant Trek
- Culture lovers can become immersed in a City and Temples tour
includes
- Meals as described in the programme B=BreakfastLuxury
- Boat fee
- Non-alcoholic beverages including juice
- Entrance fees.
- Service charges and taxes.
excludes
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal expenditure, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, camera fees, communications, postage, gratuities etc.
- Meals and services other than mentioned in the programme
Tour code: AALMED
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