Jungle & Sunsets Honeymoon

Begin your honeymoon in the ancient city of Luang Prabang at the beautiful Satri House. Recover from your flight relaxing by the garden pool, surrounded by shady palms, before setting out to explore the city. Begin your mornings with the Sai Bat, offering alms to the Buddhist monks, and stroll through the markets filled with hand-crafted local textiles, jewellery and local delicacies like coconut pancakes. Enjoy a half-day exploration of the town by bicycle, following the quiet back lanes to heritage houses, enchanting temples and the Royal Palace to enjoy a refreshing iced tea in the gardens.  Experience local farm life whilst meeting local farmer Laut Lee in the rice fields to learn how to make Lao noodles called ‘kapoen’  before heading to the Kuang Li Waterfall. Here you can swim in the magical turquoise pools and visit the Asiatic Bear Rescue Centre to learn about these rare creatures. In the evenings, float down the Mekong River on a private sunset cruise, try your hand at petanque and enjoy a local style barbecue.

Experience the beautiful jungle mountains and meet the ‘People of Heaven’ of Northern Laos, staying two nights at the Muang La Lodge on the banks of the Nam Park River. Pick from a variety of different walks or drives in this remote paradise, visiting the teak villages of the traditional ethnic communities of the region and wandering through rice fields and across bamboo bridges. Discover mountain caves and the temple of Wat Hoytiripphabath – home to an immense reclining Buddha – before heading back to the boutique lodge for a traditional hot spring bath or massage. Cross the lodge’s bride to swim in the infinity pool on its own private island and enjoy a sunset aperitif of champagne watching a traditional Khamu music and dance show. Spend a romantic evening by candlelight in the lodge’s Sala, sampling local Lao dishes with a modern twist.

Drive to the Mandala Ou Resort, high on the banks of the scenic Nam Ou River and surrounded by limestone mountain, caves and rainforest – all of which can be enjoyed on your own private bungalow terrace. From here, you can visit the historic Patok caves and hike to the top of a mountain to enjoy a panoramic view of the unique Laos rural countryside. Spend one of your days on a waterfall trek, taking a riverboat downstream to a local Hmong Village and following local trails through rice paddies to follow a cascading stream to a waterfall. Here you can enjoy a traditional Lao picnic lunch from folded banana leaves before cooling-off in the waterfall pools. At the end of your two-day stay, guests can kayak most of the way back to Luang Prabang past the beautiful Pak Ou Caves for one more night at the ancient city.

Arrive back in Luang Prabang for a luxurious overnight stay in Satri House before your flight to Paksa the following day. In the afternoon, hike Phousi Hill in the middle of the city to see the glowing golden spire of Wat Chom Si lit up spectacularly at sunset, enjoying panoramic views over the city. In the evening, enjoy a relaxing soak in the jacuzzi or a lemongrass and lime massage at the in-house spa before a sundowner at the bar. Dine on Western and Asian specialities whilst overlooking Satri House’s garden oasis.

Fly from Luang Prabang to Pakse for an incredible overnight Mystic Mountain Coffee homestay experience, on a local coffee farm surrounded by tropical Dong Hua Sao jungle. Spend the day on a famous jeep tour of the volcano-made Bolaven Plateau to visit the Tad Fan and Tad Moan waterfalls and traditional villages. Here you will learn how to grow and harvest coffee, learning when it’s ripe through its smell and sounds, before sampling the coffee for yourself. Be treated to a delicious home-cooked lunch of Laotian flavourful dishes, made by your homestay family before sleeping in a traditional thatch-roofed bamboo bungalow.

Stay three nights at La Folie Lodge on the Don Daeng Island – known as ‘the red island’ in the Champasak southern province. This is a secluded car-free island sitting along the Mekong River, known for its traditional lifestyle, wonderful hospitality and sacred mountains. Guests can sleep in a luxury wooden bungalow with a private balcony offering views over unspoilt sandy beaches, inhabited by fishermen and lazy buffalo. Relax in the beautiful pool overlooking the Mekong River or enjoy a yoga class watching local life go by. Hop on a mountain bike to experience the hidden 4,000 islands or the Si Phan Don – a riverine archipelago in whose waters visitors have been known to spot freshwater dolphins. Lastly, visit the UNESCO Wat Phou Temple at the base of Mount Phou Khao, built in the 6-13th centuries, and wander through the surrounding Frangipani trees before enjoying a picnic breakfast.

Finish your honeymoon in ultimate island luxury, spending five nights at Six Senses Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay. Guests enjoy total privacy in their elevated villas with a private pool and breathtaking views over the Andaman waters and limestone pinnacle islands. Island hop on a longtail boat for a private sunrise breakfast, a barbeque lunch or an intimate sundowner with champagne and nibbles. Kayak in Pa Koh’s unspoiled mangrove lagoons and feel as if you are in a James Bond Movie on the Phi Phi Islands, strolling down the secluded beaches surrounded by lush jungle. Spend a day cycling Yao Noi, discovering its well-kept secrets, exploring the island’s coconut and rubber plantations before scuba diving or snorkelling in vibrant coral gardens. In the evenings, unwind with hatha yoga or a Thai herbal massage before enjoying authentic Thai cuisine on the beach.