UNESCO Trail: The Hidden Jewels of Southeast Asia

Check-in hotel. Free and easy.

This classic walking tour offers you opportunities to learn and understand more about local culture and the importance of heritage sites that reflect Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). We’ll depart on foot from the City Tourist Information Center. Your guide will explain about the site, its history, and the reasons behind its inscription to the World Heritage UNESCO List in 1995.

First, we’ll stop at a morning market to see local produce that is grown in the mountains outside Luang Prabang and on local farms. We’ll take a walk along the main road to see the exceptional fusion of traditional Laos style and well preserved colonial architecture from the 19th-20th centuries.

Then, we’ll wander through small streets and alleys to witness local homes and the rural Laos lifestyle that local people have maintained for centuries. We’ll stop at a small temple inside the community. We’ll make another stop to taste local snacks made by a small business and see how they are made. Then, we’ll make our way to Wat Xiengthong to see this historic Buddhist temple.

Finally, you’ll end your unforgettable Luang Prabang walking tour at the tip of the town’s peninsula where you’ll glimpse the stunning views at the confluence of the Mekong and Khan Rivers.

On this morning tour, you will escape from the stress of modern life of the city and step into the tranquil world of Kuang Si Waterfall, it is time to go back to nature and have a great breathtaking of fresh air!

On the way, you will make some stop and visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Na Oun, Hmong village. After that, we continue the journey to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails.

Next, we’ll stop at the Asiatic Black Bear Sanctuary that is set up along the path to the Kuang Si waterfalls. The bears have been rescued from various farms within Laos where they have been abused. Return to Luang Prabang. Overnight at the hotel.

Pick up at your hotel. This early morning start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron – clad monks collect offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents, and this tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. At the same time, you will be experienced the richness and magnificence of Laos's cultural and traditional heritage.

After breakfast, your exploration today will be the morning fresh market, where you can see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, with a visit to the major temples which is very impressive Wat Mai, the former royal monastery and it was a home for Lao Buddhist Supreme monk.

At the same time, you will be enhanced learning experiences about the Buddhism how the Buddhist monks and Lao people believe and practice for thousands of years until today. From there you will visit the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. Then, you will visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center and learn about different ethnic diversities, rural life styles and handicrafts in Laos. Check out and departure.

Pick up at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and transfer to hotel in Melaka. Check-in hotel. You are free to explore Melaka City on your own.

As you discover the heritage sites in UNESCO World Heritage Site Melaka, how the foreign power colonized Melaka, you will also hear stories of different ethnics, the trades they practiced and their traditions and beliefs, many of which endure even today. Let our guide take you on a leisurely around Melaka city including the famous Jonker street and multicultural religious places in Harmony street while greeting the local community.

Before continuing the journey, we will taste Melaka traditional food at the local stall. Then, we will walk to the historic landmark of Dutch Square to visit the Christ Church and iconic red building of Stadthuys. Next, we will climb the St. Paul Hill to where you can witness the amazing view of Melaka city and hear the stories of St. Francis Xavier, the pioneer of Catholic missionary in Southeast Asia. Located at the downtown of St. Paul Hill, A Famosa is one of the popular sites in Melaka not only for photo stop but important as the oldest surviving European architecture remains in Asia.

We will stop by local restaurant in Heeren Street or known as the Millionaire Street for another rest before heading to Baba Nyonya Museum as our last stop. After that, you will have your time to strolling around the area before heading back to hotel to refresh yourself and prepare for night activity. At night, we will depart to Kee Ann Night Market or widely known as Jonket Street Night Market that operated every Friday until Sunday night for dinner (at own cost). It is the best place for local street food, entertainment and shopping.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart to Bukit Cina, an ancestral cemetery Chinese community in Melaka. At the foot of Bukit Cina, there is Poh San Teng Temple where the King’s Well is located. The 15th century well was important as water resources to the residents and also used as target to invade the city by poisoning it.

Next, we will adjourn to Butterfly and Reptile Sanctuary and have our lunch at local Nyonya restaurant. After lunch, we will stop by to Kampung Chetti, another minority community in Melaka. Before heading back to hotel, we will dine in Portuguese Settlement that famous for its seafood. Enjoy the sunset view in Portuguese Settlement is the best way to end your journey.

Check out hotel. Free and easy. Depart to Jakarta (recommended for afternoon arrival).

Borobudur is well known as one of UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southeast Asia. Moreover, the life in surrounding villages is another thing to experience. You will start your journey with morning village walk where we can witness the local doing the agriculture and processing some food ingredients for you to engage. It is including the making of palm sugar, soy cake or locally known as ‘tempe’ making process, learning experience of traditional noodle making.

You will understand the Javanese gastronomy from the collecting ingredients of daily food, also learning how the local process the food in an original way using local indigenous knowledge until the final process which is the cooking; the tour will be finished with cooking experience of the Javanese dishes and serve as lunch.

At noon, we will visit the legendary Borobudur temple compound, we will start from the conservation center to understand why Borobudur become one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and continue to enter the temple. Borobudur temple compound is an outstanding example of Indonesia’s art and architecture from between the early 8th and late 9th centuries. The site exerted considerable influence on an architectural revival between the mid-13th and early 16th centuries.

After leaving the Borobudur temple complex, we’ll meet some local people who collect the palm sugar from palm trees. They will teach us the process of collecting and cultivating the palm sugar in order to use it and sell it.

From Magelang, we will depart to Jogjakarta for the city tour. Enjoy your journey by visiting the iconic places in Jogjakarta such as Sultan Palace, Tamansari Water Castle, Ratu Boko Temple and Prambanan Temple. Prambanan Temple is another UNESCO Heritage Site that represents the epic of Ramayana, dedicated to the Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. After that, you will have your dinner at the local restaurant before continue with the next activity. Lastly, enjoy the Ramayana theatre to understand more about the stories behind the Prambanan Temple. Return to hotel.

End of the journey. Free and easy until departure.