Your adventure starts in Vientiane. Begin with a half-day city tour, where your guide will show you the temples of Wat Si Saket and Wat Phra Keo, introducing you to Laotian religion and customs, as well as the Patuxai Monument, modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. As the evening draws in, travel by tuk tuk to the night market for some local snacks before sitting down to sindat - a local tabletop-style barbecue and a staple in the Laotian dining scene.

Your trip slips into a different gear as a short flight takes you to rural southern Laos, where everything is that little bit slower and undisturbed. The 4,000 Islands, south of Champasak, is a languid place of hammocks, palm trees and fishermen where you’ll spend a day hopping between islands by ferry and mountain bike. Your eager guide knows the region like the back of his hand and will show you ancient temples and weaving villages, telling tales of local customs and traditions. Sit down with a local family for a home-cooked lunch before cycling down dirt tracks across islands where cars can’t reach.

A scenic drive north brings you to the refreshing climes of the Bolaven Plateau. Here, you’ll cut a trail in a vintage jeep across the fertile plains to explore waterfalls and ethnic minority villages. Visit a family-run coffee plantation where, thanks to the cool microclimate, they cultivate world-beating coffee and you’ll see the whole process from bean to cup. You'll also pay a visit to the twin-chute Tad Fane waterfall, where you'll have the opportunity to zipline and traverse suspension bridges on a morning of adventure exploration.

Your adventure ends in Luang Prabang with a wide selection of Lao culture, people and animals. First up, you’ll meet the elephants that live at MandaLao Sanctuary, before trying your hand at tye-dying at the social enterprise center Ock Pop Tock. You’ll get knee deep in mud at Living Land Organic Farm to find out how rice is grown with the help of water buffalo instead of modern machinery, before experiencing nightlife Laotian style with a game of petanque (boules) at the local club. Head into the hills to swim in the pools of Kuang Si Waterfall and meet buffalo at a local dairy, and join a local chef for a cookery class designed for children. It's not all action-packed though - itn and around the activities there's plenty of time to relax by the pool and explore the markets for that perfect souvenir.