Laos forum

I did a similar trip back in 2004, going from LP to Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars then on to Vientiane . It was great, and I thought that PofJ was really something special.

Having said that, I had about 4 more days than you have available, and there is so much to see and do in Luang Prabang alone that you could easily spend the entire time in that area.

Don't sell Vientiane short either. There are heaps of great temples, museums, culture shows, and just everyday life to keep you busy for several days too.

Given the timeframe you have, I suspect you'll have to fly. Lao Airways doesn't list the LP to Xieng Khouang (the name for Phonsavan ) route on its route list, but it shows it on its route map and also shows a stopover in Xieng Khouang on one of the flights to/from LP and VTE.

Like Somtam says, you can easily knock out the tours of the PofJ and explore the town in a 24-hour period, although two nights and one full day might be more ideal.

I think Rufus is the in-house expert on Laos these days and has been very generous checking out details for others on their trips to Laos.

Either way, given the brief amount of time you have, I'd recommend flying both the LP to PofJ and PofJ to VTE legs of this journey if you can.

Alternatively, you can skip PofJ, which gives you the choice of a quick and scenic flight from LP to VTE or a long but amazing all-day bus ride along the same route. Have fun.

I've looked on the Lao Airline website and the domestic routes shown here do not include flights to / from Phonsavan.

Can you tell me which airline/s fly there?
I would ideally like to fly from Pakse....

Lao Airlines offers flights to Xieng Khouang/ Phonsavan but they discontinued their regular flights between Phonsavan and Luang Prabang due to a lack of demand. During the peak season, however, they do fly once per week. Oh, and as Rufus posted, no direct flights betwix Phonsavan/XK and Pakse. YOu have to connect via Vieng Chang.