Laos budget holiday

country:	Laos, Thailand
trip type:	A small group adventure
departures:	2008: 13 Sep, 11 Oct, 8 Nov, 6 Dec 2009: 3 Jan, 31 Jan, 28 Feb, 28 Mar, 25 Apr, 23 May, 20 Jun, 18 Jul, 15 Aug, 12 Sep, 10 Oct, 7 Nov, 5 Dec
price:	From £365 (15 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $100. We can arrange flights from the UK

Laos holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

Visit Bangkok and Chiang Mai, take a boat along the Mekong and enjoy the laid back atmosphere of Luang Prabang. Explore Vientiane - the sleepiest of capital cities that has only a few paved roads and rush hour is when the kids get out of school and take to the streets on their bikes.

You'll get the chance to go inner-tubing or cycling to local holy caves in Vang Vieng. Why be rushed around when you can take your own time - on this journey we'll take you there, and you can do the rest.

Throughout this journey we use small local hotels, eat in small restaurants, and shop for food, drinks and souvenirs in small villages and local markets thus supporting the local economy. We have also developed relationships with many of the villagers we meet along the way and travellers are encouraged to buy handicrafts (such as weaving) directly from the villagers themselves.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Arrive Bangkok.
Day 2:	Bangkok. Free day to explore. Overnight train to Chiang Mai.
Day 3:	Vientiane. Today we arrive at the 'Friendship Bridge' and our first glimpse of the mighty Mekong. We cross into the mysterious jungle republic of Laos and proceed to Vientiane, possibly the sleepiest capital city in the world.
Day 4:	Vang Vieng. Transfer by public bus to the peaceful riverside hamlet of Vang Vieng.
Day 5:	Plain of Jars. Drive to the ancient and mysterious Plain of Jars. Nobody knows the exact origin or use of these amazing artefacts, some as large as 6 tonnes.
Day 6:	Plain of Jars. Today you have a whole day to explore the Plain of Jars.
Day 7:	Luang Prabang. Continue by road to Luang Prabang, one of the most lovely towns in South East Asia.
Day 8:	Luang Prabang. A full free day to explore this wonderful centre of religion and royalty of old Laos. Hire a bike or wander the leafy streets, stopping at golden temples to chat with the monks.
Day 9:	Homestay. We take a beautiful boat trip up the Nam Khan River and stay with one of the hilltribe minorities of northern Laos.
Day 10:	Pakbeng. Travel by local bus/truck through jungle clad mountains. We spend the night in a simple guesthouse in Pakbeng.
Day 11:	Houay Xai. Start our journey up the meandering Mekong, travelling by public boat and passing through thick jungle with abundant bird life. We transfer to our guesthouse in Houay Xai.
Day 12:	Houay Xai. Free day with an optional trip to a Laten tribal village, a tribe that originally travelled from Tibet to settle in Laos centuries ago.
Day 13:	Chiang Mai. Today we cross the Mekong and take either a songthaew (pick-up truck) or minivan to Thailand’s northern capital Chiang Mai. Transfer to railway station for the overnight train to Bangkok.
Day 14:	Bangkok. Arrive and transfer to our hotel. Rest of day is free to explore this exciting and vibrant city.
Day 15:	Bangkok. Tour ends

small group adventure holiday

Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.

highly commended

This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

Laos is one of those unique countries that has managed to remain untouched by the advance of tourism. Travelling here it is more important than ever to minimise our impact on the environment and the communities we visit. Travellers are briefed on the importance of respecting local sensitivities and being environmentally responsible e.g. not leaving behind litter and wearing appropriate dress while our tour leaders make a point of leading by example.

Throughout this journey we use small local hotels, eat in small restaurants, and shop for food, drinks and souvenirs in small villages and local markets thus supporting the local economy. We have also developed relationships with many of the villagers we meet along the way and travellers are encouraged to buy handicrafts (such as weaving) directly from the villagers themselves.

We use local transport throughout enabling travellers to really experience everyday life in a developing country. In addition to this invaluable insight, we are able to ensure that the money spent on transportation goes into the local infrastructure as opposed to private transport companies.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.