Laos small group holiday

Environment
We believe that travel should entail an exchange of knowledge and perspectives, a sharing of wealth, and a genuine appreciation of Laos’s beautiful natural environment. This philosophy underpins the heart and soul of our style of travel. We recognise that poorly planned itineraries or poorly informed tourists contribute less to cross-cultural understanding and less to the livelihoods of local people.

Experience the laid-back river lifestyle and colonial charm of Laos on this 8 day journey. Commencing in northern Thailand we cross the border into Laos to board our slowboat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang where we witness traditional rural scenes and rustic villages. In the World Heritage town of Luang Prabang our low impact walking tour takes us to some of the town’s 32 wats and monasteries, and past rows of atmospheric French colonial architecture. During time with a Buddhist monk we learn about the fascinating Buddhist religion, and in the evening of day five we take part in a cooking class which aims to promote an awareness of traditional Lao food.

Community
From Luang Prabang we also travel to the picturesque Kuang Si waterfalls, one of the many beautiful waterfalls near Luang Prabang, and en route we spend time at the small Arts and Ethnology Centre to gain an insight into the lifestyles of some of the 34 ethnic groups which make up the population of Laos. This non-profit organisation is dedicated to the preservation of Laos’ ethnic minorities.

At the end of your journey in riverside Vientiane, home to elegant Buddhist monasteries, you visit COPE (Cooperative Orthotic Prosthetic Enterprise). This centre is dedicated to providing prosthetic limbs to Laotian people, many whom have been victims of UXO’s left behind from the Vietnam and Indochina conflicts. The centre is both interactive and informative, whilst not focusing on the dark side of UXO issues you are sure to learn something from a visit to this outstanding organisation. On this journey our local guides are trained to share their knowledge of cultural and other local issues in a balanced, informative way. They will share real experiences from their own lives and insights into their family life, influences and beliefs. This is what motivates our guides; not shopping commissions. A western tour leader will also accompany your small group - we believe that this pairing with a local guide provides a balanced and informed perspective on the culture of a country and of the region of Asia. In your free time you will be encouraged to make a donation to the infant book publisher ‘Big Brother Mouse’, which Travel Indochina supports, and you will also be encouraged to read our ‘Tread Lightly’ booklet, distributed on arrival in the ‘Land of a Million Elephants.’