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Holiday in Laos

COUNTRY:
Laos
LOCATION:
Luang Prabang
DEPARTURES:
PRICE:
From £930 (15 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $230. We can arrange flights from the UK
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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Holiday in Laos

Holiday in Laos

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.

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.

On this tour participants have the opportunity to get involved in any one of our ongoing projects. Schools in Laos provide an education for the next generation but are generally unable to provide kids with the most simple and important of pleasures - a glass of clear, clean and cool drinking water. When we find a school along the route that we haven’t visited before we purchase a portable watercooler/filter for the school and present it to the principal and kids.

Also on this tour we visit a village in the south of Laos where, due to the generosity of some teachers and pupils at a couple of schools in New South Wales, Australia, we have been building a school library in the village of Kiet Gong. Nicknamed ‘Harry’s Library’ after the teacher who visited on a previous trip it’s starting to take shape and the kids and teachers there couldn’t be happier.

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Holiday in Laos

Reviewed 28 Mar 2008 by Peter Elliott4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


Being invited into the home of a village head man and given Lao Lao and boiled eggs.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Travel light as laundry is so cheap. Be prepared for some long journeys in vans and on boats.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes, but we were disappointed that the guide new little about the tour operators initiative to provide water filter/coolers to local schools. In the end one person did do it, but the rest of the group were not given enough info to decide if we wanted to contribute or not.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Highly enjoyable. However, it was the unplanned village walk throughs that were possibly the highlights. More of this should be part of the tour. I have to say the guide, Ian, was one of the best we've ever had and his ability to adapt was excellent.

Read the operator's response here:

We were disappointed to read that your tour leader was unable to provide you with detailed information about this project - all of our tour leaders have been fully trained on and often involved with our Responsible Travel Projects. Please be assured that we will be raising this and reviewing our processes to ensure that all of our leaders are completely up to date with and able to give out detailed information on our current projects.

Reviewed 28 Mar 2008 by Rachel Edwards4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


Meeting the Laos people! Always smiling, saying hello or wanting to practice speaking English. Laos time - very laid back, even when the mini bus needs a couple of battery changes to get it running...

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


It involves a lot of travelling so be prepared for that.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Where possible we tried to contribute to the local community - whether buying their freshly prepared hot rice cakes or donating simple things like pens in a Laos school. Next time I will try and take some small things along in my rucksack as very small things make a big difference to some of the children we met.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Great experience - I would love to go back and travel about on my own in Laos now that I have my bearings in the country - go now before the country changes.
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Day tour/Attraction Reviews

We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!

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