This past weekend I took a silk dyeing class at Ock Pop Tok’s Living Crafts Centre. The day was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and the skies were the brightest blue. As I walked into their cafe to wait until the class began, I was handed a complementary fruit tea. I was told that it was some snake
One of the harder transitions I am having here in Laos is eating a heavy meal for breakfast. I still dream about eating my giant bowl of chilled almond milk poured over a mound of crunchy granola that I was so used to in the United States. I asked someone what Lao people eat for
It was extremely hot and sunny during my first two weeks here in Luang Prabang, a rarity during the ‘rainy season’. For my first weekend, I decided to cool off from the mid-day sun and experience some cultural diversity by visiting the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre. While some may think that the TAEC is
I usually go far away from the city center to find both delicious and authentic Lao food at a fair price. Though after passing this place everyday on Sisavangvong Road during my commute, I knew I just had to take a seat and order a bowl of khao piak khao (boiled rice soup). For only
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Last Thursday and Friday, Tiger Trail had a two-day tour guide training session at a local college in Luang Prabang. This was one of the few times of the year that all of our guides are together in one room! This training workshop was lead by both Peter Richards and Markus Neuer. Peter was an inspirational speaker and
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This local spot is known as “Pasaneyom Coffee Shop”, and it is very popular among local Lao. It is conveniently located near the banks of the Mekong, and it is very busy in the early morning. This coffee shop seems like it has been around for years, and caters Tuk-Tuk drivers, retired men, and some Thai
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Random things that are awesome about living in Luang Prabang, Laos I’ll be moving out of Laos in a week or two (or three…) and I have grown to love this country more than I ever imagined. It surprised me how quickly Luang Prabang has come to feel like home. Here are some of
Hi everyone. I’m Jordi, the new Tiger Trail representative for Spanish-speaking clients. A little info about me: I fell in love with Laos back in 2006, when I entered the country for the first time. On that first trip to Laos I travelled every province of the country with my friend Ferran, with the
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One group’s experience biking from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng with Tiger Trail’s help! In our research on Laos, Tina had read some time ago of a special experience, which is to ride a bike from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng. This route is considered by many cycling enthusiasts from all over the world as
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Coffee Roasters in Laos serve delicious coffee and help communities One of my absolute #1 favorite things in the entire world is a good cup of coffee. When you arrive in Laos, it might seem that 3-in-1 packets of instant coffee are the only option, but let me let you in on a little secret
Every year rocket festivals explode across Laos This month has brought rocket festivals to fields just outside of villages and towns all over Laos and eastern Thailand. The festival is called Boun Bang Fai and it takes place during the 6th lunar month of the year as a way to call the gods to send the rain.
Breaking Tradition Laos is a country full of history and tradition, and it is also a country full of youth. The median age in Laos is 19 – the youngest in the region. To put that into perspective, the median ages of Vietnam, the United States, and Germany are 29, 37, and 46. Where there
Experience the Lao New Year -the Pi Mai Lao in Luang Prabang – Lao water festival I spent my first week in Luang Prabang soaking wet from head to toe for the better part of every day. I have been blasted with water guns, had buckets of ice water poured down my back, had multi-colored
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Lao Society Lifestyle Magazine Fashion & Planes in Laos Do you ever have the dream that you are flying; your stomach, heart, and mind intertwined in an aerial tango? Do you ever dream of Laos; the karst jagged limestone peaks giving way to the undulating terrain that caresses the Mekong River? Now
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Experience the Lao New Year in Luang Prabang I arrived in Laos about a week ago to find the country buzzing with excitement for the upcoming Laos New Year – called Pi Mai Lao, Boun Pi Mai, the Water Festival, or Songkran, as it is known as in Thailand. Knowing very little about the
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The Lao Hmong New Year in Luang Prabang “Easy. Just follow the crowds in traditional dress,” instructs Jua, one of my Hmong friends, when I ask how to find the Hmong New Year celebrations in Luang Prabang, Laos. Turns out it really is that simple. One crisp Saturday morning in early December I crest
Tiger Trail, Fair Trek, and Partner Kickoff Grand Opening of the Eco Bungalow in Long Lao Mai Well, we did it! The Eco Bungalow in Long Lao Mai is officially open for business. On Friday, 31 January 2014, we celebrated the official opening of the Fair Trek Eco Bungalow community-based tourism project. We joined together
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4th Annual Luang Prabang Film Festival Celebrates Southeast Asian Cinema For five days the annual Luang Prabang Film Festival (LPFF) transformed The Handicraft Market of Luang Prabang into a bustling open-air theatre. The screening space at the main intersection of this World Heritage town, with its ability to hold over 1500 people, was
Fair Trek ECO Bungalow Project Luang Prabang, Second Village Construction. Community tourism project under way in Luang Prabang Province. Building with Clay/Earth and with the help of Volunteers. This initiative for sustainable tourism is unique. Our mission, “tourism benefiting communities” is carried out… After the successful construction of a beautiful ECO-Bungalow
Julia M Brennan: Talk in Luang Prabang Highlights 25yrs of Textile Conservation The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center (TAEC) in Luang Prabang recently hosted a talk by renowned textile conservator Julia M. Brennan, founder and owner of Caring for Textiles, based in Washington, DC. Ms. Brennan specializes in an exhaustive range of textile treatments,
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