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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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
Bamboo Playground for Ban Noonsavath Primary School! A community project in Luang Prabang with Tiger Trail / Fair Trek / Reach Out Volunteers Some of the fondest memories I have of elementary school were not inside the classroom, but outside, on the playground! I loved jumping on the swing and kicking my legs to get
Community Based Tourism in ASEAN Countries As part of their commitment to social responsibility, Tiger Trail sent me as a Fair Trek representative (as well as a representative from Laos) to join a two day conference in Bangkok organized by the Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute. The conference included researchers, community representatives, government,
A wedding in Laos Cotton yarn and red rose Legend says that there is a heavenly garden where each individual has a tree whose branches kiss those of their soul mate. The lovers are predestined by Nene (karma of love) and when the time came the couple is sent to earth, their wrists bound with a
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Internship in Laos, Luang Prabang After a long night and tiring 12 hour bus ride from Vientiane I finally reached Luang Prabang, a charming small city nestled between the Nam Khan and Mekong River. As I got off the bus in Luang Prabang, dark clouds and a bit of rain were my first welcome
Best Green Curry in Luang Prabang What the Delilah’s Chefs do to make it the best in town Since I came to Luang Prabang a couple of month ago the love of Delilah’s Green Curry has been common talk all over town. Everybody made my mouth water so I went to Delilah’s Restaurant and ordered
Lao Awk Phansaw Festival The Full Moon Festival of Lights Thousand lights, merit making, boat race, decorated temples, banana-leaf boats – see Laos changed! Also known as Ok Watsa (Awk Watsa), this festival celebrates the end of the Buddhist Lent (Vassa). Lent lasts three month during rainy season. Monks focus on meditation, reviving their
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LAOS 4X4 EXPLORE LAOS – JEEP ADVENTURE Exploring Laos with a Jeep may well be an adventure by itself and tough enough for most. But not knowing mechanics and under-estimating (cold) temperatures in the Lao wilderness will eventually make such an endeavor a real lifetime memory, good or bad… –:– We started our Laos
A story about living like and work in Laos, Luang Prabang. With only three days left, my time as an intern for the Fair Trek Team in Luang Prabang is soon over. These past three months working and living in Luang Prabang, Laos have been simply amazing! I couldn’t ask for a better experience, it
I went on a one day “Fair Trek” Hiking and Kayaking tour with Tiger Trail in Luang Prabang. Trekking in Laos really is a great opportunity to explore the country in depth. We were dropped off by the tuk tuk near the location of the Elephant Village and first we took a short boat ride,
A rainy afternoon, I walked to the Royal Palace Museum in Luang Prabang, Laos. I was going to the theater to see a Lao ballet show. At first, I didn’t know what to expect and I was prepared for anything, however I was ready for one thing, I would probably not understand a thing. When
Last week we took the Tamarind cooking class in Luang Prabang, Laos. We started the Lao cooking day at 9am and we were whisked off to Phosy Market where Joy the chef taught us about what kind of herbs, vegetables and other Lao food you use in Lao cuisine. The stands sold a lot of
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Last week, I together with the Fair Trek team in Luang Prabang, Laos went to the village Long Lao Mai to show them how to make clay bricks for the ECO Bungalow. We spent the night at the village; for me it was a wonderful and peculiar experience, all in the same time. The first
Riding a motorbike in Laos is the best way to explore the true Laos… You’re free to travel at your own pace and speed, you can stop anywhere you like without arriving in a vehicle as big as someone’s house, and in a country like this, with so many remote places to explore, a
This past weekend, I and some friends made a visit to the Chinese Shopping Mall which opened in Luang Prabang, Laos just a few months ago. It really stands out, you can´t find a store like this anywhere in town. In the shopping mall you can find pretty much everything, from groceries, washing machines, flat
An Elephant Adventure in Luang Prabang at the Elephant Village A story from Fair Trek team intern in Luang Prabang, Laos. Last Saturday I went on a tour and my time was mostly spent on an elephant’s back and it was great! The day started with a bumpy, but fun tuk tuk ride to the Elephant
Hi my name is Hanna and I am from Sweden. I am working as an intern at Tiger Trail in their Fair Trek Responsible Tourism Division. I will be here in Luang Prabang, Laos for three months. During this time I will put up a post once a week where I tell you about different