Laos: Mekong Service, Culture, and Adventure

Arrive into Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to Phosri Mountain in the center of Luang Prabang’s old city for a spectacular view of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers and the historic city emanating from the rivers’ confluence. After a delicious dinner, join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

Prepare for your first service session as an English conversation partner. Rustic Pathways partners with Big Brother Mouse, a local non-profit organization aiming to improve literacy across Laos. Sit down with local teenagers and university students, learning about their lives and exchanging stories to help them improve their English fluency by practicing with a native speaker.

After lunch, your leaders will take you through the side streets and back roads of this incredible UNESCO World Heritage site by bicycle or tuk tuk, stopping at temples, small shops, and other important sites, like the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center and the UXO Office run by the United Nations. Enjoy dinner at a restaurant in town and explore the famous Luang Prabang night market.

Venture out into the countryside to a Khmu Village, a Hill Tribe community where Rustic Pathways has a long-standing partnership. Past projects have included improving village infrastructure, developing education enrichment projects, and constructing water access points throughout the village. Participate in a full day of service and get a deep insight into the challenges that this community faces. Meet the villagers and work hard before settling into a homestay for the night.

Dive right in for another day of service, working as a team with the help of locals. After dinner, relax with your new friends, play games, and reflect in your journal as you get into the groove of northern Laos living.

Set out on a three-hour hike through the surrounding countryside. Pass through small villages, farmland, rice fields, and forest before arriving at the stunning Kuang Si Waterfall nestled in the green hills outside of Luang Prabang. Have lunch near the entrance to the waterfall and head inside to see its bright aqua water, beautiful surroundings, and the Free the Bears rescue center along the river. Take a refreshing dip in the bright blue lagoon or a short hike to the top and enjoy the mountain’s sweeping views across the valley of Luang Prabang. Enjoy a traditional Lao massage before another delicious Lao-style dinner at the base.

Wake to the sound of the gong calling the monks to morning prayer and head out to the main street to give morning alms. Each day, the hundreds of Buddhist monks that live in the many temples of Luang Prabang file around town to collect offerings from townspeople.

After lunch, kayak down the river and get a true sense of everyday life here as you pass fisherman, women washing clothes, and children playing on the riverbanks. Tonight, we will close out your program with a special Laotian dance performance. A troupe of local women will come to perform traditional Lao dance and show you a few moves, too!

At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home. Enjoy one last night sleeping at the Mekong Base house and prepare for your flight home tomorrow.

On your last morning in Laos, rise early and enjoy one last French baguette and Lao coffee before heading to the airport for your departing flight. Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.