Newsletters
Welcome to Laos
Land-locked and laid-back, Laos is the forgotten country of South-East Asia. In former times the country was known as Lane Xang or the Land of a Million Elephants and today elephants can still be found living wild and working in its great forests. Laos is a country where visitors can really escape from the stresses of modern life and step back into the tranquility of a world dominated by Buddhism.
The great physical feature of Laos is the mighty Mekong River which flows into Laos from China in the far north and out into Cambodia in the far south. The capital Vientiane, and Luang Prabang the former Royal capital in the north, are the two main centres visitors usually head for.
OckPopTok
Established in 2000, this self-financed initiative both produces and designs textile handicrafts. Ock Pop Tok in Lao means east meets west; the initial concept is of bringing people together through textiles to exchange knowledge and ideas.
Ock Pop Tok now provides livelihoods for nearly 200 people both in Luang Prabang and six northern provinces.
Xe Pian Ecotourism Project
Xe Pian National Protected Area (NPA) spans 240,000 hectares across the Champassak and Attapeu Provinces on the southern tip of Laos. This hilly lowland and extensive flatland habitat is a mosaic of rivers and wetlands, semi-evergreen and mixed deciduous forests. At least 25 endangered mammal species and a number of rare bird species like the Woolly-necked Stork are found in Xe Pian NPA.
L'Etranger; Books & Tea
Books are a rare commodity in Laos. One of our goals is to build a collection of books and magazines available for anyone who wishes to read. We sell, rent, buy and trade all kinds of books.
Tum Tum Cheng
Our Cooking School was established in 2001. Certified Chef Khoun Chandra Vongsaravanh, assisted by Ms Linda Vongsaravanh and Mr Laan Phouttasack, teach traditional cooking techniques based on more than 30 years of experience in Asia and Europe, including variations of the recipes of Phia Sing, the Luang Prabang Chef to the Royal Family.
My Library
Studying languages, learning new skills - typing, using different software, recording your own music, growing teak - talking about your culture or mastering English in order to get a job... whatever it is, it's all happening @ My Library.
Savannakhet Eco Guides
The Savannakhet Eco Guide Unit is an independent organization for trained ecotourism guides. Our goal is to manage and promote trekking trails in the protected areas of Savannakhet.
Vang Vieng Organic Farm
Our farm, in Phoudindaeng village was founded in 1996 to introduce organic farming methods in an area where chemicals and deforestation were ruining the land. Leading by example, we aim to show that organic methods can be profitable as well as healthy. Our mission is to "preserve ecological diversity and provide locals with accessible and sustainable technologies to earn a living".
Big Brother Mouse
Big Brother Mouse is a new project that publishes books that make it fun and easy to learn to read. Today, few books are available in Laos, and they rarely reach the villages where most people live. Most children, especially in the countryside, have never read a book except for a few school textbooks, and some have not even read those. Few Lao people think that reading could be enjoyable, add to their knowledge, or improve their quality of life.
Lao Mountain Coffee
We are a small roasting company focused on providing the highest quality beans that are uniquely blended and freshly roasted. We have the great privilege of using only Lao grown beans from the Bolaven Plateau in the South, a fertile, high elevation volcanic terrain perfect for specialty coffee. All of our coffee beans come from elevations between 1,000m and 1,300m.
Lao Cotton State Enterprise
Established in 1984 by the Lao Government and the United Nations Development Program to help women to capitalize on their traditional weaving skills, our goal is create job opportunities for Lao women and improve their well being. Since 1996, we have operated as an independent business, organizing ten women's weaving groups providing 200 looms throughout Laos.
Mines Advisory Group
MAG, a co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, is a humanitarian organisation clearing the remnants of conflict for the benefit of local communities worldwide. MAG currently works in 11 countries around the world and has been clearing UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) in Lao PDR since 1994. Our UXO Visitor Information Centre on the Mekong River in Vientaine provides visitors with the complete UXO story.
Lao Magic Carpets
Carpet making is one of the oldest known crafts. Its roots lie in the heart of Central Asia where it developed and flourished before reaching its peak in quality in the 16th and 17th centuries. Magic Lao Carpets was set-up to introduce carpet weaving to Laos, where there is an established tradition of weaving intricate textiles. Through the skilful hands of local weavers and the use of local silk, the ancient craft of carpet weaving is taking a new direction in Laos.
Khammouane Eco Guides
The Khammouane Eco Guide Service operates locally guided ecotours to Khammouane's attractions. Tours are led by trained villagers who provide information in English, Lao and Thai on the area's wildlife, history, culture and other attractions.
Ekkalak Lao Gallery
The Ekkalak Lao Gallery in Vientiane markets the work of several associations of Lao artisans, promoting local handicrafts from over 30 different producers, mostly members of the Lao Handicrafts Association.
Kopnoi
Kōpnoï, taken from the Lao language, means ‘little frog', a universal symbol for balance in the environment. It is also the name of our Export Promotion Center, a beautiful boutique-gallery, located in the village of Ban Aphay in Luang Prabang, near L'Etranger, Books & Tea. Our mission is to promote the best that Laos has to offer, both locally and internationally.
Laha Sinh
For centuries, the Pouthai women of Savannakhet Province in southern Laos have woven fabrics using natural dyes and fibers from their surrounding environment. Phouthai people, who live along the Xepon River, are now famous for the quality of their hand woven, organically-grown, indigo-coloured cotton fabric. Through the work of the Lahasinh Company, these beautiful textiles are now being marketed to the world under the Laha label.
Les Artisans Lao
Les Artisans Lao provides apprenticeships in the production of original handicrafts made from recycled wood or non-timber forest products such as coconut and bamboo. Our goals are to promote contemporary handicraft design using materials and technologies appropriate for the local context and promote recycling and use of renewable materials.
Mulberries
Mulberries is a not-for-profit company that seeks to create income generating opportunities for Lao people in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Our company, in partnership with over 200 village families, specializes in the production of naturally-dyed, handmade Lao silk. We foster traditional silkworm rearing, reeling, weaving, and natural dyeing in villages, while providing training, tools and a market for sale and distribution.
Fibre2Fabric
Fibre2Fabric Gallery is a not-for-profit exhibition space in Luang Prabang that demonstrates the role and function of textiles from different regions and ethnic groups in Laos. Through temporary bi-lingual exhibitions visitors and locals have the opportunity to learn about the cultural significance of textiles in local daily life.
MTDP
The LNTA-ADB Mekong Tourism Development Project (MTDP) assists local communities to develop their capacity to participate in and benefit from tourism. The project provides training to communities on guiding, hospitality, cooking, tourism management and marketing.
AAR
The Association for Aid and Relief Japan (AAR) is a non-government organization providing emergency aid, assistance and support to people with disabilities. Since 2000, we have been working with the National Rehabilitation Center's Wheelchair Workshop to improve their productivity in manufacturing wheelchairs and tricycles.
LDWDC
The Lao Disabled Women's Development Center was established in 2002 to provide disabled women in Laos with the support, knowledge and skills they need to be self-sufficient, productive members of the community. Located 20kms from Vientiane, past the Friendship Bridge on the way to Buddha Park, we are one of the few vocational training centers that welcome young women with a disability. Before our Center was established no training institution in Laos considered the specific needs of disabled women.
Lisa Regale Fusion Gallery
I created a unique line of clothing and have a collection of hand woven silk and cotton textiles. My first priority is to preserve the traditional designs of Lao craftsmen and adopt these authentic pieces to accessorize contemporary garments. I work with talented and innovative people and help them to become professionals in what they do best.
Fair Trek
Fair Trek, a joint project between Luang Prabang Provincial Tourism Office, seven rural villages, SNV and Tiger Trail Outdoor Adventures, is designed to build community involvement and the philosophies of fair play and sustainable tourism into the tourism industry in Luang Prabang.
Tam Lay Lao
Tam Lay Lao is a self financed Laotian Textile Company. Our Vientiane workshops develop 100% silk and cotton products, mixing traditional expertise and creativity with special attention brought to the finish. Created in 2004, Tam Lay Lao was formerly an association based in Luang Prabang.
Rugby in schools
Rugby has come a long way in the Lao PDR since it was reborn in the late 1990's. The Lao Rugby Federation now has associate International Rugby Board (IRB) Status, full membership of the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) and most importantly, has been recognised by the National Sports Committee of the Lao PDR since May 2004.
Viengxay Caves
Limestone peaks form the beautiful landscape of Viengxay, a small, quiet town in Houaphanh province, northeastern Laos. You would never guess that inside these rocky crags is a network of caves - a "Hidden City" - that was once at the centre of Lao and world history.
Caruso Lao
The timeless skills of Caruso Lao's carvers, turners, silversmiths and weavers transform the natural treasures of Laos into exquisite, handcrafted furnishings and fashion accessories with an international aesthetic. Every piece in this sumptuous, high quality collection of Lao silk brocades and ikats, wood and silver is an individual work of art created by Lao artisans and many took months to complete.
Camacrafts
CAMACRAFTS is a non-profit, self-help project which markets handicrafts made by Lao artisans. We strive to provide a sustainable method of income for village women that would otherwise be unavailable. Our products are entirely handmade using traditional patterns and techniques, which helps preserve the traditional needlework skills of Hmong and Lao women such as appliqué, cross stitch, embroidery and batik.
Heritage House
The Heritage Information Centre (Heuanchan) is part of a project using information and communications technology to aid in the management of World Heritage sites and also promote sustainable development. Working in cooperation with UNESCO, La Maison du Patrimoine (Heritage House) and the Tokyo Institute of Technology are documenting Luang Prabang's historic, environmental and cultural heritage into an extensive database and also educating the local community and business sector on the need to sustain Luang Prabang's unique assets.
Vientiane Orchids
Our aim is to grow, market and export Lao orchids legally cultivated in order to participate in their conservation through various incentive projects that will promote and assist the orchids conservation. We are taking part in the fight against the poaching and the illegal orchid's trade by offering the poachers an alternative - through legal and sustainable orchid production and export.
Peuan Mit Street Children Project
Peuan Mit meaning ‘close friend' works with street children, their families and communities in Vientiane Province. Our objectives are to reintegrate street children back into Lao society and to prevent others from becoming street children. Run by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, in cooperation with the NGO Friends-International, it is currently the only project working with street children in Lao PDR. It works with up to 1,000 street and at risk children per month.
Tamarind
Tamarind is a local restaurant established to promote greater understanding of Laos by serving the country's unique cuisine and providing information, cooking classes and demonstrations of Lao food and customs. We also arrange group feasts and banquets, sell local food products, educate diners through our information packed menu and provide personal explanations of the dishes we serve.
World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization working to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities in poverty. Through our partnership with local communities, the government and other stakeholders, we seek to develop the capacity of the poor to improve their lives through sustainable development. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
Hua Moom Xieng Thong Ethnic Shop
Hua Moom Xieng Thong Ethnic Shop displays a number of carved ethnic masks and sculptures produced by the Kha Moo ethnic minority of 'Ta Oi', near the Vietnamese border in Saravanh Province.
Lao Red Cross
The Lao Red Cross Society was founded in 1955 and began working in Luang Prabang Province in 1993, with on-going support from the Swiss and the Austrian Red Cross. Our vision is to prevent and alleviate human suffering and to improve living conditions at the village level and the health of the most vulnerable sections of society.
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre
The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is a museum dedicated to the ethnic cultures of Laos. The Centre is housed in a heritage building, and exhibits ethnic clothing, household objects, religious artefacts, and handicrafts, with information in English and Lao languages. Our objective is to help locals and foreigners learn about the different ethnic groups of northern Laos.
Royal Ballet Theatre
The Royal Ballet Theatre is reviving traditional Lao dance and music with the help of old Master Artists. Our goal is to create a new generation of masters, while preserving our cultural heritage and passing on generations of artistic knowledge to Lao children.
Tamnak Lao
We established our restaurant 10 years ago to share with people our unique Lao cuisine. We specialise in offering authentic Luang Prabang-style cuisine. Many of our recipes are handed down from mother to daughter over numerous generations.
UXO Laos
The mission of the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Program is to reduce the number of civilian casualties caused by UXO and to increase the amount of land available for food production and other socio-economic development activities.
COPE
In Laos, if you need an artificial limb (prosthesis), a limb support device (an orthosis), a walking aid or a wheelchair, you go to COPE (Co-operative Orthotic & Prosthetic Enterprise). COPE is currently the main source of these devices in the country and serves those injured by unexploded ordnance (UXO) as well as in traffic and other accidents.
Elephant Park
The Elephant XL Camp near Xieng Lom village was established in 2003 to protect the Asian elephants in Laos. As the forests disappear, the elephants which used to help with logging can become neglected. Our aim is to give these elephants a brighter future. So far six elephants have been freed from logging work and given a new home in the park. Experienced mahouts (elephant keepers) and vets help the elephants adapt to their new environment, with sick or older elephants receiving special attention.
ElefantAsia
ElefantAsia is a registered non-profit initiative aimed at safeguarding the Asian elephant, an emblematic endangered species worldwide. We have been working in Laos, ‘the land of a million elephants', since 2001.
Nam Ha Eco Guides
The Nam Ha Eco Guide Service, set up in 2000 in Luang Namtha Province with assistance from UNESCO and the Lao National Tourism Administration, offers community-based ecotours that include forest trekking, river trips and village homestays.
Children's Cultural Centre
The Children's Cultural Centre caters to children between the ages of 6 and 18 by providing non-formal instruction in a variety of arts and cultural subjects not taught in the regular school system. The Children's Cultural Centre (CCC) of Luang Prabang opened its doors in January of 1998 and is one of 17 CCC's located provincially throughout Laos.