Northern Laos: Wildlife Conservation, Permaculture, & Meditation Practice with Monks

Traveling to Laos with GIVE was a very positive and impactful experience! I was blown away by the hospitality and love the people of Sop Chen showed us immediately upon arrival! I’m grateful for the chance to learn from the locals in Sop Chem and support and empower their community. The guides were clearly passionate about this program and very organized. They taught us about global citizenship and sustainable travel, which are things I’ll continue to practice in the future. There was a good balance between volunteering time (English education and permaculture), adventure activities, and free time. This trip was a great way to connect with like-minded people! I can’t possibly sum up the most wonderful 4 weeks of my life into one review, but I strongly encourage anyone who is hesitant about traveling with GIVE to take the leap of faith… you’ll be so glad you did! I just left Southeast Asia, and I already can’t wait to go back!

This was an amazing experience to get really involved in a culture I had little knowledge about before going. They did a wonderful job teaching us about the country (museum about bombs), villagers and their way of living (this includes a Homestay for a night). The food was great and of a good variety from local people. We even got to do a cooking class that was of local cuisine. The guides were super nice and approachable. Teaching children English was a unique challenge that was rewarding in the end. Overall would do it again.

There is nothing more impactful than a travel experience with GIVE Volunteers. I recommend this organization to everyone in my life and am a huge supporter of everything that GIVE stands for. You get to experience cultural immersion at every level and it is impossible to leave without being changed in some regard. These trips bring out the best in you. I am so grateful for all of the incredible people that have entered my life through GIVE and I plan on traveling more with GIVE more in my future!

I went to both Thailand and Laos with GIVE through their Southeast Asia Package, and my time in both countries was unlike anything I could ever describe. Since being home, I have found it challenging to answer the question “how was the trip”, because how do you sum up almost four weeks of beautiful memories in such beautiful places? If I could go on these two trips over and over again, I would. I learned so much about other cultures, sustainability, agriculture, and myself. I was in both countries to give as much as I could, but I received so much more. I have had the opportunity to make a difference in the world for the better, but on top of that I also had so much fun, made life-long friends with other volunteers, and even created loving relationships with people despite having a language barrier. If you are unsure if you want to go on a trip with GIVE, please take the leap. It changed my life for the better in so many ways and I cannot thank GIVE enough for having me!

This experience is incredible. I was nervous for this trip as it was my first time traveling by myself however GIVE was super helpful throughout the whole process of preparing for the trip and when we arrived at the airport the guides were there to welcome us. The guides on this trip are all knowledgeable and are happy to answer any questions you have about the culture.

This experience taught me how to travel responsibly and respect the culture of the place you are visiting. I meet like-minded people and now have friends halfway across the world. I learned to appreciate what I have and saw that the villagers who have the least seem to be some of the kindest happiest people I have ever met. On this trip we had in depth discussions about what topics that truly mattered, taught the locals and worked on the permaculture plot. The balance between the volunteer work and activities is great you volunteer during the day and in the afternoon you experience the Lao culture.

If you want to find yourself, meet people from all round the world and do something meaningful while also learning about why the work you are doing is important then this trip is for you. Lao is such a beautiful underrated country that is definitely work traveling to.

GIVE is an amazing organization that cares so much about their volunteers. We got to teach English, work on the permaculture plot, volunteer at a bear sanctuary and so much more. We immersed ourselves in Lao culture while still making time for waterfall hikes and other fun activities.You’ll also get to learn about the history of Laos and visit authentic Buddhist temples. Take a chance on GIVE- you’ll meet so many people and experience the culture in a way that you probably wouldn’t by traveling with another organization :)

I loved this trip because it was so fun and engaging and I got more out of this trip than I thought. I love how we "spread our dollar" and communicate with so many locals! I honestly do not know how to describe how amazing it was in a few sentences, but it was well worth the price and I would 100% go back! Laos is a special place because of the interactions with all of the locals and once I left I really felt like I had an impact on this community. It is so worth the time to go and learn from these amazing people!

So fun and absolutely life changing. So much growth and impact comes from this trip. You will be welcomed with open arms to the village of Sop Chem, the people are so beautiful and full of love. Volunteers will have the chance to hike mountains, swim in waterfalls, and you’ll end up falling in love with this country just as I have.
I can’t imagine a better group of guides to have taken care of us on this trip, they are so incredible. Take in every moment. Everyone should have the chance to experience Laos!