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

I think when I committed to going on my trip, I thought it would just be a really fun experience mixed with volunteerism. I did not expect the relationships built, the empowerment of locals and ourselves, and being pushed sooo far out of my comfort zone. For these, I am so grateful. I’ve made lifelong friends, I know to push myself 3 steps farther than I used to, and I have plans already to do another Give trip. The memories, adventure, love, and knowledge were worth every penny and I have no regrets.

GIVE's Laos program is an incredible opportunity for true cultural immersion across two weeks of intricately planned days and activities. I signed up for the trip because of the teaching English aspect and it was so much more! The eight days in Sop Chem were my favorite part of the trip because we were able to personally connect with the locals by learning about their daily lives and being taught how to weave, fish, make rice wine and more. The culmination of the trip in the Basi ceremony is an amazing opportunity to reconnect with everyone you've met in the village and recognize what an impact you can make, and others can make on you in such a short period of time. After this trip, I want to do more research on how to be a better global citizen and sign up for as many more GIVE trips as possible! I'm especially grateful for Aiy'Touy, Aiy'Good, Aiy'Dave, Haylie, and Javi for being excellent guides who support and challenge throughout the trip.

Volunteering in Laos was absolutely incredible and inspired me to continue being a proactive global citizen. Before getting to Laos, I knew nothing about the country. Throughout this trip, it was amazing to learn about the culture, history, food, and people of Laos. I was also able to gain important insight into the field of permaculture and how important it is to sustainably and ethically care for the lands we live on. I found my purpose in Laos, which is educating children, something that I never would have imagined myself saying three years ago. I am constantly inspired by the local guides who continue to better the lives of the people around them every day and the resilient families who were so welcoming and truly made us feel like family.

I had the most life changing experience. From the guides, to the other volunteers, to the people in the village, I was fortunate enough to make the most meaningful memories to last a lifetime. I was able to not only learn so much about myself, but also about the history of Laos which was reinforced during discussions every few days. These discussions were actual one of my favorite parts of the trip because it really allowed me to put myself in the shoes of the people who lived their and fully immerse myself in their culture in a respectful way. From this trip, I was able to take home lifelong bonds with these amazing people who have inspired me everyday to become a better version of myself and motivated me to inspire others to be global citizens. I have also taken home what I have learned about other cultures to be able to be more well rounded in helping people around the world in my professional career and well as the practices such as meditation, yoga, journaling, and other forms of being in the present to help me stay true to myself and in tune with my body. This trip allowed me to discover confidence in myself to achieve my goals in the future in all aspects of my life to be courageous enough to fight back when society tries to tell me that “this is all for nothing” and to be strong enough to stand up for what I believe to be the truth is to make the world a better place because I know that my voice on my own is enough to spark change in global citizens. I took home newfound knowledge of UXO’s and the bias of the Vietnam war and to keep an open mind when learning to stay away from bias and find the truth in the situation. and lastly, I have taken home what I learned on how to be more self reliant and sustainable and find ways to incorporate it into my everyday life and educate others so they can do the same. I have recommended this trip to everyone who has asked about it and am endlessly grateful to have had the opportunity to visit this beautiful country.

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!