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

Name: Northern Laos: Wildlife Conservation, Permaculture, & Meditation Practice with Monks
Brand: GIVE Volunteers
SKU: 103987
Rating: 5 (50 reviews)

Read 50 reviews

5.00 Rating

Leave a Review

Location

Laos

Length

2 to 7 weeks

Project Types

Agriculture Climate Change Community Development Building Projects Conservation Environmental Conservation Reforestation Wildlife Conservation Elephant Conservation Education Teaching Human Rights Professional Development Tourism +4

Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans

Health & Safety

Learn More

View Other Details

Program Details

Age Min.

Timeframe

Short Term Summer Winter

Housing

Guesthouse Hostel

Groups

Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30)

Travel Type

Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price

2595

Price Details

Start in Luang Prabang and end in Nong Khiaw! With GIVE's Laos Volunteer Excursion you have a 14-day tour package taking you through Luang Prabang, Nongkhiaw, and the village of Sop Chem.

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation

What's Not Included

Airfare Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Nov 05, 2024

Last Reviewed: Jun 25, 2025

Wish List

36 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Experirence an off-the-beaten-path adventure into the rugged mountainous territory of Laos. Volunteer projects include English education, working on organic farm plot and assisting in wildlife conservation of Asiatic Black Bears. You’ll also have the opportunity to meditate with monks in a monastery, summit craggy limestone peaks, and explore hidden waterfalls and summit limestone peaks. Come see for yourself why Laos is the best-kept secret in Southeast Asia!

If two weeks isn't enough, we offer 4 destinations in Southeast Asia that allow you to mix, match and save for a unique experience from 1-7 weeks. These destinations include Laos, Thailand, Scuba (in Krabi), and Elephant Experience!

Visit Site

Apply Now

Video and Photos

Excited Primary School Kids with Volunteers

View All Photos

Impact 🌎

Sustainability

GIVE's mission is to inspire growth, empower global citizens, and ignite sustainable change worldwide. To truly inspire growth and achieve sustainable travel internationally, GIVE has adopted the Asset-based community development (ABCD) model, a set of proven best practices in sustainable development that mobilizes a community’s assets and resources as the basis for development. Furthermore, through providing hands-on and eye-opening learning experiences that foster authentic connections between participants and host community members, we can empower global citizens who will continue to spread GIVE’s values and ignite sustainable change worldwide.

Learn More

Ethical Impact

Exploring the world with GIVE is all about responsible travel, but what does that really mean?
Mindful Tourism + Community Partnership = Economic Growth & Community Empowerment.

Part of what makes GIVE trips so special is being fully immersed in the cultures and communities we visit. However, we take extra steps to ensure we minimize our influence and always respect local cultures. We prepare all participants before travel and ensure they understand the culture and how to dress appropriately.

Learn More

Program Highlights

Take part in the Alms Ceremony and experience authentic Lao culture
Explore Tat Kuang Sii National Park
Rescue wildlife from poaching
Hike through dense jungles to a beautiful viewpoint
Meditate with monks

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

based on 50 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Volunteer

5 rating 100%
4 rating 0%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 5
Support 5
Fun 4.95
Value 4.95
Safety 5

Good for Adventure travelers, Students, Solo Travelers

Showing 49 - 50 of 50 reviews

The GIVE Laos trip was one of the most special trips I've ever been on. I've volunteered with GIVE three times now and this was my absolute favorite. Little did I know I found my second home in a small village in the jungle, halfway across the world. The community members are so motivated, intelligent, inspiring, and hilarious! They were always the first to the worksite and ready to work on the project with us, as one big community. Working with the ladies during our adult English classes was an absolute highlight for me. I also appreciated the supplemental discussions and educational context that the guides provided for the country and culture. I learned things about my own country that I would have never known until I took a chance and traveled. This trip was organized, safe, fun, and inspiring!

Two years ago, I had never heard of the country Laos, and was completely ignorant to its existence, yet my experience there with GIVE Volunteers was overall amazing, and has had such a big impact on my life and how I view the world. While there, I came across both mental and physical challenges, but the wonderful locals, guides, and volunteers are some of the kindest people I have ever met. Being in the village of Sop Chem itself, we were immediately welcomed and assimilated into their lives; it wasn't long after we arrived when it began to feel like a home away from home. I cried plenty of ugly-tears when my time there came to an end, but I am constantly reminded of everything I learned and experienced, and I feel I now have a greater passion for people, the environment, and leaning and understanding other cultures. I don't know how long it will take, but I am sure I will go back one day.

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Joey Conway

Program

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

Job Title

Lead Guide - Laos

Joey is born and raised in California and has worked for GIVE Volunteers for the last 3 years within its Laos program. After completing his degree in environmental science, Joey has spent his time guiding GIVE Volunteers' participants through the jungles and mountains of Northern Laos to learn about development, themselves, and have the adventure of a lifetime.

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite travel memory would have to be my second Baci ceremony in the community of Sop Chem, which is where a majority of GIVE's volunteer projects are. At the time I had just began my work with GIVE in Southeast Asia as an intern. When the Baci ceremony began, the entire community came from their homes to pay respect and give thanks to our volunteers.

I felt a feeling of gratitude that I had never felt before. Although I had been having the time of my life over the past weeks while working on our project site, connecting with our awesome volunteers, or forging the beginning of lifelong relationships with the community members, it all hit me as the community came up to me and tied bracelets on the wrists of myself and the rest of our group. Sitting their and watching the smiles of the locals and teary-eyes of our group filled me with emotions that no other trip has ever provided me.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Although I have grown an immense amount working with GIVE over the past three years, the most drastic change that was inspired within me was after my first volunteer trip with GIVE when I was 18 years old. That trip instilled a fire in me that I still have today to always find ways to better myself and the world around me. That being said, since beginning my work with GIVE three years ago, that fire has only grown.

GIVE has constantly pushed me to be the best version of myself. However, what has inspired the most growth within myself throughout my time working with GIVE has been meeting and connecting with our incredible volunteers. Being able to grow and learn alongside such diverse groups of humans has instilled in me a sense of optimism and hope that drives what I do everyday.

View Entire Interview

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

One of my favorite stories from a returned student would have to be the story a good friend told me about when they were on safari in Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania (as a part of our Tanzania excursion) and she saw a lion for the first time. They had been cracking jokes with their safari driver the entire morning and were having a great time when all of a sudden the driver got dead serious and told everyone to get quiet. They all did and when they looked through the windshield they saw a massive male lion trotting down the road in front of them.

Although they were safe in the car, she said that everyone became extremely nervous and humbled seeing the king of the jungle in front of their eyes. Then, without any queue, the lion stopped, looked around, and proceeded to roll onto its back and start rubbing its back along the grass like a giant house cat for almost two whole minutes. The entire truck burst out in quiet laughter and I couldn't believe her until she showed me the pictures of the lion. Although not everyone gets the chance to see just that in Tanzania, I have heard some amazing stories from those safaris.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

A very tough question but I would have to say the Tibetan Frontier excursion in Nepal. As an avid hiker/backpacker/climber, no other trips provides so much adventure and stunning nature. The trip begins with a three day trek into the most stunning parts of the himalayas and allows you to connect with the most genuine parts of Nepali/Tibetan culture.

That being said, if I had the chance to do any program, I would most likely still go to Laos because I have fallen in love with this beautiful country and our amazing project site of Ban Sop Chem.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Our company is unique because it is one of the only companies in the realm of volunteer tourism/responsible travel that challenges our participants to think through the most complex questions of development while having an unforgettable adventure. I believe that adventure is what breaks down the constraints that you set on yourself so that you can grow. By designing programs that infuse raw adventure with properly designed development projects, GIVE is able to provide a one of a kind experience for all of those that participate.

The moment I most clearly remember thinking to myself about how proud I am to be a part of this team was when I was at GIVE's Global Engagement Training in Seattle. I was meeting our entire staff and we were all sharing 'why' we were all there that day. The answers that I heard made me so proud to work alongside some of the most driven, diverse, and passionate agents of change that I have ever met. Each person was there to be able to do their part in making the world a better place and I don't think I know of any other company that can attract such capable and inspired people.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

A simple yet awe-inspiring mission. That is why I love GIVE so much. Our mission has inspired me since I was a volunteer in Tanzania over five years ago. That inspiration is what allows me to wake up each morning with a smile on my face, make sure that everyone has the most impactful travel experience, and empower our participants to go back to their respective homes as global citizens.

Jacob Hill

Education Coordinator (Laos)

Carly Schade

Regional Coordinator (Laos)

Location

Location:

Laos

Currency:

Laotian Kip

Laos is typically not regarded as touristy, especially in comparison to its highly touristy neighboring countries of Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia; however, this is slowly changing as people now associate Laos with a laid back style of living.

About GIVE Volunteers

Since 2011, GIVE has led hundreds of all-inclusive, award-winning & life-changing group trips around the world, inspiring more than 8,000 teenagers and young adults to travel with purpose. Our 1-7 weeklong summer programs engage young travelers in meaningful opportunities to learn through doing, such as locally-led volunteer projects, authentic...