Trekking Northern Laos

They run many tours out of Luang Namtha
and further north of there at Muang Sing

Set prices are what i experienced and depends on the amount of trekkers going

Take books.crayons, pencils for the kids, post cards of ur home country, Maps,

Ignore the tours until you are actually in the place you wish to tour. Hire a guide for Phonsavan in Phonsavan. Hire a guide for trekkin g outside of Luang Nam Tha in LNT.

Want to get away from tourists? Avoid the tourist buses, routes, and guide book recommendations.

I'll recommend going to Houaphon or Phongsali Province. Get to the provincial capital, and plot from there. ...) All provincial capital have gov't run "Lao Tourist Centers" and they can link yo to local guides. The more local you go to find what you need, the less expansive the service and the more the individual you're hiring is making.

One must have a bit of patience, as it takes a day to get things organized sometimes. If you want things to run "smoothly" hen hire a tourist service beginning to end. If yo want to really meet and participate in Laos, go anywhere except where the tourists go (which luckily is about 1% of the country)

You'll find little bargaining if you are at the most local level. And no company will sacrifice its essential profit from the equation. If you pay less, everyone gets less. That's the way.

I find, especially if you are away from the tourist-crowed sites, that there is little bargaining as I am asked to pay reasonable amount up front (larger town markets being the exception). I find little "rip-off" mentality outside of Vte, LP and the Huay Xai/Vang Vieng/4000Islands young backpacker-accommodating businesses. Very refreshing after Vietnam!

Do not bring gifts for a host village; your guide will take care of appropriate compensation. Cash donations to the school are nice, assuming the village elders don't keep it to buy lao-lao.

And tipping is not assumed in Laos. That said, a great guide deserves some recognition, an no one will turn down a bonus. A little for most of us can go a long way for a local family.

Trekking will be different than what you have experienced before. And oyu will, I trust, have a great time!

I would recommend trekking out of Vieng Phouka, my favorite trek in 6 trips to Laos.

Hi Stillwithus,
What a very imformative reply!
Respectful posts like this, make this site worth reading.
Thank You.

Bargaining - I have found that with almost everything in Laos, hard bargaining will get you about 10% off max. But with tours I'd suggest that the prices are pretty much fixed. The only discount you will get is if you bring more people onto your trek with you.

hi all, i'll go Laos next Feb & would like to do 1-2 trekking during my 2wk journey in Laos but no idea for which one will be better, i don;t have time to go Vieng Phouka but wl go to Louang Namtha, Muang Sing, Nong Khiaw & Muang Ngoi Gao, any suggestion on those place. which one would be better for the trekking? and the price whether worth or not. really want to touch more rural life/villages in Laos, pls share & give me suggestion. thanks a lot.

p.s. regarding Vang Vieng, i'm still thinking on. may go there if time allow. =)

Thanks for your help