The KM17 library project in Laos perfectly illustrates the spirit of responsible tourism in Southeast Asia promoted by SolidarAsia. Locals and travelers come together around a common goal: to provide the children of this school with a modern and functional reading space.

Located 17 km north of Oudomsay, the Km17 school complex accommodates children who sometimes have to stay in boarding school or walk for miles to get to class. Since 2012, the library has been a true hub of social life and learning for several surrounding villages. It is where the hopes of many young readers are pinned.

Thanks to the solidarity fund generated by the trips, this place can be re-equipped. Travelers who choose a solidarity tour contribute to this fund, which is included in the price of their stay. The idea is simple yet powerful: to allow each local community to propose a project, justify it, and actively participate in it, whether through materials, local labor, or financial contributions.

For the Km17 project, funding is needed to purchase new books suited to students’ needs, as well as to repair the library’s suspended ceiling. This type of project has more than just a material impact: it improves access to knowledge, enhances student comfort, and creates a welcoming reading space for the entire community.

By choosing a responsible travel experience in Laos or elsewhere in Asia, you directly participate in initiatives like this one. Each trip then becomes much more than a simple discovery: a real contribution to the self-sufficiency of local communities.

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Arrived at Ngoc Son Ngo Luong, we are greeted by our local guide, Ms. Khuyen, a young woman of the Muong ethnic group. This region is one of the oldest settlement of this ethnic group. The Muong (pronounced Meu-eung) are the largest of the 53 officially recognized minorities of Vietnam. With an estimated population of 1.2 million people, they live in the mountainous regions of the north. The Muong are closely related to Khinh Vietnamese. They are linguistically close to them, but culturally closer to Tays, another minority very present in the north of the country and that has settled as well in Laos and in the north of Thailand and Myanmar.

After our first traditional Muong meal, we leave for a 3 hours hike on a trail that winds up mountains and hillside.

Few people here, we meet a few motorbikes and some people returning from their fields. Towards the end of the day, we reach the village of Mu, where children refresh themselves in a mountain stream, having fun on small bamboo rafts, surely made by the fathers. A colony ducklings swims near them.

We continue our walk through the rice terraces, facing the karsts, to Khuong village. The limestone contained in the water down the mountain stream, created here full of small natural pools, ideal for a swim. We meet families who welcome us in this village for 2 nights. 3 families are chosen for our small group of 6 people and thus give more people an opportunity to receive at their home and participate in rural areas welcoming.

We might have a very deep sleep, the temperature is pleasant. The humidity of the forests around us gives a little more freshness even.

The next morning, we go to meet the villagers, already at their daily work in the rice terraces.

In this season, they grow corn. They will plant the rice again when the heavy rains are back, in July or August. We cross the plantations, villagers greet us from their traditional homes. Many families seem to like to live away from the main village, as if they wanted to enjoy nature and the idyllic landscape. Here they plant different fruits, vegetables, raise beautiful fish …

We arrive at Mu waterfall. The limestone created, here as well, beautiful natural pools. Youngster from villages around made the trip here to swim or contemplate the beauty of nature, with their love.

The picnic lunch, and the nap that followed, was a great moment of relaxation, in the shade of a big tree, contemplating the rice terraces, with a light wind to lower the temperature. Then, at the cool end of the day, we meet villagers working in their fields. They remove weeds, by spade or by hand. We pass the end of the day to help them and return to the village for a swim in the stream.

Once again, our hosts treated us well, this evening.

They gave us to taste their traditional alcohol, a rice wine in a jar, that we drank with bamboo straws. This jar is drunk by several people and gives the opportunity to a lot of drinking games.

The next morning, it’s already time to say goodbye to our hosts. We pass by the school to say hello to the teachers and children of the village. We shared small gifts, bought in the nearby town, that teachers can give as rewards to the most deserving kids.

We walk to Mon village, at the foot of the mountains, pass through other villages, other rice fields and farming areas. Green is still all around us. The fog gives a mysterious side to the karsts, as a gradient of shadow. After 2 hours of walking and a nice break in a coffee shop in one of the villages, we arrive in Mon where another family greets us.

The mother is really an excellent cook. She cooked for us dishes never tasted before. Some have a very original presentation as this rolled omelet with black mushrooms. In this open and airy house, we all finish with a good nap.

When we wake up, the Conservation Area Rangers are already here to bring us, on the back of their motorbikes, to the departure point of our little adventure.

Another great time, with all these landscapes, these typical houses, these faces, seen during two days in this place really out of the world, parading in front of us again.

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They have presented our tours in Laos and Cambodia since then. In 2009, Vision du Monde trust us for their tours in Vietnam and, in 2014, in Myanmar. Thanks for their confidence and support.

In 2007, we were able to do the first community project. It was a village in northern Laos. Since then, the word spread and more than 100.000 EUR has been sent back to communities in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. Please check our work on “Solidarity” menu of this website.

Come join us for a travel like no other else, through South East Asia life and landscapes, to what it makes it so special, its local population. 

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On January 17, 2016, two lovers of Tonkin in northern Vietnam were married. They followed the ancient customs of these regions to seal their love and start a family life.

The day before, in the evening, family and friends of the groom’s family were invited to meet at the family home. When I arrived, various groups were discussing around tables, drinking green tea of northern Vietnam, smoking tobacco in bamboo bongs. The groom greeted me; he looked so happy that I noticed to him. ” Of course!! Tomorrow I will have a wife!”, he replied.

The preparation of the next day’s ceremony was taking place in good spirits. We had to decorate the place, cooking the dishes. We ate and drank a lot. Some began to sing with the karaoke amplified by a huge sound system.

Then others continued playing cards until the middle of the night.

At the home of the bride’s family home, it should be somewhat the same atmosphere.

Late in the evening, some of the guests went to bed. Others continued all night. They would all get up at 4am the next day to pick up the bride at home, more than 100km away, across the plains of Tonkin.

The departure for the house of the bride was fixed at 5am and 16 cars took part in the procession. Some of us stayed to welcome the guests. The groom’s family, neighbours, friends of the family began to flock from 7.30am. We began to celebrate.

After a 5 hours drive and a ceremony in the house of the bride, brides sat in front of the guests.

There were short speeches, the groom declared his love, and songs dedicated to the happiness of the young couple were sung. We sat down again, with the blessing of married who came to toast each tables.

By early afternoon, everyone was home and the family started to tidy up the house. Barely a dozen people were still present and all was well clean and tidy, in roughly an hour of time. Even the bride was washing the dishes!!

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