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 Na Som Sabai Dee Service  

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Mighty rivers wind their way through limestone mountains, and smiling children ride bicycles home from school down dirt roads that weave through vibrant fields of rice – welcome to Laos.

From the charming city of Luang Prabang to the tiny village of Na Som, our operations in Laos encompass the best of this seldom-seen country. In Luang Prabang, we have secured land with 500 feet of Mekong River frontage just a short walk away from this UNESCO World Heritage town. We are now preparing to build a year-round base on this land, allowing students to explore this amazing region and delve into Laos’ many cultural riches. In Na Som we have a new 40-acre Base and three local, full-time employees. We are committed to helping the friendly Hmong people who live here and are excited to get to work improving and remodeling the dilapidated village school with our students.

Join us on a voyage through ‘the Land of a Million Wild Elephants’ that will educate and inspire you.

Questions? Please contact us at laos@rusticpathways.com.

centuries-old monasteries cloaked beneath canopy forest cover
green, unspoilt mountain plateaus dotted by ancient relics
limestone gorges housing undiscovered tropical treasures
untamed waterways descending from remote highland villages

a wilderness insulating wildlife, a people, a culture, a land
a paradise clinging to its somnolent roots
a refuge of the inexact scientist, long hidden from western eyes

exotic, pristine, nonpareil an untraveled land
this is Laos
 


OFF THE MAP : LAOS
STICKY RICE SERVICE - updated itinerary, see text box below.
NA SOM SABAI DEE SERVICE - updated itinerary, see text box below.
 

A Special Note about our Laos Programs:
Since the publication of our 2009 catalog, we have modified operations in Laos for this summer. For the 2009 summer, we will be offering a single, one-week program – Sticky Rice Service – with an updated itinerary which now includes 30 hours of community service. Na Som Sabai Dee Service will not be running this summer, however Sticky Rice Service will do a couple full days of service in the Na Som village. We at Rustic Pathways always try to run full, exciting programs which deliver the kind of experiences that our organization has become known for in our 26 years of operation. This year’s down economy has forced us to put some of our exciting new projects on hold, but we fully intend to expand our operations with programs like Na Som Sabai Dee Service in the coming years. Until then, we strongly believe that Sticky Rice Service is the best all-around program we can offer our students in Laos for the 2009 summer.

STICKY RICE SERVICE
- COMMUNITY SERVICE

10 Days from
$1,295
8 Departure Dates available
Ages : 14 and up,

Step back 50 years in time as you cross over the Mekong River from Thailand into Laos. This is old-time Asia at its best. People are genuinely warm and kind, most of the locals live in rural villages instead of big cities, and in many places tractors still haven’t replaced water buffalo in the fields. The Sticky Rice Service Adventure is an awesome new program that is perfect for experienced travelers looking to explore this fascinating area of the world and get connected with the kind people in these small places.  more »
 
OFF THE MAP : LAOS
LIFE SKILLS

17 Days from
$2,895
1 Departure Date available
Ages : 16 and up,

While moving through the landscape of Laos, you will ride in trucks, buses, boats and planes. Accommodation will be colonial buildings, guesthouses and huts. And friends met along the way will include buffaloes, chickens, monkeys, monks, Hmong villagers, and more! You will be guided through Laos by a photographer and teacher who has been traveling throughout the country for the past 10 years. He will introduce you to his friends and favorite places while imparting photo knowledge as well as fabulous stories and accounts that have been accumulated through experience and research over the years. more »