OFF THE MAP : LAOS - High School Summer Programs (800) 321-4353

Step off the beaten path and head back in time on this unforgettable photo journey into the hidden pockets of Laos. Photograph revered monks at sacred temples, rice farmers working in terraced mountainside fields, and school children waving at you from their racing bicycles.Learn about Laos’s fascinating recent history and gain a deep understanding of this seldom-visited corner of Southeast Asia. Marvel at the beauty of this lush country and its picturesque villages, and make friends with the locals during your travels.

The Land of a Million Elephants
Wander through emerald-green limestone mountains, ride boats down the mighty Mekong River, and hop a ride on an ox cart. Stop along the way to photograph the incredible scenery and cultural wonders of this untouched corner of Southeast Asia - welcome to Off the Map: Laos.

Your journey will begin on the banks of the Mekong River in the capital of Vientiane. Here, gold-leafed stupas glisten in the sun, and morning markets bustle with the daily activity of buying and selling everything from fruits and vegetables to high-end electronics. Buddhist monks cross the streets in radiant orange robes, and crumbling colonial mansions line the streets. The
scents of brewing coffee and French baguettes are constant reminders of the lasting French colonial influence on this small country. Learn about Laos’ fascinating recent and ancient history during visits to historic sites and Buddhist temples, and gain a
deep understanding of Laos that will help you create more meaningful photographs during the rest of your journey.

Mountains and Valleys
From Vientiane, you’ll head into the mountains to gaze upon the mist-shrouded peaks and stunning waterways and lakes of northern Laos. Discover small, seldom-visited Hill Tribe
villages nestled in jungle-covered cliffs and photograph vibrant green rice fields and water buffaloes tilling the land. Then spend a couple of days wandering the charming streets of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage town, and feel the pace of life slow to the rhythm of the rivers flowing past. Rustic Pathways has a beautiful Base here set right on the banks of the Mekong River next to the World Heritage area. You can float upriver right from our Base to visit caves filled with Buddha statues and feast on spicy papaya salad, then head back downriver for a swim under cascading waterfalls. You’ll be amazed and enamored by Luang Prabang.

The next stop is the Plain of Jars, perched high on the central plateau of Laos. Journey to this ancient archeological wonder and ponder the mystery behind the giant stone jars that speck the landscape. This area is also home to many small Hmong villages, and you’ll stop in for a visit at several of these hamlets. Climb to giant limestone caverns with views overlooking lush valleys and get to know the families that live here.

Pictures Rooted in Lessons of History, Culture and Technique
Use your new knowledge about Laos to take pictures that truly capture the beauty of this fascinating country’s land and people. Andrew Stanbridge, a photographer and teacher who has traveled and documented Laos for the past ten years, will guide you through this journey. He will introduce you to his friends and favorite places and help you create stunning photographs in this beautiful country.

An Unforgettable Journey
While here, you should expect to travel by truck, bus, boat, and plane, and overnight in places ranging from old colonial buildings, to simple guesthouses and village huts. Make friends all along the way with buffaloes, chickens, monkeys, monks, Hmongs, magic men, and more! Be prepared to leave the itinerary behind if a certain dirt road looks exciting or new friends invite you to walk through the jungle to meet their family. As we say at Rustic Pathways, “the journey is the destination,” and heading into Laos with Andrew will certainly rank as one of the most powerful and memorable journeys of your life. Students doing this program should seriously consider spending a week or two on the Na Som Sabai Dee Service Program, based in a picturesque Hmong village, which will give you a true idea of what it is like to live in this amazing country.

Questions? Contact us at laos@rusticpathways.com.

Off the Map: Laos Itinerary

Day 1, Tuesday
Relax and prepare yourself for your adventure on world-class Singapore Airlines. Meet other students, watch on-demand movies and unwind. A Rustic Pathways Flight Leader will accompany each of our escorted group flights from Los Angeles, making sure that your journey is easy and enjoyable.

Day 2, Wednesday
Ghost Day - After flowing through different time zones and passing the International Date Line today is ‘lost’ in the ambiguity of international travel. Don’t worry - you’ll be able to pick up a free day on your flight home.

Day 3, Thursday
The morning begins as you arrive into Singapore after midnight. You’ll be greeted in Singapore by Rustic staff who will show you the way to our coach bus which will take us to Hotel 81 not far from the airport. We’ll get you checked in and you’ll be able to get some well-deserved rest until morning. You’ll get a wake-up call to come down and enjoy a nice buffet breakfast outside at the pool. Go for an early morning swim if you’d like before packing up your things and heading back to the airport for the connection to Bangkok. Arriving in Bangkok early afternoon, you’ll be greeted by many staff and program leaders who have been eagerly awaiting your arrival. From Bangkok we will jump on a plane to Udon Thani where we will meet our vans and head across the “Friendship Bridge” to the capital of Laos, Vientiane where we will get settled into our guesthouse before a sumptuous dinner on the mighty Mekong River. It will be a long couple of days of traveling behind you as you hit the sack, but many adventures await!

Day 4, Friday
Today we will explore the markets, temples and side streets of Vientiane while getting acclimated to a new pace of life. We will also take an in depth tour of the Lao Revolution Museum to give us a sense of the history of Laos so as to be better informed as we travel through the country making meaningful photos. At Sunset we will head from the main temple of That Luang to the Laosified replica of the Arc d’ Triumph, Pratuu Xai for sweeping vistas of the charming city.

Day 5, Saturday
Today we leave the bustling urbanity of Vientiane behind and head to Nam Ngum Reservoir. This is a gigantic fresh water lake sprinkled with tiny islands amongst a landscape of rolling green hills. We will explore the waterways and small villages by boat. Taking our time to get a feel for the people and activities that revolve around this stunning area. Nam Ngum is a fantastic place to begin to photograph the rural areas and inhabitants of Laos.

Day 6, Sunday
From Nam Ngum we travel farther north into the mountains of Vang Vieng. When we arrive we will head straight into the countryside to wander amongst the rice fields and limestone mountains jutting out of the earth. There are some great villages to bicycle around and we will take full advantage of the photographic opportunities here. For those who are not faint of heart we will also dive into some caves and round off the day with a swim in the river.

Day 7, Monday
In the morning we will depart Vang Vieng, driving further into the mountainous north of Laos. We will eventually arrive at the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang, one of the great travel destinations of this era. Luang Prabang is a lovely town nestled in the mountains between two rivers with exquisitely preserved French colonial architecture lining the streets. It is also a center of Buddhist education and nearly everywhere one walks there are monks and temples beckoning to be photographed. After getting settled in our guesthouse we will sit down to a delicious meal and then hit the bustling night market, which is full of traditional handicrafts and textiles.

Day 8, Tuesday
Today we will begin the day with a walk around town visiting the most important temples and getting a feel for the architecture that we are immersed in. In the afternoon we will head down to the Mekong River to jump on some boats to head up river to an amazing cave full of Buddha figures. As we motor back down river the sun will be setting over the emerald green mountains while children smile and wave from the banks of the river.

Day 9, Wednesday
After a lazy morning of fresh coffee and baguettes we will once again head to the boats, this time to head down river to visit some small villages as well as taking a small walk out to a stunning waterfall to photograph, swim and relax. In the villages we will experience a few of the many hill tribe cultures that live in the rural areas of Laos. Each with it’s own traditions and ways of life. The villagers are extremely warm and welcoming and enjoy sharing about their lives as much as they like to hear about yours.

Day 10, Thursday
We will rise early today to begin a long drive to the high plains of Phonsovan in Xieng Khouang Province. The drive is stunning so we will keep our cameras in our hands while breaking up the drive with stops in small villages and at sweeping vistas of the landscape. At the end of the drive there will be a delicious bowl of noodle soup waiting for us as well as a nice comfy bed!

Day 11, Friday
Today we will head out into the Plain of Jars to visit the various sites of these archaeological wonders. Huge stone jars dot the landscape giving a visual reference to a time long past. The Plains and jars were also the sites for many of the battles that took place during the Secret War in Laos and we will begin to explore that history as we wander through this fascinating area. In the afternoon we will head out to old Xieng Khouang to see a fantastic Buddha image as well as stopping at some interesting villages and caves along the way. After a long day of photographing and learning we will head back to town for a good meal and shower before heading to bed.

Day 12, Saturday
In the morning we will explore the bustling local market sampling some of the delicious food items for sale there as well as looking at different tools used for various farming procedures. We will then head out to visit some Hmong villages where they use a very surprising form of architecture that will blow your mind. We will continue on and hike to a mountainside cave with quite a bit of history to it. As the day ends we will return to town to visit a mountaintop stupa to watch the sun fall over the town.

Day 13, Sunday
Waking up early we will drive to the small town of Sam Neua. This is a good example of a town that sees few tourists and really gives a good insight into life on the Lao/Vietnam border. In the afternoon we will explore the town and walk into the hills to see communist stupas and the friendly village folks.

Day 14, Monday
Jumping back into the vans for an hour drive through a dramatic landscape we will arrive in Vieng Xai, the home of the Pathet Lao in the 1960’s and 70’s. In this beautiful landscape of towering cliffs we will explore the caves that were home to the revolution of that time. After a long day of exploring we will head back to Sam Neua.

Day 15, Tuesday
After a morning walk saying goodbye to Sam Neua we will begin retracing our steps back to Phonsovan stopping along the way to photograph. Arriving back in town we will head to the Hmong market to do some last minute souvenir shopping.

Day 16, Wednesday
This morning we will catch a plane back to Vientiane watching the incredible landscape that we have spent the past two weeks exploring zoom beneath our plane. Back in Vientiane we will take in our last taste of Laos, walking the streets that we started on weeks before. We will take this opportunity to have a final critique of photographs and discussion of our travels together.

Day 17, Thursday
Today we will either say goodbye to Laos and or head off to other Rustic Pathways programs in other countries or stay in Vientiane to meet up with another Laos trip. If you are heading home, you will travel to Bangkok to catch your flight back to America.

Packing List Off the Map: Laos

Passport
2 copies of passport face page
4 passport photos for visa
Camera (any kind is fine, but at least one digital camera is encouraged so that students are able to review work on the road)
Memory cards (at least 8 GB in 2 GB cards is recommended) or film (students who bring film should have their film hand checked at all X-ray terminals)
Charger and extra batteries for camera
Portable hard drive
Laptops are optional, but you are responsible for their safety from theft or damage. We have zero responsibility for these.
Limit the amount of lenses you bring to a comfortable weight for long days of carrying camera bags.
Camera Bag or day pack
Wallet with about $100 for airport layover and pocket money
Headlamp with extra batteries
Journal
Shorts (not too short as they can be culturally insensitive)
T-shirts or button up shirts (females should have shirts that cover their shoulders)
Rain jacket (lightweight)
Pants or skirt that cover the knees for going to temples. Lightweight is best.
Footwear: a good pair of sandals (Chacos/Tevas) and flip-flops should be enough. For those people that like to go jogging or are more comfortable in sneakers those are fine as well. Make sure that they are lightweight, breathable and that they dry easily. We will be doing a lot of walking so make sure that you have tried out your footwear before you travel.
Swimsuit
Sunglasses and hat
Laundry bag
Sleeping sack
Bug spray
Toiletries
Sunscreen
Prescription medicines
Hand Sanitizer
Photos of family and friends to show friends and locals
Suggested Reading: “Shooting at the Moon” by Roger Arnold, “The Mekong” by Milton Osborne, “A Short History of Laos: The Land In Between” by Grant Evans and Milton Osborne