ECC Returns to Elephant Fest with Activities

  The Elephant Conservation Centre (ECC) is returning to the 2019 Sayabouly Elephant Festival on 22-28 February with activities aimed at action, education, and conservation. For the action category, ECC will be holding a race. Elephants, due to their size, are incapable of running. This led ECC to create the slogan “Elephants can’t run, but … Read more

Sayabouly Elephant Fest: What to do with Chinese Influx?

  Sayabouly authorities are wondering how to accommodate the 500 or so Chinese visitors who will attend the elephant festival in the provincial capital this week and next. The popular annual event always fills guesthouses as people from around Laos flock to Sayabouly for the chance to see elephants close up and personal. Deputy Governor … Read more

Laos to Launch MICE Guide at ITB Berlin

  We Are Lao is launching “The MICE Guide to Laos” at ITB Berlin 2019 to promote the country as “The Last Frontier” for business events and incentives in nature. The guide features 16 hotels with modern event venues and facilities, and who see MICE potential in Laos. ITB delegates can get a copy and … Read more

Lao Food Expo Slated for March

  The first Lao International Food Expo (LIFE) will be held at Lao-ITECC on 15-19 March, to display a variety of local and regional food, organic vegetables, ODOP (One District, One Product) items, and agricultural equipment and machinery, while highlighting the potential of tea, coffee and rice. The event will feature some 200 booths from … Read more

Jungle Vine Bags with WEA

  by Alex Robb-Millar Since November last year, White Elephant Adventures (WEA) has been making efforts to reduce the amount of plastic bags used in the company, with the introduction of bags made from woven jungle vine. These bags are made by rural Khmu tribe people in a village in Oudomxay province, and we estimate we … Read more

Avani+ Luang Prabang Lao New Year’s Special

  Revel in the Lao Pii Mai (New Year’s) festival at Avani+ Luang Prabang, and receive an amazing 33% discount for a minimum 3-night stay from 12-17 April 2019. The hotel sits in the heart of the week-long water festival, when celebrations dominate the streets. You can join the procession that marches from temple to … Read more

High-Speed Thai Train to Steam into Laos

  The Thai government aims to complete the 608-km high-speed Thai-Sino high-speed railway project, linking Bangkok and Nong Khai, by 2023, so it can reach the Laos-China train from the Thai capital in just three hours. Once the Thai train reaches Nong Khai, the rail line leads over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. The Thai rail … Read more

Inthira Joins “No Plastic Straws” Movement

  The Inthira Group is now part of the “No Plastic Straws” movement. The Lao hotel chain strongly encourages its customers to not use straws, as they are only used for five minutes, but take 400 years to dissolve. No plastic straws at Inthira However, as a few guests still need straws, Inthira took time … Read more

Minister Lists Tourism Complaints, Tells Government to Act

  Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Dr Bosengkham Vongdara unloaded a list of travel complaints on the government last week, and called for cooperation to address the barriers hampering Tourism growth. Problems in Paradise Dr Bosengkham and other senior officials presented a slate of problems that tourists encounter when entering and exiting the country: … Read more