Laos Reviews

Verified

My experience with GIVE Volunteers in Laos was truly unforgettable. From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed by both the GIVE staff and the local community. The trip was thoughtfully organized and balanced meaningful volunteer work with cultural immersion and adventure. The GIVE staff created a supportive, encouraging environment that made it easy to step outside my comfort zone while feeling safe and included. They were knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely cared about both the volunteers and the communities they partner with. This experience gave me a new appreciation for different cultures and reminded me of the importance of human connection. I left Laos with lifelong memories, incredible friendships, and a perspective that will stay with me for years to come. I would highly recommend GIVE Volunteers to anyone looking for a meaningful travel experience that combines service, cultural exchange, and personal growth. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm so grateful I had the chance to be a part of it.

Verified

I am so happy to have been apart of this trip! While spending time in the city of Luang Prabang we also traveled to Sop Chem, the most beautiful place I have been to, where our guides are from/spent much of their time at, and it was the most incredible experience ever. Us travelers spent a ton of time with and became really close with the locals of Sop Chem making this journey so special and one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. We taught children English and began constructing a road which was SO MUCH FUN! The itinerary was so thought out giving me peace of mind knowing what I was getting into on this trip. I appreciate GIVE’s book now pay, later option, which made this trip more accessible for college students like me to sign up for. Thanks GIVE for giving me a second 10/10 experience. Can’t wait for Tanzania and Zanzibar 💚

Verified

I really enjoyed my time in Laos. The guides were great! I loved working with the children in Sop Chem and the Baci ceremony was really cool to experience. Overall I would highly recommend people to go on this trip

Verified

Laos reminded me how time can simply disappear. Life/living is not dependent on this perception of time. Laos reminded me life can be defined by loving, connecting, learning and the intentions behind our actions. Evolving is growth in happiness, curiosity, sense of self, and selflessness! No time line, just community and connection. Some amazing highlights of the trip were zip lining, spending time with bears thanks to GIVEs relationship with free the bears foundation, 9 days in the village of Sopchem, a home stay with a family is Sopchem, women’s night with the ladies of the village, personal weaving with the women of Sopchem (made part of a scarf I bought), working in the schools for 4 days, and permaculture — beginning to build the base of a new kitchen for the kids school, seeding and planting moringa (the most nutrient dense plant) for the kids school lunches, collecting rocks for concrete, kombucha lessons, working on the rice farm (planting rice and using the machine to mix the soil), Baci ceremony (Lao tradition where the entire community gather to give you their blessings and farewells — the most beautiful atmosphere I’ve ever been apart of), sunset dinner on a boat, and the night market! & I promise SO much more! Please follow that curiosity and explore the world through a sustainable and effective organization like GIVE — it can only help ripple love into your life and the world we all occupy <3

Verified

Laos, a true hidden gem of this world and the BEST way to visit this country is to go through GIVE 1000000%!! I will share my stories/experiences/pictures for the rest of my life <3

Verified

I'm leaving Laos, a place I didn't even know existed feeling inspired, lucky, grateful, positive so much LOVE, and with a huge sense of community I've never felt before. The walk to the school each morning, children eagerly running from their houses with their notebooks to join us right as we walked by, is something I'll never forget. The passion these children have to learn is SO inspiring and they are truly just SO smart. Each family has their own unique story and I felt so honored to hear just a few. The women of Sop Chem are such badasses and every single one of them taught me the importance of family, love, hard work, and community which I will carry with me every single day. I'm so grateful I was able to learn the Laos culture from such an incredible and inspiring community. I want every person to experience the beauty that is Laos and the magic that is Sop Chem!!!

Verified

I traveled to Laos with GIVE back in 2019 and I still think about these 2 weeks every single day! Both the international and local staff are so supportive and caring and you truly feel like you are part of their family. I went home and changed my major and started to give back even more to my local community because I wanted to find those connections in my own backyard. My experience in Laos showed me what mattered most in life and it was the best way to end an entire month in SE Asia!

Verified

I can't begin to explain how much this trip and the community of Sop Chem means to me. Laos was the place I was least familiar with when I signed up for the SE Asia package, and it's now the number one place I'd recommend people to travel. With GIVE, you are so deeply immersed in the community and can feel how intentional their relationship is with the people of Sop Chem. By the end of the trip, it truly felt like home and I was in tears saying goodbye to the students and community members I got to know there. No doubt I'll be back here again someday. Khawp jai lai lai!

Verified

I've never felt so immersed and engaged!! This trip truly exceeded my expectations. The connections I made were deeper than I could have ever imagined. I found my second family in the Sop Chem community, my group, and my guides! ❤️

Verified

I cant believe how welcomed I felt in the Sop Chem community. we took a long boat for miles up a river to get there and it was well off the beaten path. Such incredible people that welcomed us into their homes.

Verified

The Laos GIVE volunteers trip was an eye-opening adventure that exceeded all my expectations. From the incredible people we met to the important work we did, every moment was enriching. The GIVE team’s dedication to creating a positive impact was inspiring, and the cultural experiences added depth to the trip. It’s an experience I’ll carry with me forever.

Verified

I went on this trip to give back to a community that gave a lot to me. I was raised in Lao culture my whole life so I'm very familiar with their culture. The GIVE volunteer guides could have benefitted from learning about genuine Lao culture. One moment that made me really disappointed in this trip was when one of the GIVE volunteer guides used a racial slur to describe the students we would be teaching. The slur has not just been used against Lao people, but against all Southeast Asians, which is what I am, and took great offense to this. Due to this, I will not be going on another GIVE trip.

Verified

There seems to be a subtle charm to Laos not many people get to see and I felt incredible lucky to experience. The beautiful green landscape of this country is beyond beautiful. I loved the pace of the program. We had a lot of time to take in such beauty and engage in meditation and even deep conversations with our fellow travelers. Although the level of comfort fluctuated throughout the trip, it felt intentional and you get to grow to love it. Staying at a remote small village, Sop Chem, felt unreal and extremely different from what you are probably used to. Giving back to this community through education, permaculture projects, and overall social engagement felt effortless. The people here are so warm and welcoming. I can genuinely say I'll carry all I learned with me for a long long time.

Verified

Life changing experience to Laos. So eye-opening to spend time with the people of Sop Chem and learn about sustainable travel. This trip has most definitely made me a global citizen.

Verified

A beautiful country and culture! The trip completely immersed me into the culture and I learned so much! It was full of sights and adventure and meeting the locals and getting to know them made it 10 times more amazing!

Verified

Such an incredible experience. The most beautiful country and people!

Verified

Amazing. You really get immersed into the culture and learn about the people you are helping. The guides are great and there’s a lot of team bonding throughout the trip.

Verified

Simultaneous

Verified

Laos is a beautiful country filled with beautiful people.

Verified

I think that it’s fantastic.