The Hiker

15/04/2024

From The Hiker Laos family, we wish you a joyous and prosperous Lao New Year!

As we celebrate Pi Mai, the Lao New Year, we take this opportunity to reflect on the past year's adventures and the incredible people we've met along the way, including all of you, our valued clients!

We wanted to share a glimpse of our Pi Mai festivities with you (see attached photos!).

Our day began with a heartfelt meeting at 9am, followed by a visit to a local temple at 9:30am to receive blessings from the monks. This was a time to reflect on the past year, wash away negativity, and ask for good fortune in the year ahead.

At 11:00am, we participated in a beautiful Lao tradition – releasing fish back into the Namtha River, a symbolic act of merit-making and respect for all living things.

Following this, we gathered for a delicious picnic lunch at the stunning Kaeng Ngoua waterfall at 12:00pm, where we celebrated with a small party surrounded by the beauty of the Laotian forest.

We wish you a Pi Mai filled with laughter, good health, and renewed hope! We at The Hiker Laos cherish the opportunity to explore this beautiful country with you, and we look forward to creating many more amazing adventures together in the coming year.

Sok Di Pi Mai! (Happy New Year!)

Warmly,
The Hiker Laos Team

10/10/2023

🌍 Calling all adventure enthusiasts! 🌍

Check out this amazing reportage from our client, Laura, and her recent 2-day jungle trek with us!

And don't forget to give Laura a follow and listen to her incredible Travel Along Podcast 🤘



We hit the market to get supplies for our trek. Hear all about this thrilling adventure on the latest episode! Travel Along with me!

Link in bio. 😁


        🇱🇦       

08/01/2023

😁 Check out this video of one of our satisfied clients - Serena - talking about her fantastic trekking experience with The Hiker agency in Laos.

👉 Hear why she chose us and why she highly recommends us to others.

🌴 Don't miss out on your own unforgettable adventure - join The Hiker on a trek through the beautiful Luang Namtha jungle.

30/08/2022

🐻 Wildlife Crime Hotline 1601 🐆

If you see wildlife that you think needs rescuing whilst you're traveling through Laos, please know that there's a hotline to report this. (As heartbreaking as it may be, please don't buy wildlife, this shows hunters and sellers that the illegal wildlife trade is worth it).

See the video below for a bear cub that is currently being rescued by Free the Bears from a cage at a resort in the North after a tourist reported it! ❤️

The hotline is being coordinated by
Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife, who are together with Free the Bears currently the only reputable wildlife rescue center in the country. If you don't want to call, you can message them as well to report wildlife in need.

Thank you!

via Maddie Ezra Florence

BREAKING NEWS, Laos. ANOTHER BEAR CUB! Last night our government partners informed us of a moon bear cub illegally held at a resort, which had been reported by a tourist. The cub is in the same province as the other 2 cubs we're hoping to rescue. Our Animal Manager Mr Lar & bear carer Mr Pon have set off on the long journey through the mountains, hoping to reach all 3 cubs by tomorrow. Watch this space for updates.

This is eerily similar to a situation which happened exactly 3 years ago. In August 2019 our government partners from the same province, Luang Namtha, asked us to rescue 2 small moon bears cubs. After we arrived they informed us that they'd found another 3 orphaned cubs illegally held in 2 other locations. With armed police escorts we managed to rescue 5 bear cubs in a day, a record! Watch the '5 Bear Cubs In a Day' rescue video here: https://youtu.be/8MNxOR59Avg

The rescues just keep coming, placing enormous pressure on our small charity. If you are not already, please help us cope with all the rescues (& help rescue more bears) by joining our family of Bear Carers, involving a small monthly donation (less than the cost of a coffee each week). If we can find many willing to give a little, together we can have a massive impact. Thank you. Become a Bear Carer here: https://freethebears.org/pages/bear-carer

Or donate a Cub Care Kit here: https://freethebears.org/collections/gifts-for-bears/products/cub-care-kit



Special thanks to our government partners from Luang Namtha Department of Forest Inspection, Laos. Special thanks also to the tourists who reported this cub. Public participation & activism plays such an important role in helping tackle the illegal wildlife trade. If you ever see endangered wildlife for sale or caged, please report it to authorities.

15/04/2022

🙏 There is some delightful news in the air about the Laos borders opening, so we all have something good to wait for in the new year!
:)

14/04/2021

Happy Pi Mai Laos!!!
Some nice memories from pre-Covid times 2 years ago in front of our office!
Wishing our families and friends a safe and blessed New Year!🥳💦🍻

29/03/2021

One thing that is not making international news: Laos has become the only country in ASEAN with 𝒛𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒔 attributed to the Covid-19 coronavirus!

Why is that? Is it because we don't like to die here in Laos or...? What do you think?

Laos has become the only country in ASEAN with zero deaths attributed to the Covid-19 coronavirus following a death in Cambodia.

14/03/2021

The travel industry is getting vaccinated in Laos.
Most of our Hiker team got the first shot as well!

We are hoping that the world will slowly be coming back to normal and one day soon we can again welcome you all in our jungles!

15/01/2021

Almost the whole Hiker team is together over some time and celebrating a new year. We hope 2021 to be better than 2020 for all of you. One day we will hike again!

The Hiker team
Sak Phonsak Pheng Lifetrip Kirdkeo Kham Bunta Thongmany Noy Somkhit Mun Phimsavang Rene Satsi

05/01/2021

Will I travel in 2021?

"𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭, 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘘𝘜𝘈𝘓𝘐𝘍𝘐𝘌𝘋 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘗𝘩𝘋𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴."

Some reasonable travel advice and food for thought in these confusing times from a famous travel blogger and responsible influencer Alex Reynolds from Lost With Purpose.

Read the full blog post!

Will I travel in 2021?

Travelers are divided these days. Some people have traveled like crazy for months. Others haven't left home in just as long. My social media feeds offer a bizarre mixture of aggressive travel shaming and vacation planning posts.
.. so what do I think? Will I travel soon? Is traveling "okay"?

I thought it would be good to start the new year off with a bit of nuance, since it's always in short supply: maybe.

Right now, I'm staying where I've been for the last year: with my parents in Belgium. We DID do some regional European travel last summer, taking precautions as showed. It's not like I've never left the house. (But I don't go out much.)

WHY? I'm not worried about getting COVID. I stopped traveling because I worry about spreading it to OTHER people. One of my favorite parts of travel is meeting people; that's different when you have to worry about spreading a fatal/debilitating virus.

Does that mean I think everyone should stay home until the world is vaccinated?
.. not quite.

1. It's unknown if the vaccine will prevent SPREAD. If vaccinated people can still transmit COVID, risk is still there.

2. Most of the world will not be vaccinated for years. Rich countries will be soon, but the majority of countries will not. Unless vaccines stop transmission, travel will still be risky for the majority of the world's population for YEARS. (Also, people my age won't be vaccinated for a long time, even in rich countries.)

3. So many economies are dependent on tourism. F*cked up as that power dynamic may be, it's a reality. Many people cannot wait months for business to resume, let alone years. Tourism workers want tourists back.

4. We know now how to minimize risks now. Wearing properly fitting masks. Avoiding indoors as much as possible, including restaurants. Ventilation as much as possible. Limiting socializing.
.. HOWEVER.

I'm still not comfortable promoting travel. This is part of being a responsible influencer. I know some of you will be careful, but many more will any promo as a ticket to travel without giving f*cks.

IF I travel soon, it will be slow to allow for quarantines and tests. Careful by wearing masks when meeting people or in public. Calculated to avoid extended periods in closed spaces. Distanced by limiting the number of people I come in close contact with.

If.

I can't tell you what to do in 2021... or ever. All I can do is ask you to think. And not in a conspiratorial "vaccines are Bill Gates microchipping my brain" way—in a compassionate, cautious, informed way.

If you travel, listen to QUALIFIED scientists, not Facebook PhDs and Parler talking heads. Think about others' safety, not just your own. Educate yourself on what matters most — a negative test does NOT mean you're free to do whatever. At all.

Remember that no matter how irritating it might be to be to be careful, it's a lot less painful than watching someone you love die through a screen, or being the reason a kind stranger can no longer breathe or walk without help.

Happy New Year, y'all. Stay safe.


Image: Me making a goofy face while sitting on a motorbike beside a stream in the mountains.

04/01/2021

Let's talk about the future!
What will you leave behind in 2020.
And what's something you want to start in 2021?
Share your thoughts in the comments!

31/12/2020

On behalf of everyone here at The Hiker, we wish you all the best this holiday season and a happy new year!

Let's hope that the new year will be a little more reasonable than its older brother 2020 and we can welcome you all in Laos again soon!

The Hiker Team.

26/12/2020

💫 Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone! 🎄
🌏 We wish you and ourselves that the next year will be better and we can soon travel again! 🌏

With - Sak Phonsak Rene Satsi Ae Phanavanh Pheng Lifetrip Mun Phimsavang Kirdkeo Kham Noy Somkhit Bunta Thongmany

20/10/2020

***𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘***

Patience our friends! 🙏
As the Lao borders remain closed for now, we are using our time to make the new trails and come up with exciting plans for the future travels in Laos. 💪
The world w i l l return to normal at one point and THE HIKER will be back! 🙌
Don't worry, we are not dead as a parrot in this famous Monty Python sketch, we are just resting...

More videos at http://www.cinematheia.com/ http://www.cinematheia.com/monty-pyth... MONTY PYTHON ARE BACK TOGETHER!

13/04/2020

LAO NEW YEAR 2020 🇱🇦

Sok Dee P*e Mai Lao! Happy Lao New Year!

The Hiker team is wishing you all the happiness and health as we begin today the New Year in Laos.❣️

During the P*e Mai holiday, the traditional Lao celebration is to splash water (SONGKRAN) 💦💦💦 over people to wash away bad luck from the past year and to bring a good luck charm for the new, prosperous year. 🙏

Stay home. Be safe. And look to the future.

The Hiker Team.

Poster credit: Vintage Poster 🙏

Pheng Lifeisatripsbd Mun Phimsavang Kirdkeo Keo Noy Somkhit Jaiy Lnt Bunta Thongmany Jus Sen Rene Satsi Sak Phonsak

💦💦💦 *eMaiLao

12/04/2020

THE HIKER WISHES.

🐤 To All our Dear Friends, have a Happy Easter!

🐰 Wishing you the hope of new beginnings Easter brings 🌞

🐣 Stay home. Be safe. And look to the future. 🙏

30/03/2020

China is here to help!
We hope you are keeping well considering.
Sending lots of love and strength to all of you

A team of Chinese medical experts have arrived in Lao capital Vientiane with equipment. Laos has eight confirmed COVID-19 cases as of today. Lao Deputy Prime...

09/03/2020

Supporting and celebrating women's rights is a year-round responsibility, but today especially we would love to give a toast to all fantastic, inspiring, strong women, far and near! 💪🌸😍🙏

And remember what Eleanor Roosevelt once said:
“Well-behaved women rarely make history.” 💪😍

Have a great one ladies!!!

24/02/2020

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠.

Meet Bunta - Our Office Assistant and Tour Guide.

Bunta’s primary job is in planning at the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

He joined The Hiker in March 2016 and he has been our Office Assistant (doing evening shifts) and also our Tour Guide, working during weekends.

In his spare time, Bunta enjoys playing soccer and also he likes to hike.

Bunta comes from the Sila ethnic minority, from the village Vieng Thong.
Bunta Thongmany

23/02/2020

Do you love to travel in the summer or winter?
Do you go to cold places or hot spots?
What destinations do you choose?

23/02/2020

South East Asia Backpacker is writing about us!!! 👌
Go grab a drink, relax and have a read. 🍹
Enjoy! 🤩

Luang Namtha offers some of Laos best trekking opportunites. The Nam Ha National Protected Area is located just a stone's throw from the city and...

15/02/2020

Sending you all lots of love, peace and happiness today and every day!

05/02/2020

THE HIKE TOURS.

We just found this beautiful video summarising our 2-day multi-adventure tour done by one of our lovely clients Jodie - Global Fun with Jodie Chun 🥥🐍🕷🌴

Enjoy the video and subscribe to Jodie's channel or follow her on Instagram () if you are hungry to see more adventures 💥🛶☀️⛰

One of my favourite parts of Laos was here in Luang Namtha, kayaking and hiking our way to jungle adventure, village visits, and amazing views. We spent a ni...

03/02/2020

Wow it's 1st of February already?
Hard to believe how time flies. ⏰

How did your January go? ⚓️
Have you set up your business and private goals for 2020 with an action plan to achieve them? 📌 We hope so.
Is travelling a big part of it? 🗺

Share in the comments where are you travelling this February!

Happy travels to you all! ⛵️

03/02/2020

THE HIKER TEAM.

Meet Vong - Our Professional Assistant Guide.

Vong started his career as an Assistant Guide for trekking, kayaking and custom adventure tours in 2005.

His vast experience and love for the jungle makes him a perfect guide for every tour.

Vong enjoys river kayaking trips and exchanging funny stories with locals and customers.

Vong is from Yuan tribe from the remote village Ban Donemoun.

20/01/2020

THE HIKER TEAM.

Meet Phouan - our Assistant Tour Guide.

Phouan joined The Hiker as an Assistant Tour Guide in early 2016.

He grew up in the jungle of the Na Lae district, and the jungle has always been in his heart – so it should be no surprise that he is always the first to go on surveys to discover new jungle trails!

Before joining the trekking industry, Phouan worked on rice fields and rubber tree plantations.

He is a great cook and can cook meals to suit any dietary requirements; he can even cook sticky rice in a shaft of bamboo – a very difficult task that not many Lao people can do!

In his free time, he takes care of his farm and goes fishing.
Phouan comes from the Khmu ethnic from the village Nam Ta Lan.

19/01/2020

So you have decided on your next trip.
And now you need to think are you going solo or teaming up with a group of people.
There are always pluses and minuses of travelling both - solo or with a group…
Which one you are? Solo or a group traveller?
#2020