We asked the coordinator specifically if there were no elephant rides. He assured us that there were not. We requested this specifically because this practice is awful to the animals welfare. When we got halfway through the trek, there were, in fact, elephant rides. How is that 'ethical'?
Amazing trek otherwise, however with something this important, I expect honesty.
My daughter and I booked a 3 day trek with Tiger Trails in Luang Prabang. We were in for a treat. Our guide, Onchanh, was extremely knowledgeable, experienced and kind. I wanted to see elephants but those that were treated kindly. He took us on a 15 km mountain bike ride through beautiful scenery and paddy fields to the elephant rescue centre where the elephants were not in chains and cared for and we were able to help bathe the elephants (we got bathed too!!). We then took a short boat ride to Tad Sae falls where we indulged in the zip wire experience above the canopy before we started our trek through the jungle.
My daughter is quite fit but I am not. Onchanh was extremely kind. He kept good pace so we could reach the village where we were staying overnight before dark but yet not too fast that I could not cope. He was very thoughtful and often stopped to show us interesting flora and fauna whilst giving me some breathing time and later made up a walking stick to help me through some steep muddy sections. He made the trek so interesting that I soon forgot how tired I was. At the village he was again very concerned for our wellbeing and ensured our rooms were clean and insect free and gave us good advice and even organised a local lady to give me a foot massage! Very nice. Even showed us how to eat the dinner the way the locals do and was very meticulous in ensuring my daughter who's vegan had a variety of foods. He enlightened us about life in Laos and in the village in general and it proved to be a very humbling experience. At the same time he was full of optimism and positivity. He was sure to point out all the interesting things that we would have missed easily.
By nightfall I wasn't sure I could manage the steeper and longer trek for the next day but Onchanh immediately understood and appreciated that and advised a shorter trek with 20km of kayaking to follow which was brilliant and very manageable. He ensured we stopped over to have some fruit that he bought along the way. He was always carrying things for us as he wanted our comfort and for us to be able to complete the trek with enjoyment.
The people we met along the way and the scenery was amazing and I am sure our experience would be different if it wasn't for him. On the 3rd day we went to Kuang Si falls as there had been no water at Tad Sae due to the late rains. I swam in the refreshing pools whilst Onchanh did a hike with my daughter.
There was great kindness, knowledge , experience and sensitivity shown to us. We have already decided to return for an more extensive trek with Onchanh when my daughter finishes Uni. If you visit Luang Prabang, do request for him as you will be in for a fabulous time.
Thank you Onchanh and thank you Tiger Trails.
I loved my trekking tour. The guide was very respectful of the different tribes and you could tell they had a good relationship. Saw Tad Sae waterfall, hiked about 16 km, and took two boat trips with amazing views in one day.
Fantastic day out with Leevrang, our guide. Well paced hike. He was very knowledgeable and could explain flora, fauna, local customs etc.
We booked for 2 days of guided mountain bike tour. The first day we did the Chicken Run ride and it was tough ! There was a lot of up and down hills and at one point I just gave up and started to push mybike up any hill I came across . I usually train on a flat trail using a road bike, so I figured it should be easier for those accustomed to mountain biking. Anyway, our guide was very patient and even helped me with pushing my bike uphill. We biked through quite a few village off the beaten path and The locals were super friendly.
On the second day we went with a different guide, on different excursion, the Small Chilli which was much, much easier (it was tagged as medium level on their introduction book) we had to bike 30-40 minutes on paved roads with cars coming and going before heading offroad, the sceneries were amazing, super peaceful. We passed a small village with friendly locals and stopped by Nam Khan river for lunch. Our guide spoke very good English and we had a good chat over lunch.
We also bought color pencils and stationeries for kids and schools in local villages. Both of our guides were very helpful and took the time to communicate with the locals on this. I m very sorry that we were not able to remember their names but all in all, this was a great experience and I would recommend Tiger Trail for a good Luang Prabang adventure.
We did the full day Trekking to Hmong & Khmu Villages and then ended at Tad Sae waterfalls. We had Chanci as our guide, and he was wonderful.
It was an interesting experience as you kind of just go into these villages and walk around and then leave. There isn't the kind of, "let's all go see these random people who just showed up" that there is in other places I have been. I have mixed feelings about that part of the experience, as I felt almost like I was intruding. At the same time, it was kind of nice to see people just going about their daily lives. Our guide did a decent job of explaining some of the social and economic situation in the area, which was quite interesting. Luckily for us, we had been to TAEC before going on the trek, so had some background knowledge of the ethnic groups.
The one downside was that we were specifically looking to avoid elephant treks, but ended up at the starting point to one as it was at the same place our trek started. That was sad and disappointing, but also just alarming as I was standing feet away from an elephant without having expected to do so. While these elephants looked like they were treated at least decently (ones we saw elsewhere had chains around their necks, but these did not), it was still a little upsetting watching other tourists get on them to go for a ride through the forest.
On the plus side, the scenery was gorgeous, and we hiked through many different types of forest and plantations, from basically a tropical rainforest to bamboo forest to open fields. Our guide taught us about some of the things we were seeing along the way, like rubber and teak trees, which was cool. Chanci was also just a fun person to talk to, and everyone in our group had a good time. He was also very tolerant of us taking lots of photo and water breaks along the way.
After a quick ride in a boat down the Mekong, we went to the Tad Sae waterwalls. They were gorgeous, and were quite pleasant to dip your feet in after all that hiking. FYI, there are also elephants here.
Overall, really glad we did this as it certainly gave us a different perspective on Laos than we would have had otherwise. Also, thank you so much to Chanci for being such a great guide!
Took the private trek to kuang si waterfall. Our guide was good making sure we don't slip as we go down the slippery slope. He even make us a walking stick. Overall we have a good guide.
We had the best Christmas day EVER with tiger trails! We were a group of 7, 2 kids age 9 and 12, and we did the one day cycling plus kayak. Our guides Tony and Xoy were brilliant, really warm, friendly and fun for the kids. They really listened to what we wanted to do and provided a great day for us. The cycling was about 15km, and although the road was a little busy at one point, we were able to take it at out own pace, with a support vehicle though we didn't need it. We then had a few hours at Tak Say waterfalls which are really incredible. An amazing lunch of pad Lao in banana leaf (Perfect Xmas dinner!) And then a kayak home! Amazing day ... thank you Tony and Xoy
Spent the day Kayaking with our amazing tour guide Fong! He was full of knowledge and very helpful. Lunch was amazing and the route he took us was spectacular. Would highly highly recommend to anyone visiting Luang Prabang.
Spent 4 days with them. Respectful and patient. Hope they add more bike trails.
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