New travel products and appointment of Connor Bedard reaffirm responsible tourism credentials of Khiri Travel in Laos
Khiri Travel has introduced five new ‘Signature Experiences’ for travellers who want to go local in Laos. Connor Bedard, the new Assistant General Manager for Khiri Travel Laos, will liaise with travel agents to ensure specific agent requirements in Laos are fulfilled.
The full or half-day trips in Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang and southern Laos allow guests to interact with villagers in local food markets, family kitchens, paddy fields, cave temples, coffee plantations and on Mekong fishing boats. There’s plenty of opportunity for learning about food, animism, handicrafts and for tasting noodles, desserts, cold beer and rice whisky – all against a backdrop of karst mountains and changing Mekong River vistas.
In Luang Prabang, guests enjoy a full day of fresh market shopping and a boat trip across the river to Ms Noy’s family kitchen for a cooking lesson. The culinary session is followed by a boat trip down stream with snacks such as river weed, prawn crackers and rice whisky being served.
In Vang Vieng, Khiri guests enjoy two hours of leisurely down-stream kayaking on the Nam Song river, followed by a Khamu lunch in a family garden, a lesson on how to make Lao Hai rice wine and an informative walk through paddy fields. Guests meet a knife smith in his workshop. He forges a personalised knife for each Khiri guest.
A half-day in Vientiane allows visitors to visit a local fresh market, drink Lao coffee, eat laughing noodles and buffalo eye cookies and learn how to cook Kao Piak noodle soup and papaya salad. This is followed by homemade ice cream and sticky rice made by a grandmother who has perfected her recipe over the last 40 years.
For an insightful late afternoon and early evening in the ‘4000 Islands’ area guests can practice fishing on a fisherman’s boat on the Mekong. At dusk there is a riverside bonfire and barbecue with tasty local Lao specialities accompanied by story-telling.
For guests interested in Buddhism and spiritual blessings, Khiri’s new signature experiences in Laos include a half day in Luang Prabang participating in a Bacci ceremony in a local home. A trip to a quiet temple follows. Here guests learn the fundamentals of meditating, practice some Buddhist chanting and ask monks questions on Buddhism and daily routine.
“Khiri’s signature experiences encourage Khiri guests to engage with local Laotian people, food and culture in an educational yet fun way,” says Stefan Scheerer, General Manager of Khiri Travel Laos.
“Lao people and their culture have great beauty and character,” he adds. “Khiri wants to share these wonderful insights and experiences with our guests.”
The Khiri Travel half and full-day trips are flexible. They can be combined with other Khiri itineraries in Laos and with those linking Laos to Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.
Before joining Khiri Travel Laos, Connor Bedard, a Canadian national, worked for an NGO advising on tourism development in southern Laos. He has a master’s degree in sustainable development from the University of Calgary.
“I have always focused on sustainable tourism and I only want to work with environmentally and socially responsible businesses,” says Bedard. “This is why I chose to work with Khiri.”
Bedard will support the Khiri Travel sales team in quickly creating personalized itineraries for partner agents.
Further information: Khiri.com/laos.
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About Khiri Travel
Since 1993, Khiri Travel has won awards and earned a reputation as a destination management company dedicated to working with select tour operators to provide quality leisure travel experiences across Asia. With 16 offices in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Khiri Travel’s entrepreneurial associates craft innovative itineraries that reflect their passion for authentic, local and sustainable experiences. Visit khiri.com.
Contact Khiri Travel
Head Office
226/9 Soi Tiwanon 24
Tiwanon Road, Bangkasor
Muang, Nonthaburi 11000 Thailand
Tel: (+66) [0] 2968 6828
travel.trade@khiri.com
www.khiri.com
Media queries:
Ken Scott
ScottAsia Communications
Email: kens@scottasia.net
Mobile: (+44) [0] 7949 077959
Anchalee Sriwongsa
ScottAsia Communications
Tel: (+66) 91 806 0484
Email: ann@scottasia.net
