The Laotian agency Khiri Travel in collaboration with Camino Women from Australia has unveiled a new community-driven hill trekking route in northern Laos, emphasizing the values of responsible tourism.

The inaugural four-day trek is set to begin on February 16 with six participants from Australia.

This trek forms part of a more extensive 12-day journey in northern Laos, which includes a scenic slow boat ride on the Mekong river, visits to sacred Buddhist caves, an elephant park, walks through lush paddy fields, and interactions with various ethnic communities, culminating in the UNESCO heritage city of Luang Prabang.

Following the initial trek, Camino Women and Khiri Travel plan to host five hiking groups on the Soum-son Trail in 2025, with a goal of adding two groups per month during the high season from November 2025 to February 2026.

Each group will be accompanied by the same local guide from the nearby villages, as well as Khiri Travel’s experienced community guide from Laos.

What Makes This Trek Unique?

What sets this trek apart is the incorporation of local community support and training from three remote mountain villages along the new Soum-son Trail, which is viewed as a model for responsible travel practices.

In anticipation of receiving the hiking participants, 26 villagers underwent intensive training lasting three days in Luang Prabang last December.

Khiri Travel’s charitable branch, Khiri Reach, funded this training, which focused on community-based tourism, safety regulations, housekeeping, waste management, food preparation, and customer service. The villagers benefitted from hands-on training led by four tourism experts from the Lao government aimed at enhancing their quality of life.

Learning from Each Other

Julie Beaufrère pointed out that their strategy is to ensure tourism serves as an additional income source for local rice farming communities, without fostering an overreliance on tourism. She emphasized the reciprocal cultural exchange taking place between the villagers and the hikers.

Lisa O’Donnell expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved through collaboration with the villagers and the support from local authorities and Khiri Travel, noting, “We expect our hikers will truly appreciate their immersive experience in Laotian village culture over the four days.”

Willem Niemeijer highlighted the collaboration with Leatherback Travel in creating responsible and regenerative travel opportunities throughout Southeast Asia.