Study tours
Green Discovery acts as an experienced local partner for experiential learning organisations, schools and universities from all over the world. Tours are tailor-made to meet their learning outcomes through inspiring and engaging experiences. Focusing on student’s engagement and cultural immersion, all our tours are managed by fully trained professionals and have safety as an absolute priority. Our tours can focus on a number of different areas including sustainability, responsible travel, development, history, culture or wildlife conservation. We can also create tours to focus on different outcomes including team work, leadership, or cross cultural understanding. Every study tour we create is unique to your group and your needs.
20 years providing memorable trips
Safe
All our study tours undergo a thorough risk assessment process as part of the initial design. Our study tours risk management process allows us to ensure your tour operates within your organisation’s risk tolerance.
Professional
Our guides are professionally trained and understand the unique needs of study tours and student groups. The hold internationally recognised first aid qualifications and follow all national regulations for guides.
Experienced
Green Discovery has operated study tours for universities and international schools from the UK, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Laos. Our tours are designed by experiential education expert with many years of experience in program design, management and facilitation.
Why Laos?
Laos is a land-locked country is South East Asia and is classified as a Least Developed Nation. Laos was isolated from much of the world after the communist government took power in 1974. It opened its borders again in the 1990s but much of the country is still unexplored by foreign visitors
Culture
Laos is a cultural melting point of over 100 different ethnic groups. Each group has their own distinct traditions, beliefs, ceremonies, and clothing. Many of these groups have had little exposure to outside influences and still live very traditional lifestyles that can not be found anywhere else in the world. A visit to some of these traditional villages is something that students will remember for years.
History
Lao’s ancient and modern history offers students a unique opportunity. Explore ancient history in the UNESCO World Heritage listed sites of Wat Phu and the Plain of Jars. Discover Lao’s colonial history in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang. Explore the ongoing impacts of the ‘Secret War’, a CIA backed bombing operation that saw Laos become the most heavily bombed country in the world. Students can learn about how these influences have played a role in the creation of the modern day Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Development
As a Least Developed Country, Laos has a unique position to act as a lesson in sustainable development. Students interested in any aspect of development will find plenty to unpack and explore in this fascinating country. Our relationships across all sectors of Lao will allow you to explore themes of power, poverty, privilege and geopolitics with your students hearing from all sides.
Example Itinerary of
Lao Culture and Traditions
DAY 1
Students land in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang and are transferred to their accommodation. After checking in, the group will go through an expectation and goal setting session. Students will then walk to where dinner will be served, a restaurant working with disadvantaged youth to offer them training in the hospitality industry.
DAY 2
We will then take a walking tour of city, including the former Royal Palaceand the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre. Lunch will be served during this tour at local restaurant. In the late afternoon students will attend a cooking class, where they will cook own dinnerof traditional Lao food.
DAY 3
The multi-tiered waterfall cascades down into stunning pools of iridescent blue water. After exploring the falls students are invited to visit a bear sanctuary that houses Asian sun and moon bears who have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.
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DAY 4
Today students will embark on a journey with a local NGO to operate a mobile library to a remote village. Student will help distribute books and other learning materials before returning to Luang Prabang
DAY 6
Over the next two days students will head out into the jungle to explore some of Lao’s mountainous landscape and visit ethnic villages. We will hike through rice paddies, past waterfalls, and visit Hmong and Khmu villages. We will spend the night in a homestay with local families.
DAY 7
We continue our trek in to the Nam Ou Valley. We follow traditional hunting trails to a small village where waiting transport will take us back to Luang Prabang. We will celebrate the success of our trip with a traditional Sin Dad (Lao BBQ) dinner.
DAY 8
We will wake up early to observe one of Lao’s holiest traditions, the giving of alms. Every morning monks will get up before dawn and make their way down the street, collecting food from devotees. Students can take part in the ancient ritual, lining up shoulder to shoulder with locals and make offerings to the monks.
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DAY 9
The final morning will start with an early morning, climbing the steps of Mt Phousi in the centre of town to watch the sunrise. After returning to the hotel for breakfast the group will be transported to Luang Prabang International Airport for their flight home