Laos Private Tours and Trips

First time with Exodus - exceeded our expectations - programme well planned and varied - loved the activities - group leaders excellent - fellow group members great company.

Laos is an interesting country that is still quite undeveloped and new for tourism. This particular trip was not very inspiring, and particularly as most of the travel was by train which meant not much of the countryside was seen. I didn’t think the itinerary has enough in it

We were among the first people to test out this Exodus itinerary, our group of 11 being the third to undertake Laos in Comfort since it was added to the schedule. I have been hankering to tour Laos for some years, having already been with Exodus to Vietnam and Cambodia, and for me it was the destination and not the comfort that was of prime importance. Having said that, all the hotels we stayed at were excellent, offering comfortable facilities with welcoming pools and good breakfasts. It was a joy to visit Luang Prabang, which is really Buddhist Central, and in particular getting up before sunrise to hand out alms to passing monks. We also enjoyed kayaking on the river at Vang Vieng and visiting (and swimming in) the waterfalls at Nam Kat. Our adventure included four journeys on the high speed train, which now cuts through Laos from China. While this was a new experience for me, I felt it was at least one high speed trip too many. For me, Luang Prabang was such a high I didn't want to return to Vientiane for our final farewell. Hopefully in future Exodus travellers will enjoy an extra night in Luang Prabang and end the trip with flights from there.

Overall I had a good experience in Laos on my first Explore trip. The positives were a solid itinerary visiting the 3 places of Vientiane, Vang Vieng, and Luang Prabang. Our tour leader Nam was well organised and most of the tour ran smoothly. The negatives were although Nam was nice and helpful he is let down by his communication skills. He wasn't always clear and at times he gave long-winded explanations. He didn't set a whatsapp group until day 4. And it would have been better that our daily plans were posted in Whatsapp to avoid confusion. The optional tour in Vang Vieng at I think USD30 was not value for money. The whole group did this optional tour and the visit to the Hmong village and Blue Lagoon wasn't worth it in my opinion. Lastly the Silver Naga hotel in Vang Vieng had a substandard bathroom with no shower cubicle, making it a 2 star standard.

Nam was a great guide to Laos. I loved this itinerary and found the accommodations to be comfortable and clean. Would recommend to others.

A great mix of culture and adventure. Informative guides who genuinely care. Friendly and knowledgeable travel consultants that go out of their way to answer questions and offer previous advice and destination tips