You will be staying in Ban Thad Luang-village with a beautiful view on the third floor, and it is easy to exit to the night market and the town central like 3-5 minutes a ways from our placement. Rooms are single gender with up to 8 participants per room. There are no hot water showers currently, but hot water from a bucket shower is available upon request. There are occasional power outages that can affect the pump which allows the flow of water, so it is important to keep your bucket filled in your bathroom in case this happens. The bathroom facilities are shared with cold water showers and Western-style toilets. Bed linen are provided, but please bring your own towels. The rooms are equipped with fans and mosquito protection.
Arrival transfer is included. You will be met at Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ) by one of our representatives and taken to the volunteer accommodation. Our staff member will be waiting for you in the arrival hall as you exit the main door of the airport. The airport is very small so it is almost impossible to miss. Please note that you may need to wait for other participants to arrive before the group leaves the airport. The arrival transfer is only available on Sundays. If arriving on a Saturday, you will need to book an extra night of accommodation.
If you are traveling to Luang Prabang overland from Thailand or elsewhere in Laos, the pick-up window is between 08:00-22:00 on Sundays only at Luang Prang Airport (LPQ), Luang Prabang Bus Station, Luang Prabang Train Station, or Luang Prabang Bandone Boat Pier.
First Steps
Meet our Transfer Coordinator
If you arrive within the pickup window, a transfer coordinator will be waiting for you at a meeting point (details below) to arrange your transfer.
Get a SIM card
We highly recommend buying a local SIM card for your whole time here (for your own personal safety and for easier/cheaper communication with other participants, staff and family back home). If traveling to us by yourself, this becomes especially useful. They are usually very cheap.
Meeting Points
LPQ (Luang Prabang airport)
Our transfer coordinator will meet you at the Airport’s main arrival hall holding a sign with either your name or “The Green Lion”, upon your arrival near the main exit of the airport hall. You may need to wait for several participants to arrive before the group leaves the airport.
Overland Pick-Up Points
If you are traveling to Luang Prabang overland from Thailand or elsewhere in Laos, please be sure to meet us at one of the following meeting points on Sunday.
Luang Prabang airport (LPQ)
Luang Prabang bus station (North bus station or South bus station)
Luang Prabang Train station
Luang Prabang Bandone boat pier
Transfer times to your location
You may wish to take these transfer times into consideration.
Airport to your Accommodation in Luang Prabang by Car/Tuktuk is about 15-20 minutes.
What to do, if...
...you are waiting at the airport but can’t find your transfer coordinator?
Make sure that you have passed customs and are at the meeting point as described above. If you are there already, it is essential you stay where you are and wait to avoid further confusion.
It is most likely your driver has just got stuck in traffic. But if after waiting at least 20 minutes you still can’t find your driver, try calling our transfer coordinator (phone number below).
If they do not answer on the first try, please keep trying.
...you can’t reach the transfer coordinator on the phone.
Please send them a text message and wait at the meeting point. They might be busy and will get back to you shortly. If for any reason they don’t get back to you, please try again. If 30 minutes pass, try your country manager’s phone number (also below).
...you don’t get an answer on your messages
Stay at the meeting point. We will meet you there in any case.
***DO NOT LEAVE THE MEETING POINT OR ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL TO OUR CENTER ON YOUR OWN.***
Three meals during the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are provided and will generally take place at the accommodation and project site, unless stated otherwise. We offer a variety of local Laotian dishes. Participants may find that the cuisine is quite different from what they are used to at home, as there are very few western dishes served. Local dishes can sometimes be adapted to accommodate vegetarians, but can be a bit challenging with other dietary restrictions. Please inform the local team of your specific needs and they will do their best. However, please consider that it may not be possible to meet those personal tastes or guidelines everyday to your satisfaction. In instances like this we do suggest, bringing some of your own items to supplement the food being served. Please note that during the weekends only 2 meals per day are provided (brunch and dinner). Water, coffee and tea are available at your accommodation.
Please inform us of any dietary restrictions or intolerances during your application. However, we need to stress the point that you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home. We will do our best to see that you are well taken care of, but also as a volunteer, there is a need to be flexible and accommodating to the local food.
Facilities
You can find simple groceries and beverages sold in two local restaurants located next to the accommodation. There are also shops and a local market located 3 minutes and 10 minutes away respectively, by foot. There is also a pharmacy and local clinic located less than 5 kilometers away.
There is a lake-side makeshift restaurant just for us, where you can enjoy the evenings and order Western or Laotian food at reasonable prices.
Transportation
Vientiane is located about 25 kilometers away and it is very easy to reach via public transport from our center and back. Anything that you might need can be found there, with its numerous shopping malls, a cinema and local markets to explore! There are also bikes available for you to use to explore the area during the afternoons. It is important to note that the local transport stops running early, so you should check with the local team to ensure that you are returning early enough to catch it, as private transport can be quite pricey by local standards.
Money
We advise all participants to bring some local currency with them for personal expenses, or use the ATM at the airport when they arrive. The closest ATM machine can be found on the main road to Vientiane, approximately 5 kilometers from the accommodation. Money can also be exchanged in Vientiane.
What to Bring
Malaria precautions, mosquito repellent, towel(s), sturdy shoes, work gloves