Laos: Construction and Renovation

Introduction

Laos, the country once known as the ‘land of a million elephants’, can offer a lot – from underground river caves, white-water rapids and jungle zip lines for the thrill seekers, to beautiful forests for the trekkers and nature lovers and wonderful cuisine for the foodies.  It is a country, which has retained its authenticity and traditions and where Buddhism plays a significant role in the language, art, literature and performing arts. Nanyang Village (Ban Na Yang), where the project takes place, is located 26 kilometres outside of Vientiane and will give you a taste of the authentic rural Laos.

This program is designed to support the Laotian people by helping in local community construction and renovation projects. These projects take place at facilities such as local medical centres, temples, schools and other community facilities that are allocated to the poor and require construction assistance.  The work assignments within this project could range from painting walls/buildings, restoration/upgrading of existing facilities, building walls, upgrading and restoring sanitation facilities, chairs and tables used in the schools/temples or the construction of new facilities/small buildings.

You will get the chance to interact with the friendly and kind Laotian people who appreciate your help, which positively impacts the lives of the members of the whole community. You will gain a truly unforgettable and life-changing experience!

Daily Life

From Monday to Friday you will be working in the placements focusing on renovation and light construction work such as painting, gardening, building walls, repairing chairs and tables, building sinks, garbage tanks and others depending on what is needed at that time. Lunch is at noon and you will continue the work until 5:00 p.m. Dinner is at 6:00 p.m. Before dinner on Friday there will be an evaluation meeting about the program.

Once a week there will be a trip to Vientiane so you can visit the night market, the river, any restaurants and tourist sites.

Weekends will be free to explore on your own or with friends.

***Please note that activities and schedules can change at any time based on the needs of the project, local conditions and weather conditions.***

Travel & Accom.

You need to arrive at Luang Prabang airport, where you will be met by a project representative and taken to the project location.

You will be staying at a guesthouse located inside an agriculture and development facility where Laotian farmers and Thai/Lao students get their training regarding sustainable agriculture and best practice.  The rooms are shared by 4 to 8 people on a single gender basis. There are no laundry facilities, so you should expect to wash your clothes by hand.

There are three meals during the day comprising of a variety of Western and delicious Laotian dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner accommodated by fruit. Please note that during the weekends only 2 meals per day are provided (brunch and dinner). You can get groceries and snacks in the village.

There are a volleyball court and a football pitch at the accommodation so you can enjoy some sport as well.

Requirements

• Minimum age 18.
• Passion and enthusiasm to get to know Laos, lots of energy and creativity, and not scared to get your hands dirty!
• CRB Police check (or equivalent) showing that you have no previous criminal convictions
• No previous skills are necessary, however you will need to speak English at a conversational level.
• Minimum 2 weeks commitment – 30+ hours a week
• Necessary vaccinations, flight & visas.
• Full travel & medical insurance. Please see our info pages for more information and to get a quote.

Costs

€400 Euros per week

* Check the latest currency conversions with xe.com
** All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee
*** Placements are confirmed with a 1 week deposit

What’s Included:

Project Fee includes food, accommodation, airport pickup, orientation, in-country support and project activities.

Private rooms are available for an additional €100 per week.

What’s not included:

Flights, insurance, visas (if applicable) and vaccinations. Full assistance will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators.

We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.