Eco-logical Tourism

Exotissimo is committed to supporting environmentally and socially responsible tourism projects and we strive to incorporate our philosophies of sustainable travel into all our programmes wherever possible.

In line with this commitment, Exotissimo developed the Sustainable Tourism Department; a team entirely dedicated to pursuing environmental protection and economic and social justice through tourism. Two of the sustainable tourism projects in Laos which we are proud to be involved with are The Kamu Lodge and The Akha Experience.

A three hour upstream cruise from Luang Prabang, The Kamu Lodge offers ‘an exclusive and ecological experience with zero impact on the environment’ at its tranquil, rural centre. Built entirely from natural products and featuring thatched tents and solar-powered energy, guests at the lodge can learn about the traditional farming and fishing techniques of the Kamu villagers, as well as trek through some of the region’s dense jungles and forests.

In 2005, Exotissimo also began working closely with eight tribal villages around Muang Sing to create a sustainable way for visitors to experience tribal life. Muang Sing is a small town 10km from the Lao-Chinese border famed for its abundance of local ethnic minority groups. The Akha Experience is an authentic and responsible tour on which travellers can enjoy a fascinating insight into the village life of the Akha, while helping to fund important community development.

Supporting projects such as these is part of our attempt to encourage sustainable tourism that helps to fight poverty and support environmental and cultural preservation. For more information on these sustainable tours, check out this detailed itinerary of The Akha Experience and review of The Kamu Lodge Eco-Resort.

Khao Sok National Park

Imagine walking through a 180 million year old rainforest, the morning filled with the sound of gibbons calling across the canopy above. You reach a clearing and your guide tells you to be quiet and look to the sky. There you see a hornbill flying low as it searches for food in the jungle below. In Khao Sok this experience an almost daily occurrence.

Khao Sok National Park is the oldest evergreen rainforest in the world. It predates the Amazon and can be traced back in time as far as 180 million years when it was part of a great river delta protected by a coral reef six times longer than the Great Barrier Reef.

Part of a protected area that covers almost 4,000 sqm of south Thailand, Khao Sok is home to some of Asia’s rarest flora and fauna including the world’s largest flower, the rare Rafflesia Kerrii. Trekking is the best way to experience the beauty of the area. Several trails lead from the park headquarters into the jungle following jungle paths that take you to waterfalls or caves. Walking under the shade of giant fig and rattan trees, your guides will be on the constant look out for gibbons, hornbills and other wildlife, while monkeys are seen often.

Deeper into the park you will find Chao Lam Lake. Created in 1982 when the Rachabrapha dam was built, Chao Lam is famous for the giant limestone Karst Mountains that rise mystically from the water to heights of over 100 meters. Part of a topographical chain that stretches from Phang Nga Bay near Phuket to Guilin in China and also occurs in Vang Vieng in Laos and Halong Bay in Vietnam, the mountains of Chao Lam are one of the travel world’s best kept secrets. A longtail boat ride across the lake in the early morning is an unforgettable experience as the waters reflect the giant limestone mountains creating magical memories.

When the area was flooded, several villages were lost and 100 metres below the waters are complete communities. As part of the national park, there are no permanent buildings around the lake but the original inhabitants were allowed to build floating raft houses and adventurous travelers can spend the night in the simple bamboo huts in the middle of the lake.

As well as trekking through the park, kayaking on the lake or down the Sok River are other ways to discover the area. Located almost half way across peninsula Thailand, Khao Sok is easily reached from Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani or Khao Lak and should be an essential part of all visits to South Thailand. View our Gibbon's Call in Khao Sok for your Khao Sok trip.

Tribal Nations - Living the High Life

Along the borders of Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and China, there are dozens of mountain-dwelling semi-nomadic people collectively known as ‘hilltribes’. Although they do share an elevated lifestyle, these colorful communities actually represent a diverse myriad of languages, cultures and belief systems.

The Akha, one complex hilltribe group in the region, are closely related to the Hani of China’s Yunnan province but speak their own distinct language which comes from a branch of the Tibeto-Burman language group. The Akha are traditionally subsistence farmers, and Akha Zang (The Akha Way) combines animism, ancestor worship and their deep relationship with the land.

Also originally hailing from Yunnan, the Lisu have primarily earned their name as a tribe alive with color, and are considered to use the greatest variety of colors of all the hill tribes. Their confident decision-making and independence is reflected in the way the Lisu use powerful combinations of colors to decorate their costumes.

The Karen are one of the largest hilltribes in Southeast Asia with a total population of about three million spread throughout Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Famed for the ‘long necks’ of their women, the Karen now live at relatively low elevations in permanent villages, and have developed environmentally sustainable terraced rice fields.

The Lahu are a strongly independent and very diverse ethnic group. In Thailand alone there are no fewer than six different Lahu tribes, some of whose languages are not mutually intelligible. Although primarily subsistence farmers, the Lahu are also proud of their hunter-warrior heritage and are strongly committed to principles of unity and working together for survival.

This brief look at just a few of these fascinating groups illustrates the complex diversity of Southeast Asian hilltribe communities.

Experience these remarkable ethnic groups for yourself on our Shan Homestay in Tham Lod.