Villagers, tour operators collaborate on new community-based Soum-son Trail in Laos
The organisers of a new community-based trekking route in remote northern Laos believe that the inclusion and training of villagers in three mountain hamlets is a positive example of responsible travel. Their hope is that the community-based tourism activity will enhance the quality of life for the villagers.
Women pioneers
On February 16, six Australian women will be the first tourists to walk the Soum-son Trail.
The four-day trek, organised by Camino Women (Australia) and Khiri Travel (Laos), will be part of a 12-day northern Laos journey which includes a slow boat ride on the Mekong river, a train ride, visits to Buddhist caves and an elephant park, walks in paddy fields, meetings with various ethnic group villagers, and experiencing the UNESCO world heritage township of Luang Prabang.
In preparation to receive the women, 26 people from the three remote villages joined three days of training in Luang Prabang in December. The villagers learned about community-based tourism, safety standards, housekeeping service, waste management, food preparation, and customer service during hands-on practical sessions led by four community tourism experts from the Lao government.
Two-way learning
Camino Women and Khiri Travel’s charitable arm, Khiri Reach, paid for the training. After consulting with the villagers about what else they may need, Khiri Reach and Camino donated two laptop computers, school books, and preserved foods to the three villages on the remote hiking trail.
“Our approach is to treat tourism as a supplementary source of income for the villagers who are rice farmers,” said Julie Beaufrère, country manager for Khiri Travel Laos.
“We don’t want over-dependency on tourism. And the cultural learning process is also very much both ways between villagers and the women hikers.”
Positive partnership
After the inaugural trip in February, Camino Women and Khiri Travel aim to bring five hiking groups to the Soum-son Trail in 2025, followed by two per month in the next high season, November 2025 to February 2026.
Each trip will have the same local guide from the villages and Khiri Travel’s own highly experienced Laotian community guide.
Camino Women’s lead trip designer Lisa O’Donnell, who surveyed the trail with Ms Beaufrère last year, is glad to see the preparation, training, and hard work paying off.
“We’re very positive with our partnership with the wonderful villagers and the proactive support from the Lao authorities and Khiri Travel. I believe our Camino women hikers are really going to enjoy their immersion in Laotian village life for four days.”
Close co-operation
Australian tour operator Leatherback Travel operates specialist travel units such as Camino Women, Patch Adventures, Magnificent Rail, and Fencox Travel. Khiri Travel has handled various tours for these brands in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia since 2023.
“The Soum-son Trail and the full 10-day greater Laos experience is a terrific example of close cooperation between Leatherback Travel and Khiri,” said Willem Niemeijer, founder of Khiri Travel. “We aim to develop more responsible and regenerative travel experiences with Leatherback Travel across Southeast Asia in the months ahead.”
About Khiri Travel
Since 1993, Khiri Travel has earned a reputation as a destination management company dedicated to providing quality leisure travel experiences across Asia. With 17 offices in Thailand, The Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka (which has responsibility for the Maldives), Khiri Travel’s entrepreneurial associates craft innovative itineraries that reflect their passion for authentic, local, and sustainable experiences.
About Camino Women
Camino Women is an adventure tour company based in Australia that combines trekking adventures with insider access to intimate cultural encounters. Designed by women for women, Camino Women is for active and energetic women of all ages.
