Guide training 2011- Laos!

By: Nicole Long – Laos country director

As you may already know, Journeys Within’s 2011 Guide Training is currently underway all over SE Asia.  Andrea made her way over to Laos after her first stop in Thailand and we conducted guide training in Luang Prabang and Vientiane over 5 days. We were even able to fit in some hotel, restaurant, and supplier inspections into the busy schedule.

It was a fast few days that were jam packed from morning until the evening. Andrea will be continuing on a similar schedule for the next couple of weeks and I have to commend her for her enduring spirit and energy. It takes a lot to do these training and inspections every day for three weeks. This year the theme is that our guides are our stars, but I have to say that Andrea is one as well!  She is the JW rock star!

In order to celebrate the success of training in Laos, I have listed the top 10 ways in which the JW team and guide training ROCKED this year!

1. Guide Training Video – It was so cool to see the finished guide training video on the big screen! In both Luang Prabang and Vientiane we were able to see the film via projector. It was really fun to see the reactions of the guides who were watching it, especially the ones that were in it! You could see how excited the guides were when they saw guides they knew being interviewed and the footage of their country. The end shot of Ek, Laos guide, is PRICELESS!
2. Spending a full day with the Luang Prabang guides at the Elephant Village’s Shangri Lao Explorer Expedition. All of our guides were treated with this full day excursion which included a 1.5 hour elephant ride, breathtaking views on top of  mountains, luxurious lunch in a bungalow overlooking a private waterfall in the secluded forest, a jungle trek, horseback riding (for a few) and a bamboo raft ride down the Nam Khan River.  It was great for all of the guides to join together and experience something they rarely get to do, go on a tour!
3. Our guides are amazing support.  Phaeng told me that he thought flip flops would be fine for the trek portion of tour. They were fine for him, but not so much for me! I learned that flip flops and the rainy season do to go well together. Mud, mud, mud and some more mud. I know, I know. I have lived in Luang Prabang for 3 years and I should know better. I believe I thought I was as agile as Phaeng. I learned I was not. I was very thankful that my guides were so helpful to me on my ascent down the mountain. They literally held me up by my arms and slid me down the mountain barefoot. I was happy to provide a good laugh for everyone.
4. In Vientiane it was raining so heavily that we had to adjust our plans for the day’s activities and the day with the guides worked out even better!  We went on a river boat cruise outside of town and had lunch.  The boat also came equipped with karaoke!  While enjoying the boat ride we all took turns signing some of our favorite tunes.  We even got Andrea to sing Hotel California (if you don’t know, Andrea claims herself to be the worst singer on the planet)!
5. Team Building- It was encouraging to see that guide training was fulfilling its purpose.  Guide Training is an opportunity for Andrea to meet the old and new guides, engage in open discussions about JW tours and share idea with one another.  The time spent with them really helped to strengthen the JW team.
6. Dalah Spa Inspection in Vientiane!  Who wouldn’t think that spa inspections rocked??  This inspection particularly rocked because it was much needed after elephant riding and trekking on a stormy evening in Vientiane.  It was also great because it happens to be one of the nicer spas I have seen outside of a 5 star hotel spa in Laos. All guests planning on making a stop in Vientaine must try out Dalah!  You can get anything from a four hand massage to a three hour spa package including sauna, scrub and massage. Only thing we don’t recommend is eye brow waxing, just ask Andrea!
7. Guide Training rocked for me because I got the chance to spend time with Andrea. It has been almost 2 years since I have seen her and I was excited for her to come back to Laos.  She even brought me Goldfish and Reese’s Peanut butter cups! Best boss ever.
8. New tours are coming!!!  From spending time with the guides and each other, Andrea and I came up with some new and exciting Laos tours.  Look out for more information on our Adventure, Anthropology and Festival Tours.  Coming soon!
9. I know most of my guides pretty well from working with them the last few years. This guide training allowed me to get to know even more about their character. I think when you travel or go on a tour with someone you are able to see how they react to the experience. It was such a blast to see them let go of their usual roles as the guide and being in control. Whether they were jumping into freezing water, riding a miniature horse, emphasizing the importance of community based tourism or attempting to sing a classic rock anthem in English, they were being themselves. The experience allowed them to relax and have fun.
10. The guide training demonstrates one of the core values of this company. Journeys Within talks about how important it is to be connected to the communities where we work and work as a team. Andrea and Brandon truly believe in this and prove that with their annual guide training.  They appreciate and respect the guides who are providing the experiences for guests.  They take the time and money to come out to locations where Journeys Within has offices and personally express their gratitude to them. They are not your typical owners of an international tour company.  While taking time to inspect 4 – 5 star hotels and gourmet restaurants throughout SE Asia is necessary for the business, it’s not the most important to them. They believe the guides to be one of the most important aspects of a travel experience. The guides are the true stars of Journeys Within, without their knowledge and shining personalities we would all be in the dark!

I want to send a big thank you out to the whole Journeys Within team who has made the 2011 guide training such a success. You all rock!  I can’t wait for next year!

Check out this video for many more pictures of our amazing week!