This week’s Guiding Light is Phone Ek, a second generation guide from Luang Prabang. For Phone Ek and his family, showing off their homeland is in their blood.
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Name: Phone Ek
Age: 32
Married to Parn who is also a freelance guide and works with Journeys Within. They have one son.
When did you begin working for Journeys Within ?
I was one of the first guides interviewed in Laos in 2008. Unfortunately my schedule didn’t make me available to JW until a few years ago.
How did you become a guide?
My father is one of the most well-known guides in Luang Prabang. I come from a family of guides – I have a French-speaking mother, a bilingual (English and French) father and siblings that are all guides. I was working at a hotel when my father suggested I become a guide since he knew I loved to talk all the time. So I left the hotel to become a guide.
What do you like about being a guide?
I like the freedom in being a guide. I also like to have control of my schedule and working hours. I would be too restless in an office so this is good for me to get out and meet people.
What is your favorite part about being a guide?
I am filled with pride for my culture and people, so I loves being able to show it to foreigners who don’t know much about Laos. I also loves to give them the whole experience
What is the most challenging part about being a guide?
The most challenging would be solving problems for guests. They all come from different cultures and have different ways of dealing with issues; they are very different than how a Lao would approach them.
What is your favorite thing to show guests?
If I am trying to give the guests the full experience I thinks they must see the villages and handicrafts. I love to support the handicraft culture and exposing it to the guests. I also LOVE to eat, so anytime the guests are foodies I am excited.
What kind of things do guests want to talk about with you?
The guests ask a lot about my personal story which I loves to share. I love to tell them about how I met my wife and family.
What food / restaurants should guests try?
I thinks that guests should always try local foods but don’t recommend street food because the quality and safety is dependent a lot on the seasons. I recommend the safest and most authentic food to be found at Tamnak Lao and The View Pavilion.
What should guests coming to Luang Prabang know?
I would suggest that guests read up on Southeast Asian cultures specifically on what is deemed respectful behavior among local peoples. One main issue is the placement of your feet at temples (never facing the Buddha image) or using your feet to point at something in the local markets where a lot of the sellers on sitting on the ground.
Most memorable JW guest?
There have been many memorable guests – those I remember are as open with me about their lives as I am with my own. When they share their stories, thoughts and feelings with one another they feel like family to him. I had a wonderful few days in 2010 with Linda Sue and Don Strand whom I still stay in contact with to this day.
Remember, if you have a favourite Journeys Within guide, nominations are open for Wanderlust’s World Guide Awards 2014.
I’ve tried being a tour guide once, it was actually pretty fun because you get to meet a lot of people all over the world. I think that’s the best part but the most satisfying one is getting to know the place a lot deeper.