local culture – Journeys Within Tour Company

From the Ground: New Two-day Lamine Village Trek Near Inle Lake

Posted by Courtney Ridgel on May 19, 2017 (Updated: 2017-05-10) | 1 Comment

By Nicole Long and Jay Austin

We wanted to introduce our new Kalaw to Lamine Village Trek, near Inle Lake in Myanmar. This two day trip to Kalaw allows guests to get outside of the main tourist areas, but doesn’t require a lot of time commitment. The trekking portion of this tour is light in activity (only about 3 hours long) and allows access to nature and the picturesque countryside. Kalaw is at a higher elevation so the temperatures will be cooler and comfortable for trekking. This tour provides opportunities to connect with locals and witness traditional, simple lifestyles. This is a great option for families as it includes a train ride and elephants!

Note: For guests who want more, this itinerary can be extended a day with an additional day of trekking and another night in a village homestay.

Itinerary:

Kalaw: Trek to Lamine Village – Day 1

After breakfast, you will be transferred by van to the starting point of your trek. From here you will walk about three hours to Lamine, a Pa O Village, located about 10 miles from Kalaw. Explore this village where you will meet friendly locals and observe their traditional lifestyles. You will see the farmers hard at work as they plant or harvest wheat, ginger and a variety of other crops. Lunch and dinner will be prepared by your local trekking team and you will overnight in a village homestay.

Kalaw: Lamine Village to Inle Lake – Day 2

After a enjoying simple breakfast prepared by our team, stroll about the village to observe the local morning activities, before you will meet up with the car for your to transfer to Inle Lake. On the way, stop by at the villages for plantation of regional products. The drive takes approximately 3 hours to Inle Lake and once you arrive, check in to your hotel and enjoy a free afternoon.

Photos by Andrea Ross… Read more »

Southeast Asia 2011: Thailand!

Posted by Andrea on February 16, 2011 (Updated: 2011-02-17) | 2 Comments

We asked Jaeb, our Thailand tour director, to fill us in on her top things for 2011. For the next few days we will tell you what she is excited about this year, from where to visit, what to see and where to stay!

What are your top five places and things to do in 2011 in your country?

Places to go:

-Visit the pride of Thailand, The Grand Palace, and then enjoy a massage at Wat Pho. Make sure you find the elephant drop off spot at the Palace!

-Visit Ayutthaya, but skip the day tour and instead cyle at night to see the temples.

Ayutaya at night — Ayutthaya bike tour at night

– Flight of the Gibbon in Chiang Mai is a unique way to see the Thai rainforest. With over 3km of zip lines, this is the largest and highest rainforest canopy tour in the world!

– In Mae Hong Sorn, visit Bua Thong field to see the hills covered in blooming sunflowers. They bloom during November, and the gorgeous colors are worth planning a trip during that time.

– Koh Lipe is a small island in the Southern part of the Andaman Sea, and it is a great place to snorkel and dive in relative solitude. This place is not busy yet, so make sure to visit it soon! Boats leave from Pak Bara and Koh Lanta daily.

Things to do like a local in Bangkok

-Shopping at Siam area and tasting Thai iced tea, or in Thai, Cha yen.

-Shopping at The biggest market in the world, the Chatuchak “Weekend Market”

-Have a drink at Vertigo, the rooftop bar at the Banyan Tree hotel. The view of the city at night is amazing!

Vertigo Bar, Bangkok, Thailand — Drinks at Vertigo are a must for the awesome view!

-Sampling food and walking in China Town at night

China Town, Bangkok, Thailand — China Town at night

-Wandering around the Flower Market in the morning and trying Pad Thai at a well known restaurant near Wat Ratchanadda

Guiding Lights: Somphone Sayasit, Laos

Posted by Andrea on May 23, 2009 (Updated: 2011-02-12) | Leave a comment

Name: Somphone Sayasit
Age: 29 yrs. old
Married with two children, 4 yr. old girl Poy and 1yr. old boy Tino
Worked for tour companies for the last 10 yrs., been a guide for 6

Guide Bio Pic 002

What did it take to become a guide in Luang Prabang, Lao P.D.R.?

When I began working as a guide there was no policy or rules to follow. If I wanted to get work as a guide
I would have to test at the companies individually. There was no one test to become a guide like they do today. When the Ministry of Tourism made it a rule for the guide to have a license I didn’t have to take the test. They just gave it to me because they knew I had been working in the industry for such a long time.

What do you like about guiding?

I like everything about it. I think it is the best job in Laos. Many Lao people do not get the chance to travel around the country,`but as a guide you can see all over this beautiful country.

What’s the hardest part?

Sometimes communication can be difficult. Because people speak different languages you have to work hard to try to understand each other, but I always make sure we do.

Where is your favorite place to take guests?

My favorite place in Laos to take guests is north of Luang Prabang to Luang Namtha. It is very beautiful with nice green forests and such nice people. It is the best place for trekking and kayaking. It is always best to get outside and excercise.

Which restaurant to recommend for guests and what local food should they try?

I think the best restaurants for guests to go is L’Elephant and the 3 Nagas restaurant. They are very nice restaurants with the best chefs. These restaurants have a lot of Western and Lao food. If they wanted Lao food I would tell them to try special foods you can only get in Luang Prabang, Mekong Riverweed, Chili Sauce and Luang Prabang sausage.

What should guests coming to Luang Prabang know?

They should know some things about the culture. They should know that in Luang Prabang and all over Laos you should dress respectfully. If you go to the temple you should have your shoulders and knees covered. And that Lao people do not get angry or show tempers so, it is not good if you show yours.

Favorite guests and why?

There was a german guest who came to Laos for the first time a couple of years ago. I was his first guide. Since then he visits Laos twice a year and has become a good friend. Whenever he comes I am his guide everytime. He is one of my favorite guests because he is a very good person who always helps everyone. He sponsors everyone he meets! He built a small primary school in a village in the countryside and gave them books. When I needed a new motobike and didn’t have the money he bought one for me. He continues helping me by paying for my children’s school and care. He even helped my friend go to the University in Luang Prabang. I have many favorite guests, but he is one of my favorites because he helps so many people and doesn’t ask for anything in return.

Thank you Phone!!… Read more »

Guiding lights: Sina Kaam, Cambodia

Posted by Andrea on May 16, 2009 (Updated: 2011-02-12) | Leave a comment

Our guides are the backbone of our company and our biggest asset. I thought we would do a weekly Saturday blog dedicated just to our guides. Feel free to send in recommendations on who we should interview next and we will try to get to everyone.

I thought it was appropriate to start it off in Cambodia, where it all began after-all. Sina was one of the first guides we ever worked with in Cambodia and we were drawn to him right away. In the beginning Sina was pretty new to guiding so he didn’t get rave reviews, guests said that he was a bit shy and seemed nervous, but we saw such potential we decided to work with him on building his confidence and becoming the guide we knew he could be. Well Sina now exceeds all our expectations and is a joy to work with and be guided by. He gets amazing reviews from guests and is truly a part of the family. I sat down with Sina to discuss who he is and what he does…

Name: Sina Kaam
Age: 35-years-old
Married with two kids, a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl
Started Guiding in 2002

Sina with Apsara
How do you become a guide in Cambodia?

You have to go to school for 4 month, 8 hours a day and at the end you have to take and pass a test. When I did it you could do it for about $200, but now it is much more expensive.

Why did you want to be a guide?

In 1992 I met some of the UN Army and I always asked them the questions and practice my English with them. I like to hear about other cultures and I like to find out about other people.

What’s the hardest part about being a guide?

A lot of guests ask questions about politics in Cambodia and it’s hard because in our culture we aren’t used to talking about this.

What are your favorite sites to show guests?

Of course I like Angkor Wat, everyone in my country is very proud of it. I also like Bayon and Banteay Srei because they are the unique temples and have the amazing carvings.

Where do you like to take guests to eat?

Journeys Within always recommend Khmer Kitchen so I take the guests there, but when I eat there I like it so much so I think it’s the good choice.

What do you recommend for guests visiting Cambodia?

To know everyday life in Cambodia and how they live. I think they should tell me their job and then we can compare to the job here, compare salary and experience and see how the same job is different in different countries.

Any favorite moments in guiding?

I like when the guest teach me things too. I learn the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” I always tell the guests that it’s funny that Western people want the dark skin and Cambodians want the white skin and then they teach me this saying and I think it’s very true.

IMG_0548_2

Thank you to Sina for being such a great member of the team and stay tuned to learn more about our guides in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar!… Read more »

Search Tours ▼

Discover Our Southeast Asia