| Volunteer in Laos: Working in Ecotourism Projects |
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Discover Laos; Volunteer in Laos.Volunteer Information about LaosTeach English to village rangers and eco tourism guides. Elephant trekking with village guides and park rangers. Stay with host families villages or in the national parks, National Protected Areas. Create awareness of the importance and advantages of protecting wildlife and environment. Help to survey fauna and flora in the parks, threatened by poachers and illegal logging. Promote community-based eco tourism as an extra income for the local population. OpenmindProjects in Laossupports Community-Based and Sustainable Eco Tourism in Laos. The projects are located in some of Lao’s most important National Protected Areas for wildlife conservation. The Lao NTAs have very limited resources and receive almost no international help to protect wildlife.
OpenmindProjects Eco Tourism and Wildlife Conservation Projects in LaosPhou Khao Khouai, Central Laos, the Water Buffalo Mountains A saving the wild elephants and ecotourism project. Teach English; train village guides and host families.
Phou Khao Khouai, is an NPA about 90 minutes by car from Vientiane, the capital of Laos. An exciting region to explore that is very sparsely populated and heavily forested, with interesting wildlife such as the rare clouded leopard, wild elephants, sun bears and more. The Nam Ngum River offers exciting world-class rapids in stunning forest and mountain scenery. The Lao National Tourism Agency, NTA, in cooperation with a German agency, DED, supported ecotourism development in two villages, Ban Na and Hat Kay, from 2002 – 2005. OpenmindProjects volunteers have helped with teaching English and training village guides and host families since 2005. Volunteers may also be invited to teach at the village school. Check www.trekkingcentrallaos.com , a website about this project made by OpenmindProjects volunteers! Xe Pian, South Laos. Volunteer in villages in the Lao jungles. Teaching English in a Lao Eco tourism project, implemented by WWF in cooperation, with the Lao National Tourism Administration and OpenmindProjects. The Xe Pian NPAs, in the deep south of Laos, is one of the three most important National Protected Areas in Laos. At least 13 globally threatened mammals have been found in Xe Pian. There is, however, currently no international support and little national protection of the Xe Pian wildlife and trees. Poaching and logging is a problem. This new eco tourism project started in April 2007, and works with five villages, administered from Pakse town in cooperation with the Laos NTA and the World Wildlife Fund, W.W.F.
Volunteers teach English, helping guides and villagers with basic conversation skills so that they can better take care of the tourists. Volunteers may also help train village and provincial guides how to lead tourists on trek/jungle walks, as well as help villagers learn how to take care of guests. Volunteers can also help the project by creating information for tourists about target villages, treks, jungle walks, elephant rides, boat rides and transportation to/from target areas. Other Eco tourism activities to be developed include: elephant trekking, bird watching, canoeing, hiking and forest walks, cultural performances and interaction with local communities.
Laos Eco Volunteer Conditions Accepted international volunteers receive a 3 day volunteer training in Nongkhai, the OpenmindProjects base in northeast Thailand. Volunteers stay with a local host family and eat with the local staff.
They have the opportunity to go trekking, sometimes to places where tourists are not allowed to go. Volunteers stay at the national park, in a cabin or something similar, and eat with the local staff. They have the opportunity to go trekking, often to places where tourists cannot go. Accommodation and food at the placement is included in the fee.
Desired volunteer profileGood command of spoken and written English and willing to teach English to staff and villagers. An understanding and interest in eco tourism and wildlife conservation. Ability to work independently and to take initiatives. Ability to go trekking on field trips. For specific volunteer in Laos work information Apply Online from our website for more volunteer in Laos information. Or download our Volunteer Package, Laos Projects Information ntry InformationLaos is the smallest of the South East Asian nations with a population of only 4-5 million, and, until recently, perhaps also the most isolated. Today it is easy to get a visa to visit Laos. A popular entry point is the Friendship Bridge in Nongkhai.
Laos is a communist state by name, but private small businesses is visible everywhere! To the poor rice farmer in the countryside, though, life goes on like it always did.
Laos offers much scenic beauty, ethnic and biodiversity, despite its modest size. Many of the Lao people are ethnic brothers with the Isan population in Thailand. Though there are many other ethnic groups speaking other languages too. Many are animists, though Buddhism is the dominant religion.
In the past, Laos had the least exploited nature in S E Asia, but today Lao forests and animals are increasingly threatened by legal or illegal logging, and poaching of hardwood trees and endangered animals. With the Lao forests gone, little, if any, will remain of SE Asia’s once abundant and diverse wildlife and nature.
Practical international volunteer information about LaosVisaToday it is easy to get a 30 days tourist visa (about USD 30).Travel to LaosMany visitors arrive via the Friendship Bridge in Nongkhai. The capital, Vientiane, is connected by flights from Thailand, but it is also possible to fly to Udon Thani in northeastern Thailand and to take a bus from there to reach the border. Regular rail and bus services link Bangkok to Nongkhai, the border town with Laos.
Travel in LaosThere are an increasing amount of bus services operating from Vientiane to many towns throughout the country; but traveling in Laos is time consuming!
BanksOpen Monday to Friday between 08.30 AM. and 04.00 PM. There are many ATM machines in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
Lao currencyAbout 270 Lao Kip equals one Thai Baht! Most foreigners use Baht or USD instead. Laos operates on 220 volt.
________________________________________________________________________ Volunteer in Laos, Discover Laos as an international volunteer. International Volunteer information about ecotourism in Laos, Elephant trekking, OpenmindProjects in Laos, Community-Based Eco Tourism and wildlife conservation saving wild elephants in Laos. Visit www.trekkingcentrallaos.com , teach English in Laos, travel in Laos
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| Last Updated on Monday, 06 October 2008 15:16 |
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