Laos | The Textiles of Laos
Escorted by Valerie Kirk
The resurgence of textile and craft skills in Laos has made crafts an important part of everyday life and their economy. Traditional textile skills have been reintroduced along with the adoption of new techniques, skills, and ideas. The result is a fascinating blend of old and new, traditional and modern, formal and innovative. Excellent private collections, expansive markets, traditional village weaving, and export workshops will be visited. This program results from extensive research aimed at developing a worthy itinerary showcasing the highlights of textiles and crafts of Laos and their minority communities.
| Duration: | 17 Days |
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| Tour Code: | ITW300 |
| Trip Style: | Moderate - 3 star |
| Departure Dates: | 14 Jan 2013 |
| Price: | From $4,250 |
| Single Supplement: | $845 |
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| Highlights: |
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Ideal for Solo Travellers
Solo travellers with an interest in textiles, Asian crafts and history would enjoy this study tour and they will share an interest with fellow travellers. There may be an opportunity to share a room with a person of the same gender. Alternatively, a single room can be requested for the hotel nights at an additional fee of $845.
Trip Details
This tour explores the contemporary textiles found in the major urban centres of Vientiane and Luang Prabang as well as the remote northeast to witness the extraordinary, colourful and interesting minority communities straddling the Lao-Vietnam border region. As we are so close to Vietnam, it makes sense to begin our journey in Hanoi, pass through some fantastic scenery, cross the border, and end our program in the charming city of Vientiane.
The full range of textile traditions will be covered and we include opportunities for hands-on experiences. We have selected a wonderful range of accommodation including well appointed hotels, lodges, and contemporary boutique establishments. In the remote north-east of Laos, we use the ‘best available', typically 2-3 star. Most meals, transport, entrance fees, services of Valerie Kirk as your Guest Lecturer and gratuities are included in what promises to be an exceptional program. We hope you can join us!
The beautiful country of Laos is home for many minority people who still produce and wear colourful fabrics using generation's old techniques. Craft skills are very strong and you will see textile skills such as embroidery, dyeing, weaving and fashion, as well as many other crafts including basketwork, ceramics, lacquer and painting.
Laos is also home to an abundance of wonderful Buddhist temples, monasteries and shrines - some of the best in Asia. The food is justifiably famous and the Lao are some of the most gentle, relaxed, and genuine people you are ever likely to meet. The tour begins in Hanoi, before crossing into Lao to explore rarely visited regions along the Lao-Vietnam border, home to interesting minority communities. The tour concludes in Vientiane, where many glorious galleries are found.
YOUR TOUR HOST - VALERIE KIRK
Ms Valerie Kirk, Tapestry Weaver, Senior Lecturer and Head of Textiles - National Institute of the Arts, at the Australian National University - will accompany this tour as Guest Lecturer. Valerie is a wealth of information and an accomplished tour manager, meaning you will be in capable and informed hands. Valerie's interest in textiles began as a child learning from her grandmother how to embroider, quilt, crochet, and patchwork. This introduction demonstrated to Valerie the potential of fabric and fibre. Valerie went on to complete post-graduate studies at Edinburgh College of Art and now has 26 years as a practitioner and teacher of textiles.
Her medium is woven tapestry and she is represented in a number of collections in Australia and overseas, as well as outstanding commissions such as the recent carpet replacement at NSW Government House. Valerie is recognised internationally for her work as an educator and has lectured in places as varied as The Flying Art School in Queensland, Thailand, and Austria.
Travelling is a passion and at the age of 17 she climbed the great Aztec pyramids in Mexico and experienced the rich textile traditions of Central America. Valerie has also visited Japan, Eastern Europe, Laos and Thailand and has participated in all of our textile programs to Vietnam and Lao. Valerie is devoted to encouraging an appreciation and understanding of textiles through her knowledge along with direct contact with practitioners.
Day 1 & 2: 17 & 18 January - Hanoi
Vietnam's capital retains much of its delightful colonial charm. Tree lined boulevards are home to many magnificent French Colonial buildings and expansive parks and gardens, along with several lakes make Hanoi one of the most pleasant cities in Asia. There is an air of sophistication here with charming shops and boutiques in the Old Quarter, along with many excellent restaurants and cafes to experience. The city's Old Quarter can easily be explored on foot. A visit to the National Gallery, Ethnology Museum, Silk Street, Ho Chi Minh Museum, or Water Puppets can be arranged.
Day 3: 19 January - Hanoi to Mai Chau
After breakfast we leave Hanoi for Mai Chau. People have inhabited the area around Hanoi for almost 1000 years and we stop along the way at the ‘silk village' - a former craft village serving the old palace at Hanoi. Mai Chau is actually a cluster of smaller villages and the area has a rich textile history. The population comprise mainly of ethnic White Tai. Our comfortable lodge is our home for tonight allowing us time to explore the looms, weaving and beauty of this delightful village.
Day 4: 20 January - Cross the Laos border and onto Sam Tai
Today we leave early as we have a good number of miles to cover, plus a border crossing with their slow paced formalities. We will take lunch at a local pho shop before crossing the border and meeting our Lao hosts who take us through to the village of Sam Tai for three nights. This journey takes us from landscapes of carpets of rice paddy fields to rugged mountains and fertile valleys.
Day 5 & 6: 21 & 22 January - Sam Tai Workshop
The Tai Daeng are the predominant group in the area and are highly accomplished weavers, dyers and they also cultivate silk worms. Natural dyes are used in their textile production process and we can witness their techniques in our day long workshops. Processes from dyeing, weaving, decorative concepts, silk processing will be examined as well as local cooking and any aspect of village life happening during your stay. Essentially, you are living in this remote village as honoured guests and free to explore and witness a lifestyle so different to our own. Overnight accommodation in the village is in simple but comfortable guest houses.
Day 7: 23 January - Sam Tai to Sam Neua
Today we travel to Sam Neua through spectacular scenery including the karst landscapes at Vieng Xai. If time allows we can visit the caves at Vieng Xai used by the former Pathet Lao as headquarters and shelters from relentless bombing. Further on there is the mysterious "Stone Garden" likened to a natural Stonehenge Sam Neua region is well known for superb and unique textiles and a visit to the main market is our first venture.
Day 8 & 9: 24 & 25 January - Plain of Jars
Today we travel from Sam Neua through spectacular scenery and the home of a number of minority groups including villages of Striped and Blue H'mong, Tai Daeng, Tai Lue and Tai Dam to Phonsavan. Most of these groups weave their unique patterns in both cotton and silk, and we will be visiting a number of villages to witness their work. As well, local markets are a fantastic swirl of colour with ladies young and old dressed in their finest.
At Phonsavan, a town at the centre of some of the most serious American bombing during the Indochina war, we visit the famous and mystical Plain of Jars, and a UXO office and display. The market in Phonsavan is also worth a look. An interesting land rehabilitation project aimed at developing sustainable silk production will be visited. Mulberries is a success story and it is fulfilling to visit the source of their fibre as later we will visit their retail centre in Luang Prabang.
Day 10: 26 January - Luang Prabang
We drive from Phonsavan to Luang Prabang where we stay for three nights. The drive takes us through some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Lao and past many H'mong villages where we clearly see their lifestyle and their slash and burn agriculture.
Day 11 & 12: 27 & 28 January - Exploration of Luang Prabang
The World Cultural Heritage town of Luang Prabang is a true treasure. We spend three nights here, allowing ample time to visit famous temples, see private textile collections and generally enjoy the relaxed ambiance of what many consider to be the jewel of South East Asia.
The fabulous night markets are some of the best you will find anywhere in Asia. Traditional village crafts and textiles are on sale here and locals come from miles around to sell their wares. You are welcome to visit the many Buddhist temples and monasteries in the town and the monks are always eager to practice their English language skills. This is a town best explored on foot and in the afternoons, we highly recommend heading down to the riverside cafes along the Mekong for an iced coffee or refreshing Beer Lao!
Day 13: 29 January - Luang Prabang to Vientiane
This afternoon a short flight takes us to the sleepy Lao capital of Vientiane, situated on the banks of the Mekong River. There are many fine attractions in the city - the Revolutionary Museum, the Patuxai Monument, historic Wat Sisaket, and the most important Buddhist religious site in the country - the glittering Tat Luang Temple. We have four nights here.
Day 14 to 16: 30 January to 1 February - Exploration of Vientiane
Over the next three and a half days we visit many of the interesting sites in the city, enjoy some of the fine restaurants for which Vientiane is famous and meet people associated with the Lao textile economy. Markets, galleries, workshops and boutiques are on the agenda. A sunset drink by the Mekong is the traditional way to end the day in the laid back Lao capital.
Day 17: 2 February - Depart Vientiane
Departure transfer to the airport (timed to match with the Thai Airways flight connecting back to Sydney, via Bangkok). Transfer can be arranged at other times, if you are flying alternative airlines - or staying on in Laos.
ACCOMMODATION:
Includes personally selected guesthouses and hotels. The selection criteria includes central location, charm, cleanliness, cultural integrity, uniqueness, and standard of service. All rooms have private western-style bathrooms and comfortable beds. Some have pools while others have pleasant gardens. Where choice is limited we select the most appropriate hotels for our guests. In villages, accommodation is in comfortable twin-shared village houses with bedding, mosquito nets, and shared facilities. Most people find the village stays a definite highlight.
Inclusions
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All accommodation
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Most meals
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All transportation and departure transfers
- Sightseeing, guiding
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Entrance fees to listed attractions
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Services of your Escort and Tour Manager - assisted by local guides throughout
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Gratuities
Terms & Conditions
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For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
