Eco-Bungalow — World Volunteer

See what the experience is all about

Background

There is a need for ethnic minority communities in the northern part of the country to diversify their income away from dependence on traditional subsistence living. This is essential to improving livelihood and welfare, as well as empowering these villages socially, economically and politically.

Tourism has proven to be the most sustainable form of income for the regional economy. Better still, tourist appetite is increasingly towards experiences in traditional Asian culture and customs, which has seen growth in Laos and eco-tourism. As they expand, few operators understand how to engage ethnic minority groups, to be sensitive their needs, whilst providing tourists with an authentic experience.

Our mission is to provide opportunities for ethnic minority groups to share their fascinating culture and environmental beauty in a way that makes sense to them. Through eco-tourism they can engage, develop, manage and control a sustainable form of income that is consistent with their values. This simultaneously improves the welfare of their communities whilst guaranteeing a more authentic experience for visiting tourists. Everybody wins.

Project

The participating students or volunteers will build and develop an Adobe clay Eco-Bungalow that will be rented to visiting tourists. The bungalow will provide a village in the Luang Prabang district the opportunity to generate their own alternative income from small scale tourism. Since the culture and traditions of the village should be respected and maintained a limited number of visitors per day are granted stay in the bungalow.

In some of our partnership communities, the second phase of the Eco-Bungalow Project is starting to take shape. This will include creating a space for visitors to relax after a long hike, gain a better understanding of the local food and culture, as well as providing the perfect setting for other community activities and workshops. The bungalow will also demonstrate how villagers in the future build their own house in a cost eective way. The raw materials for the clay bricks can be found on site, providing a self-sucient and natural source of building materials.

Tiger Trail Outdoor Adventure, a Fair Trek certified company based in Luang Prabang, continues to promote the Eco-Bungalow Project as part of their community based tourism projects. The tour operator will guide small groups to the village and after each visit ensure that payments to the Eco-Bungalow and the village fund are made accordingly.

Impact

The bungalow provides the village with a facility that will generate cash income as well as labor opportunities for years to come. This facility is now working and effective, with 122 bookings made in the completed bungalow from tourists in 2018. The bungalow also demonstrates how villagers in the future can build their own house in a cost effective way. The raw materials for the clay bricks can be found on site, providing a self-sufficient and natural source of building materials.

Cash income is also distributed to the village community as a product of the homestay agreement. In consultation with the Chief of each village, World Volunteer ensures that that every family in the village has a chance to benefit from this agreement. Starting from a modest 920USD in 2011, this community income amount has risen every year. This trend clearly shows how every volunteer has a positive and measurable effect on the communities we work with.