Talk to a person
One working day for a reply with a route and a price. Around the clock while you are in the country. No call centre, no ticket number.
How to reach us
We are on GMT+7. Messages arriving overnight in Europe or the Americas are usually answered by the time you wake up. While you are travelling with us, the number in your travel pack is answered around the clock by someone in Laos who can change a booking rather than take a message.
Offices
Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
08:00 - 18:00, Mon - Sat (GMT+7)
Visitors are welcome during office hours, though almost nobody does this and there is no need to. Everything can be settled by email, and most of our travellers never meet us until the airport.
What to put in a first message
Five things let us quote properly instead of sending you a brochure. Three lines is plenty.
| Tell us | Why |
|---|---|
| Dates, or the month | Season decides both the price and whether the route is a good idea at all |
| How many of you, and ages if children are coming | Group size drives the price more than anything else |
| A rough budget per person per day, land only | The fastest route to a useful answer, and we will say if the number does not fit |
| One or two things you would be sorry to miss | It tells us which of the eight routes to start from |
| How you are arriving and leaving | Overland from Thailand and flying into Luang Prabang produce different first weeks |
What we do not need yet: passport numbers, insurance details, or a day-by-day plan you have already built. Building the plan is our job.
What happens next
- We reply within one working day with a route, a per-person price at your group size, and the reasoning - including anything in your request we think is a mistake.
- We revise it as many times as it takes, at no cost. Most trips go through two or three rounds.
- If the answer turns out to be that you should book with somebody else, or travel in a different month, we will say so.
- When you are happy, a 25 per cent deposit holds everything. The balance falls due 21 days before your first service.
The whole process is described in more detail on the how to book page, including what we do when something goes wrong mid-trip.
Questions we are happy to get
- "Here is a quote from another operator - what is the difference?" We will tell you, line by line, even when the answer is that they are better value for what you want.
- "Are our dates a mistake?" Often, yes, and it is much cheaper to hear it now.
- "Can you do this cheaper?" Sometimes, by changing the shape rather than cutting corners. We will show you what changes.
- "We are twelve people." We will decline and tell you who to call instead.
- "Is Laos right for us at all?" A question we would rather answer honestly than sell past.
Before you send money to anyone in Laos
Confirm bank details by voice, on a number you found yourself rather than one written in an email. Payment-detail fraud in this industry works by intercepting an invoice and changing the account number. Our details do not change and we will never email you to say they have. The full checklist is on the how to pay page.
Questions travellers ask most
How quickly do you reply?
One working day for a first quote, usually less. We are on GMT+7, so European and American enquiries are generally answered overnight.
If you have not heard from us within two working days, the message did not arrive - please resend or call.
Can we phone rather than email?
Yes, and for a complicated trip a fifteen-minute call saves four emails. Tick the call-back box on the form and tell us your time zone.
We will still put everything in writing afterwards, because a quote you cannot read is not a quote.
Do you answer messages at weekends?
Usually, though more slowly. Anything from a traveller currently in Laos is answered at any hour on any day.
Guides carry the emergency number and it is monitored around the clock during your trip.
Can we visit your office?
Yes, during office hours. Almost nobody needs to, and nothing about a booking requires it.
If you happen to be in town before your trip starts, we are glad to meet and go through the itinerary in person.
Read next
Tell us what you want out of Laos
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.