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It’s a wrap. Our Camino Women crew just returned from a trip in Vietnam ♥️

Some of the highlights they were bragging about – the locals’ kindness blew them all away. The homestay in Nghia Lo was one for the books! Phone galleries overflowing with photos of rice paddies and bellies full of phở.

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Sophie here. While I may be physically back behind the computer today.. my mind certainly is still in Laos 🛺💓

I'm thinking about all the wonderful, local people I met.. Our incredible guide, Mr Lee, who had such interesting information on the local cultures, tribes, traditions, history, food... you name it!

I'm thinking about the delicious food, and the smells that would waft out from street vendors from 6am through until 10pm.

I'm thinking about how safe I felt as I wandered around the streets of Luang Prabang & Vientiane, at any time of day or night. Never hassled by the locals to buy anything, or rent their taxi, but always there if I needed anything.

I'm thinking about how hard it will be to pay for a beer in Australia, when I've been used to paying less than 50,000 kip (AUD$2.90) 🍻 Trust me when I say, the beer tastes better at that price!

I'm thinking about the ladies I travelled with, and wonder how they're getting on with their additional travel plans through Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand.

I'm thinking back to the quietness of those cities, and the lack of traffic and chaos usually so prominent in South East Asia.

I'm thinking back to seeing Elephants trekking, and paddling in the wild. Such incredible beasts, and we are so proud to support an eco-tourism project who care for Elephants in their natural environment and live in harmony with nature and humans.

And, after all that, I'm also thinking about the Soum Son Trail, and that magical moment where all the local children came to send us on our way ✨It was so, unbelievably special.

I guess I had better get back to my desk, and stop day-dreaming about the past few weeks. But, if anyone fancies a chat about it, please feel free to give me the excuse to tell you all about this magical destination.

#soumsontrail #laos #womenonly #hikingtrail #hikingadventures #laostravel ...

We trekked the first day of the Soum Son trail and it was so special but then…

As we were arriving in the first village of the Soum Son trail the local authorities showed up. They came up with some surprising “bureaucratic requirements” and didn’t let us stay at the local homes.

It was heartbreaking … 💔

for the local team, who were preparing for months and had made sure they’d followed every local rule. It was disappointing for the Camino Women so looking forward to our first-ever experience with the Lowland people. It was really hard for the locals, who had prepared for months and I’ll be completely honest – it took its toll on me.

I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said I saw some teary eyes.

Since we couldn’t change the circumstances, we had no choice but to embrace them!

And that’s what the adventurous Camino Women spirit is all about 🙂

Our local team were absolute legends in organising an overnight stay for our group within a few minutes. They just came up with such a great plan for the next two days and it all turned out more than perfect.

But then you’d be wondering how did the women on the trip react?

This was exactly when I saw that each of these women are legit adventurers. They all grabbed that unexpected change by the horns, went with the flow, and what’s more, enjoyed the trip until the end! Absolute legends!

While it was sad for our first ever Soum Son Trail to take this unexpected turn, it was truly inspiring to watch our local team and Camino Women team up and have a good time!

I will keep you posted about further updates. Now I’m off to greet the guests and have a sunset dinner on the Mekong River with Mr Salee and his family.

Sophie

#soumsontrail #laos #womenonly #hikingtrail #hikingadventures #laostravel ...

Sophie here. I still can't believe this is real life.

The launch of the Soum Son Trail was absolutely out-of-this-world!

As soon as the Camino Women and I landed on the river bank, we could see the welcome sign.

Wow! The villagers, along with the kids, blew up all the balloons and decorated the trailhead for our arrival. I wish you could hear them giggling and cheering us on (I know you’ll understand why I choose to respect their privacy). They had lots of fun and did such an amazing job decorating and brought tons of excitement to the group.

Then, that special moment came.

Together with the Camino Women, we walked underneath the Soum Son banner. One after another, shoulder by shoulder. As we took the first steps, I felt like this was truly a life-changing experience.

Before we knew it, we were deep in the wilderness, crossing rivers and stopping for a quick bite in the shade.

More pictures coming soon!

#laos #laostravel #caminowomen #caminowomentrips #caminowomenadventures #soumsontrail ...

Sophie here - Wow, this is an evening our Camino Women, the local communities, our local team, and certainly myself, will never forget.

A traditional Baci ceremony was held to commemorate the launch of the Soum Son Trail 🙌🏻

After the ceremony (pictures to come), we were treated to some traditional dances, and even got to join in on one or two ✨ After the dancing, and a tipple of Laos Whiskey, we had the most amazing meal together and 'Tham Chok' 🥂 to our journey ahead, and the people who have made this happen.

Tomorrow we begin to hike the Soum Son Trail, and we can't wait. I won't be able to sleep!

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Love for our local team in Laos <3 <3 <3

Much like the villagers, the local crew played a major part in bringing the Soum Son trail to life. We couldn’t be more grateful.

One person always stood out for their enthusiasm and dedication, so let’s give a huge thank you to Mr Salee!

Mr Salee is one of our epic local guides. He’s full of curious facts about his homeland, knows all about the plants in the region and is a history geek (surprise, surprise🙂)

Lisa, our trip designer, experienced that first-hand:

‘Every time I speak with Mr Salee, I ask him lots of questions to learn from him and to get a bigger picture of the history and the religions. Every time I’m with him, I learn something new.’

She also shared how mindful Mr Salee is, always taking care of everything – including saving her from a mosquito that got caught in her eye!

Our Camino Women got to meet him yesterday at the start of our first Soum Son trail trip.

Have you met Mr Salee already?

P. S. Sophie is already in Laos, preparing for the launch of the Soum Son trail. Swipe right to see the adorable picture with the elephant she sent us!

#soumsontrail #laostrail #womenonlytrips #womenonlyhikes #caminowomen #womenonlyadventure ...