Ever been on the kind of tour that ‘wheels you in and wheels you out’, and you’re left with an experience that feels, well… all ‘take’ and no ‘give’?
You won’t find that on our watch.
Because travel is so much more than just ‘seeing’ – it’s about ‘doing’ and really connecting to a place through the people who know it best. That’s why every one of our itineraries is built around experiences designed to leave a real impact locally. At the same time, you’ll gain stories, skills and memories you can’t get anywhere else.
We know this, because we partner with local communities through our ‘boots-on-the-ground’ teams. ‘Giving back’ just happens naturally – you’ll find no ‘hero’ complex here.
When you join a Fencox trip, you’re not a solo traveller on a group adventure. You’re part of a rising tide, bringing positive change to the lives of the people you’ll meet along the way… like in South East Asia’s most underrated destination Laos.
Moving beyond the legacy of the past with COPE
The word ‘quiet’ was an unfathomable thing for the people of Laos not so long ago. To this day, it holds the unenviable title of being the most heavily bombed nation on earth.
Ever.
From 1963 to 1974, two million tonnes of ordnance were unleashed on the landscapes of Laos during the CIA’s clandestine ‘Secret War’ against Vietnam.
That equates to a B-52 planeload of bombs being dropped every eight minutes for nine years.
Do you suddenly have an impulse to hug every Lao local you meet now? We know the feeling.
A morning at the COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane will make that urge even harder to curb. With around a third of the country still contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO), you’ll witness first-hand how events of the past still impact present day lives. It’s a hard history lesson to swallow. But you’ll be buoyed seeing the incredible work the centre does to provide physical rehabilitation and prosthetics to UXO survivors and people with mobility-related disabilities.
We think helping people lead fuller lives with dignity is a pretty awesome mission! Which is why every visit Fencox (and our sister brand Magnificent Rail) makes to the centre, supports their work through the donation of a prosthetic limb. Because such simple actions can lead to powerful change.
Experience ‘Off-the-Map’ Village Life in Oudomxay
We love hunting out experiences that feel like you’ve just stepped off the edge of the map.
Which is why we’ve fallen head over heels for Laos!
It still has those ‘time stood still’ feels about it, which you’ll get a sense of when you meet the indigenous Akha and Hmong tribes in their remote rural villages high in the hilltops of Oudomxay, in northern Laos.
Ever had a ‘cultural experience’ that felt like it was all for show?
Well, that kind of thing gives us the ‘ick’, too.
Footstep by footstep, you’ll stroll far from modernity as you take a guided walk through their villages – observing how traditional skills like subsistence farming, blacksmithing, weaving and embroidery still play their part. There’s no ‘showmanship’ here. This is everyday life. Real, unhurried and far from the traps of technology.
Want to meet the tribeswomen whose textile skills are unrivalled?
You will. You’ll even have the opportunity to bring home some of their expertly made handicrafts if you wish. They’re famous for them!
The Akha and Hmong people’s relationship with custom, culture and animistic spirituality runs deep and our visit helps bring an income to these communities, so they can face down challenges that threaten their heritage.
Spend a little time with them and you’ll feel a world away from the fast-paced ‘gotta have it now’ impatience gripping the rest of the world. And who knows, maybe you’ll leave, longing for a return to some of their traditional ways…
Meet the Women Who Say, ‘Anything Is Possible!’
Imagine spending a morning in a room filled with women who believe anything is possible. How energising would that be?
You’ll get to experience their irrepressible life-force at the Women’s Development Centre in Vientiane, a non-profit run by and for women with disabilities. Here, you won’t just get to see the uplifting work the Centre does; teaching income-generating skills like needlework, weaving, IT and English language skills, you’ll be able to support their efforts through purchasing handicrafts directly from the makers too!
‘Everyone has a story to tell’ and our visit helps the Centre bolster these differently-abled women to tell theirs – stories filled with creativity, resilience, independence and empowerment. All intertwined with the potent joy that women supporting each other brings.
Once you’ve spent time in their extraordinary company, we’re certain you’ll agree that the word ‘disabled’ is long overdue for extinction from the dictionary. It’s high time ‘diff-abled’ is embraced into the world’s vocabulary.
Get Cooking with Local Families
Remember how we said earlier that ‘doing’ is all part of our adventures? Well, pull up your sleeves because you’ll be peeling, chopping and chowing down on Lao delicacies with two local families. Dish-licious!
But first, you’ll need to gather the ingredients.
Go on! Touch, smell, squeeze and taste. Your local hosts/chefs will help you handpick everything you need on a shopping trip. Don’t you just love the liveliness of a community market and being able to buy straight from the seller?
Back in your hosts’ villages, you’ll be welcomed like honoured guests into their family homes. Here, they’ll share the secrets that give Laos specialities like ‘Kao Piek Sen Soup’ it’s ‘OMG! Where have you been all my life?’ flavours.
‘Michelin-star’ has nothing on ‘Family-Star’!
This is as authentic as Lao cuisine gets – so good, your tongue won’t want your tummy to have it!
Meals just taste better when made together in the company of new friends. It’s nourishing to know these experiences help provide a livelihood for the market sellers you’ll meet and the families you’ll share them with. And that’s worth going back for seconds…
An Audience with a UNESCO Consultant
Tucked into a valley like a fold in the Buddhist monks’ robes that serenely walk her streets for the morning alms-giving, the secrets of Luang Prabang’s loveliness are well and truly out.
Yes, you’ll have to share her lively night market, chic boutiques and eateries with more than just a baker’s dozen, but what you won’t need to share is an audience with French-born writer and UNESCO consultant Francis Englemann.
You’ll have him all to yourself on a guided morning walk through the village’s lesser-known laneways, listening as he opens the encyclopaedic pages of his mind to share the different influences of Luang Prabang’s colonial heritage and insights into Buddhist spirituality.
Forget ‘Hey Siri’.
AI has nothing on Francis!
His isn’t just ‘local knowledge’. It’s the kind of mindful mastery that took a decade to construct and directly contributed to Luang Prabang receiving UNESCO World Heritage status.
His devotion to cultural preservation is important work and we say, ‘YES!’ to that! We know you’ll leave his company enlightened… and probably thinking the world could do with more ‘Francis Englemann’s’ in it!
How we choose the initiatives we support
Having others let you into their lives is a privilege. We know that. We ‘feel’ that. Which is why every initiative we support is done so with consideration to make sure that our presence is welcomed and that the footprints we leave behind are ones that are worthwhile to the communities we visit, in real and measurable ways.
So, if you’re the kind of person that wants to feel that too, then come…join us!
And be part of our rising tide.