Hands on Textiles & Craft of Laos & Cambodia
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12 day small group textile tour
Special Departure February 2020 Siem Reap/ Luang Prabang $4,250 AUD per person twin share Escorted by Narelle this tour is 12 days jammed packed with hands-on craft and cultural classes. Immerse yourself in the culture and the textiles and craft of Laos and Cambodia. Hands-on classes and workshops include:
Explore the amazing World Heritage temples of Angkor and experience the fascinating culture of Cambodia through its textiles, food and history. Wander the quaint laneways of UNESCO World Heritage Luang Prabang and explore the amazing temples, textile galleries and craft markets. 
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Narelle will collect you from the airport when you arrive and assist you with hotel check-in. Your day is free to explore the local neighborhood. Day 2: Today we take a private tour of the magnificent temples of ancient Angkor. Day 3: This morning we learn all about traditional weaving and the natural dyes used for centuries in Khmer weaving culture. We take a hands-on class in natural dyes using shibori techniques. We visit the beautiful pink sandstone 'women's temple' and explore a local silk farm that produces the famous golden Khmer silks. Day 4: Today is all about up-cycling and re-cycling as we take craft workshops with 2 grass roots organisations that are tackling the waste issue in Siem Reap. Day 5: Today we look at the Khmer culture from the perspective of food. We take a private tour of the markets and travel to a traditional family home where we prepare a traditional feast under the guidance of our personal chef. Day 6: Your morning is free before we take a short flight to the centre of textiles in Laos - beautiful Luang Prabang. Day 7 Your day starts at dawn when our local guide will take you to experience the sacred alms giving ritual that takes place every morning and sees hundreds of orange robed monks pass silently through town collecting alms from the locals. You will also take a walk through the fascinating morning market where the locals go to get their fresh produce each day. After breakfast we will then take you on a tour of Luang Prabangs sites including the oldest temple - Wat Visoun and the most beautiful temple of Wat XiengTong adorned in beautiful mosaics and stencilling. We finish our morning at the Royal Palace to get an insight into the history of the town, before enjoying a lunch of local delicacies. This afternoon we leave the town behind and head out to some of the weaving villages on the outskirts of town, where there's lots of opportunity to buy from the local weavers and cooperatives see how they weave their beautiful Lao silks. We also learn all about mulberry paper and craft our own piece to take home, and visit a bamboo weaving community. Days 8 & 9 Over these 2 days you will get to try your hand at a variety of textile crafts. You will take a class in natural dyes where you collect your dye stuffs from the local garden and prepare the dye pots and spend an afternoon with a master weaver learning how to weave on a traditional silk floor loom. You will also try your hand at traditional Hmong batik and traditional bamboo weaving. Day 10 This morning we make our way to The Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre where we tour the museum to learn more about the ethnic minority groups of Lao. We also take a fun class in traditional Hmong cross-stitch embroidery at the museum. If embroidery is your thing you may also like to opt in for an afternoon class to learn how to create Hmong flower cloth (reverse applique embroidery). Day 11 Today is totally free for you to soak in the atmosphere of beautiful Luang Prabang, relax or explore the shops and markets scattered through the town. If you are looking for more hands on classes there's opportunity to try your hand at Katu back strap weaving, paper jewelry making or perhaps immerse yourself in the Lao cuisine by taking a cooking class. Day 12 Your tour ends this morning after breakfast and transfer to the airport. |
Tour Details Starts: Siem Reap, Cambodia Finishes: Luang Prabang, Laos Dates: 27th February - 9th March 2020 Departs: with min of 6 and max of 10 pax Cost: $4,250 per person twin share* Add $520 if you would like a single room *Does not include your international flight Inclusions: 11 nights accommodation; daily breakfast; 5 lunches; private guided city tour; all classes and workshops detailed in itinerary; arrival transfer; information pack. |
