I raised my eyebrows after seeing the Baci Ceremony included on my itinerary at first, but I trusted our local office in Laos that it was included for good reason, and boy was I glad it was! The Baci Ceremony is part of everyday life in Laos. The ceremonies are held for both momentous occasions - a new baby or marriage - and the more mundane ones as well - buying a new house, departing for a long journey, and welcoming guests in your home. To experience a Baci Ceremony is to catch a glimpse into one of the most ubiquitous traditions in their culture. I sat on the floor with the elders of the community, surrounding a central shrine decorated in flowers and food offerings.
A traditional baci ceremony to welcome me to the city and bless my travels. (Jenna Fedyschyn)
The elders sang traditional songs and presented the food to me as a way of welcoming me to their home and blessing my travels. There were also some shots of local liquor involved, which of course I couldn't turn away! I joined in on the clapping during their songs, and the hospitality was palpable, despite not being able to understand each other. If your goal in traveling to Laos is to really immerse yourself in the local culture, then including this experience is for you.
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.