Reputable Lao travel agency to arrange trek/hilltribe tour?

Can anyone recommend a reputable Lao travel agency that can arrange an authentic trekking/hill tribe tour for me?

Does anyone have any experience with CHAMPA LAO TRAVEL?

I%26#39;m planning this at the end of April.

Any advice on items or clothes to bring with me.

I plan to spend 4 nights staying with local villagers.

THANKS.

Reputable Lao travel agency to arrange trek/hilltribe tour?

You can arrange it when you arrive. There are dozens of travel agencies in both Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Pre-booking out of the country is generally expensive. April will be bloody hot in Laos so wear light, breathable clothing. Don%26#39;t forget mosquito repellent with DEET. There will be a malaria risk if you are staying in villages. It might also be a good idea to buy a mosquito net at the market when you arrive (or inquire at the travel agency whether the vilagers wil be staying with have them or not). A lot of folks in villages do not use nets.

Reputable Lao travel agency to arrange trek/hilltribe tour?

The problem with waiting until I arrive in Luang Prabang is, I%26#39;ve read that the ATMs don%26#39;t work %26amp; I really do not want to arrive w/ a lot of ca$h.

I%26#39;ve been trying to get a quote out of Champa Lao Travel on a tour on their website %26amp; all the ';manager'; does is ask questions, but never comes up with a price... which leaves me suspicious.

I realize it will be hot, but I want to trek in the northern part, so it won%26#39;t be as hot. If I arrive earlier, it%26#39;s Laotian New Year until April 16th %26amp; I can%26#39;t go in March, as that is Cambodian New Year...

Being that I%26#39;m a woman traveling alone, I%26#39;m a little loathe to just wing it until I arrive.

I thought a Lao travel agency would be cheaper...

BTW, how do I book my flights from

Siem Reap to Luang Prabang

and

Luang Prabang to BKK

kayak.com doesn%26#39;t seem to list Lao Air or Siem Reap airways...

and

Sorry I haven%26#39;t used Champa Travel but my regular travel agent in Luang Prabang is All Lao Travel Service agency and they%26#39;re located right on the mainstreet near the National Museum or former Royal Palace. You can email them about flights and trekking tours via their website at www.alllaoservice.com

';The problem with waiting until I arrive in Luang Prabang is, I%26#39;ve read that the ATMs don%26#39;t work %26amp; I really do not want to arrive w/ a lot of ca$h.';

Where did you read this? Besides, how much cash do you think you%26#39;ll be needing? A few hundred dollars (or about 10,000 baht) will suffice for at least 5 or 6 days.

';BTW, how do I book my flights from Siem Reap to Luang Prabang

and Luang Prabang to BKK kayak.com doesn%26#39;t seem to list Lao Air or Siem Reap airways...';

Book directly online using the Lao Airways %26amp; Bangkok Air websites.

Again, unless you%26#39;re in an extreme rush, book your tour when you get there. It%26#39;ll be much cheaper and you can see exactly what they offer.

Rufuscat,

You live in Vientiane, not Luang Prabang, I am not planning to go anywhere near Vientiane...

There is a NEW undisputed post (about the Apsara Hotel) from a couple who claim that the 2 ATMs at the Luang Prabang airport did not work %26amp; that they tried others (Cirrus) in LP %26amp; they did not work.

So, unless someone has recently traveled in LP or lives there, how can you dispute this from someone who just returned %26amp; posted a warning?

Read the post, then email there %26amp; here to dispute it if you have proof that it%26#39;s not true... but if you live in Vientiane, you may be unaware that the ATMs at the LP are not working.

No one disputed the post, so I believed it.

Neko,

The Bangkok Air website in the US is different than the one in Asia... I had the problem last year w/ another poster who lived in Japan who kept telling me there were more flights %26amp; that I was an idiot for not being able to find them.

This morning I spoke with a US rep from Journeys-Within (they have offices in Siem Reap, Luang Prabang, Bangkok %26amp; elsewhere) %26amp; she mentioned a later flight on PG (Bangkok Air) %26amp; I told her it was not there. She laughed %26amp; said, ';I can%26#39;t see it there either (she%26#39;s in California) but I know it exists, I have to call our BKK office to get them to tell me the schedule because we can%26#39;t pull them up on our computers here.';

So I said, ';so THAT%26#39;S what is happening!';

The PG website that you use has flights on it that we can see here. So booking w/ them is very difficult via the website.

As far as how much money... My friend (who is actually doing the trip %26amp; has no experience in Asia at all) will be going to Cambodia for a week prior, so there is a limit of how much cash she wants to bring.

Are you saying that a trekking hilltribe tour that includes 3 nights of homestays, meals %26amp; an English speaking guide will cost less that $100 - $200?

Please advise, I appreciate your expertise.

I%26#39;m thinking of having my friend stay in the Apsara%26#39;s STANDARD UPSTAIRS ROOMS.

Any thoughts on the Apsara Hotel?

Neko,

Just to be clear, the Bangkok Air website in the US is not the same as the one in Asia %26amp; many of the flights are not listed.

Last year, I thought it was my MAC, now I know it%26#39;s because the servers are different %26amp; the website that you load on your PC is not the same one that loads in the US.

The one that loads here is missing a lot of flights... like the BKK to REP that departs at 8 PM. The last one listed is 6:30 PM... the travel agent from Journeys-Within told me about this flight that is not on the website here.

So, we don%26#39;t have the same access to info that you do.

Rufuscat %26amp; Neko,

Here%26#39;s the post about the ATMs in LP not working... comments please.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g295415-i9321-k255…

Of_cash_and_restaurants_in_LP-Luang_Prabang.html