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Wat Roka Kandal Pagoda & Handicraft Centre
The former pagoda of Wat Roka Kandal was constructed at the end of the 18th century and is the oldest preserved pagoda in Cambodia. Abandoned for many years, renovations of the pagoda took place in February 2002. At the centre, travellers can learn more about the pagoda, Kratie's fame for traditional crafts and how wicker products are made.
Sala Bai Hotel and Restaurant School
Each year, Sala Bai offers 100 disadvantaged students from across the country hospitality training. In addition to training, students receive accommodation, a bicycle, meals, uniforms and manuals and a four-month internship. The fact that over 95% of the students get a job in less than three months after graduation is a testament to the school's success.
Royal Ballet Theatre
The Royal Ballet Theatre is reviving traditional Lao dance and music with the help of old Master Artists. Our goal is to create a new generation of masters, while preserving our cultural heritage and passing on generations of artistic knowledge to Lao children.
Vietnam Quilts
Vietnam Quilts is a non-profit, community development organisation that aims to give women in rural Vietnam with employment, training and a regular income. Founded in 2001 by the French - Belgian NGO, Vietnam Plus, Vietnam Quilts now employs 150 women with the aim of employing more in the future.
Artisans Association of Cambodia
AAC is made up of over 30 handicraft member organizations who work with disadvantaged Cambodians to bring back the once prosperous traditions of weaving, woodcarving, pottery and handicraft production. Their products - found in outlets throughout Phnom Penh and provincial towns - combine unique traditional methods with attractive modern designs.
Hoa Sua
Hoa Sua is a vocational school offering tourism and hospitality training in Hanoi. Established in 1994, Our objective is to contribute to the fight against poverty in Vietnam by training young people, especially disadvantaged and disabled youth.
Savannakhet Eco Guides
The Savannakhet Eco Guide Unit is an independent organization for trained ecotourism guides. Our goal is to manage and promote trekking trails in the protected areas of Savannakhet.
Angkor Hospital for Children
Providing full service, life saving paediatric care for 300 to 500 babies and children per day and over 100,000 visits per year, Angkor Hospital for Children is funded entirely by grants and donations. Designated by the Ministry of Health as an official teaching hospital, it also trains local health care professionals, working to improve available health services in the rural communities.
Paul Dubrule School of Hotel and Tourism
Set up to ensure that young Cambodians have access to a new world of opportunities, students at Paul Dubrule learn both theory and practical skills required for the hospitality industry. Travellers can stay at the Training Hotel, enjoy local and international delicacies at the Training Restaurant or learn how to prepare famous Cambodian dishes.
Elephant Park
The Elephant XL Camp near Xieng Lom village was established in 2003 to protect the Asian elephants in Laos. As the forests disappear, the elephants which used to help with logging can become neglected. Our aim is to give these elephants a brighter future. So far six elephants have been freed from logging work and given a new home in the park. Experienced mahouts (elephant keepers) and vets help the elephants adapt to their new environment, with sick or older elephants receiving special attention.
Fibre2Fabric
Fibre2Fabric Gallery is a not-for-profit exhibition space in Luang Prabang that demonstrates the role and function of textiles from different regions and ethnic groups in Laos. Through temporary bi-lingual exhibitions visitors and locals have the opportunity to learn about the cultural significance of textiles in local daily life.
Hai Cafe
Located in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An, Hai Café is a shady oasis for both casual travelers and nature lovers. With trained voluntary educators as staff, the Café is committed to preserving Vietnam's rich biodiversity and is also behind the popular Hoi An clean-up campaign.
Khmer Architecture Tours
Khmer Architecture Tours (KA Tours) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2003 to promote the understanding of modern architecture in Cambodia. Our tours focus on buildings erected after Cambodia’s independence in 1953, described as ‘New Khmer Architecture’, while setting these in the historical context of Phnom Penh.
Reaching Out Handicrafts
Owned and operated by disabled people, Reaching Out is a unique craft store, whose attractive and high-quality products are not found elsewhere. It is also big on fair trade and fair wage, and disabled artisans receive free vocational training. Reaching Out products are availalbe both online and offline.
Lisa Regale Fusion Gallery
I created a unique line of clothing and have a collection of hand woven silk and cotton textiles. My first priority is to preserve the traditional designs of Lao craftsmen and adopt these authentic pieces to accessorize contemporary garments. I work with talented and innovative people and help them to become professionals in what they do best.
Lao Mountain Coffee
We are a small roasting company focused on providing the highest quality beans that are uniquely blended and freshly roasted. We have the great privilege of using only Lao grown beans from the Bolaven Plateau in the South, a fertile, high elevation volcanic terrain perfect for specialty coffee. All of our coffee beans come from elevations between 1,000m and 1,300m.
Samatoa
Created in 2004, Samatoa Cooperative is a community group that specialises in producing silk apparel. Our desire from the start has been to re-introduce the unique quality of natural Cambodian silk using the knowledge of skilled weavers and tailors. Samatoa offers a wide range of quality products made from natural Cambodian silk. We offer tailored, ‘made to measure’ silk clothes in 24 hours.
Kopnoi
Kōpnoï, taken from the Lao language, means ‘little frog', a universal symbol for balance in the environment. It is also the name of our Export Promotion Center, a beautiful boutique-gallery, located in the village of Ban Aphay in Luang Prabang, near L'Etranger, Books & Tea. Our mission is to promote the best that Laos has to offer, both locally and internationally.
Tonle Tourism Training Center
Tonlé Tourism Training Center is the first project of the Swiss not-for-profit association Tourism for Help, which has been working in the field of sustainable tourism since 2004. Located in Stung Treng since February 2007, the center aims to provide disadvantaged youths with training in tourism-related fields so that they will gain employable skills.
Hua Moom Xieng Thong Ethnic Shop
Hua Moom Xieng Thong Ethnic Shop displays a number of carved ethnic masks and sculptures produced by the Kha Moo ethnic minority of 'Ta Oi', near the Vietnamese border in Saravanh Province.
Camacrafts
CAMACRAFTS is a non-profit, self-help project which markets handicrafts made by Lao artisans. We strive to provide a sustainable method of income for village women that would otherwise be unavailable. Our products are entirely handmade using traditional patterns and techniques, which helps preserve the traditional needlework skills of Hmong and Lao women such as appliqué, cross stitch, embroidery and batik.
National Centre of Disabled Persons
Run by disabled people for disabled people, NCDP's five projects directly benefit 1,800 people every year. The Retail Outlet project supports the disabled artists throughout Cambodia in all aspects of handicraft production. In NCDP's main outlet in Phnom Penh, travelers can either browse the offerings made of Cambodian silk or for something unique, make your own home wares.
Cambodian Craft Cooperation
Although weaving and wearing silk continues to be part of Cambodia's cultural and social traditions, most weavers are unaware of their products' value, with little access to markets. Set up to address this, the Cambodian Craft Cooperation supports small and family-run craft enterprises to improve their capacity. Check out the variety of Cambodian silk on offer at the shop.
MTDP
The LNTA-ADB Mekong Tourism Development Project (MTDP) assists local communities to develop their capacity to participate in and benefit from tourism. The project provides training to communities on guiding, hospitality, cooking, tourism management and marketing.
Mekong Blue
Mekong Blue is a silk weaving centre employing vulnerable women and producing silk products, often regarded as some of the finest in Cambodia. It has received the UNESCO Seal of Excellence for scarves in both 2004 and 2005. In between touring the Center and browsing the products, travellers can relax at the café, enjoying Khmer and international dishes.
The ChildSafe Project
We are developing a child protection network to prevent all forms of abuse, especially sexual abuse, through carefully selected, trained and monitored ‘facilitators' consisting of taxi drivers, hotels, tourists and non-locals. Members sport the ChildSafe logo and travelers can purchase ChildSafe products and help children go back to school instead of working on the streets.
Children's Cultural Centre
The Children's Cultural Centre caters to children between the ages of 6 and 18 by providing non-formal instruction in a variety of arts and cultural subjects not taught in the regular school system. The Children's Cultural Centre (CCC) of Luang Prabang opened its doors in January of 1998 and is one of 17 CCC's located provincially throughout Laos.
Meta House
Meta House firmly believes that contemporary art is crucial to the development of any society and is working hard to fill a gap in the arts scene in Cambodia and offers a unique intercultural and interactive forum for artists on three and a half floors. Travellers can enjoy international art house cinema and films and meet and participate in workshops with local and international artists.
Craft Link
Craft Link is the leading not-for-profit organisation working with ethnic minority craftspeople in Vietnam. Founded in 1996, we support marginalised and impoverished communities through the sale of unique, Vietnamese handicrafts.
Laha Sinh
For centuries, the Pouthai women of Savannakhet Province in southern Laos have woven fabrics using natural dyes and fibers from their surrounding environment. Phouthai people, who live along the Xepon River, are now famous for the quality of their hand woven, organically-grown, indigo-coloured cotton fabric. Through the work of the Lahasinh Company, these beautiful textiles are now being marketed to the world under the Laha label.
Khammouane Eco Guides
The Khammouane Eco Guide Service operates locally guided ecotours to Khammouane's attractions. Tours are led by trained villagers who provide information in English, Lao and Thai on the area's wildlife, history, culture and other attractions.
Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation
Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation Center is engaged in raising awareness of Cambodia's rich wildlife heritage and facilitating activities that promote wildlife conservation. Established in 2003, it is committed to attaining long-term environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability. It specializes in arranging birding tours to remote areas of Cambodia to see rare birds.
Cambodian Living Arts
Founded eight years ago by a Cambodian-American refugee, CLA promotes the revival of traditional Cambodian art forms and empowers the students and master teachers to sustain themselves through the arts. Travellers can gain better insight of Cambodia's heritage by enjoying traditional shadow puppetry performed by firelight in the evening.
Baguette and Chocolat
Baguette&Chocolat is one of the initiatives by the Hoa Sua School which provides disadvantaged and disabled youth with tourism and hospitality training. We have a restaurant and a cafe in Hanoi and a cafe and hotel in the northern highlands of Sapa.
Vientiane Orchids
Our aim is to grow, market and export Lao orchids legally cultivated in order to participate in their conservation through various incentive projects that will promote and assist the orchids conservation. We are taking part in the fight against the poaching and the illegal orchid's trade by offering the poachers an alternative - through legal and sustainable orchid production and export.
Butterflies Garden Restaurant
Set in a tropical garden with over 1,000 butterflies, the aptly named Butterflies Garden Restaurant offers an oasis not only for customers but also to the community. It provides disadvantaged youth with restaurant training and former street children and communities living with HIV/AIDS with income-generating opportunities.
Agricultural Development Action
ADA helps communities and people affected by economic defeat and displacement through sustainable agriculture development and community based livelihood enhancement. Our programs range from irrigation and horticulture to post-disaster help and supporting at-risk teens. Travelers can visit target communities and experience the traditional Cambodian way of life.
The Broom Workshop
Located 10 km away from Da Nang, the Broom Workshop was set up as a means to help local women who have fallen on hard times. The product quality is now so high that nearly all are exported to regional markets, and travelers can now visit the workshop and learn the process of making brooms.
Epic Arts
Encouraging the belief that every person is counted, Epic Arts was set up to nurture and highlight the abilities of those usually termed as disabled by society. It organises arts workshops to promote the integration of disabled and able-bodied people and stages performances by Cambodia's first professional disabled dancers.
Weaves of Cambodia
From five women making silk products in 1998 to employing over 40 rural artisans currently, Weaves of Cambodia is a dynamic community enterprise located in the provincial capital of Tbaeng Meanchey. It employs land mine survivors and disabled individuals, putting special emphasis on women and their families, to produce world-class woven fabrics.
KOTO
KOTO (standing for Know One, Teach One) is a not-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program that is changing the lives of street children and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam. Established in the late 1990s, KOTO started as a small sandwich shop run by nine former street kids.
Peuan Mit Street Children Project
Peuan Mit meaning ‘close friend' works with street children, their families and communities in Vientiane Province. Our objectives are to reintegrate street children back into Lao society and to prevent others from becoming street children. Run by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, in cooperation with the NGO Friends-International, it is currently the only project working with street children in Lao PDR. It works with up to 1,000 street and at risk children per month.
Pour un Sourire d’Enfant
We provide food, health care, accommodation and education to underprivileged children working and living around a Phnom Penh garbage dump. We run a school offering formal and non-formal education, a Hotel school and attached vocational school, and the main centre on the way to the killing fields, incorporates a handicraft shop, spa and training restaurant.
Friends
Founded in 1994, Mith Samlanh (meaning best friend) provides services to over 1,800 children through three main projects: ChildSafe, DrugSafe and the Street Children Network. Travelers can experience a host of activities run by former street youths - dining at three restaurants, visiting three retail outlets or pampering themselves at The Nailbar.
Heritage House
The Heritage Information Centre (Heuanchan) is part of a project using information and communications technology to aid in the management of World Heritage sites and also promote sustainable development. Working in cooperation with UNESCO, La Maison du Patrimoine (Heritage House) and the Tokyo Institute of Technology are documenting Luang Prabang's historic, environmental and cultural heritage into an extensive database and also educating the local community and business sector on the need to sustain Luang Prabang's unique assets.
Cambodian Rural Development Team
Since 2004, Cambodian Rural Development Team has introduced alternative employment opportunities to over 1,000 families in return for their support of local conservation projects, which include the critically endangered Mekong River freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins in Kratie and Stung Treng, and the protection of tropical forest biodiversity in Mondulkiri.
Viengxay Caves
Limestone peaks form the beautiful landscape of Viengxay, a small, quiet town in Houaphanh province, northeastern Laos. You would never guess that inside these rocky crags is a network of caves - a "Hidden City" - that was once at the centre of Lao and world history.
L'Etranger; Books & Tea
Books are a rare commodity in Laos. One of our goals is to build a collection of books and magazines available for anyone who wishes to read. We sell, rent, buy and trade all kinds of books.
Chambok Community-based Ecotourism Site
Lying at the border of Kirirom National Park and boasting a beautiful 40-meter high waterfall, Chambok Community-based Ecotourism site is the ideal place for a day (or two) away from the city, only 2 hours drive south of Phnom Penh but offering a wide range of outdoor activities and attractions.
Centre for Khmer Studies
The Center for Khmer Studies support emerging Cambodian scholars, writers and artists, who almost disappeared during the Khmer Rouge regime. The Center boasts the largest specialized public library in Cambodia outside Phnom Penh, in the tranquil, restored Wat Damnak. It also prints books, research and reference materials.
Wat Kor Cultural & Agricultural Village
Located 2km south of Battambang town, lie the cultural and agricultural villages of Wat Kor Commune where visitors can gain an insight into the Cambodian way of life. Known for its ancient wooden houses, some of which were constructed in the early 20th century, travellers can visit the villages the traditional way - by ox cart.
Big Brother Mouse
Big Brother Mouse is a new project that publishes books that make it fun and easy to learn to read. Today, few books are available in Laos, and they rarely reach the villages where most people live. Most children, especially in the countryside, have never read a book except for a few school textbooks, and some have not even read those. Few Lao people think that reading could be enjoyable, add to their knowledge, or improve their quality of life.
Huong Lai
Opened in 2001, Huong Lai is a private, self-funded restaurant that employs former street children and disadvantaged youth in Ho Chi Minh City and provides them with vocational training so they can build a better future.
Angkor Center for Conservation of Biodiversity
A not-for-profit widlife rescue and nature conservation centre, the Angkor Center for Conservation Biodiversity rehabilitates confiscated wildlife, educates the local community and offers guided tours of the Center, village-based sustainable tours and a bee keeping program as an alternative to poaching.
ElefantAsia
ElefantAsia is a registered non-profit initiative aimed at safeguarding the Asian elephant, an emblematic endangered species worldwide. We have been working in Laos, ‘the land of a million elephants', since 2001.
Bach Ma National Park
Bach Ma National Park is located in central Vietnam province of Thua Thien Hue. It was created in 1991 to protect the centre of the last corridor of forest stretching from the South China Sea to the Annamite mountain range at the border with the Lao PDR.
Mines Advisory Group
MAG, a co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, is a humanitarian organisation clearing the remnants of conflict for the benefit of local communities worldwide. MAG currently works in 11 countries around the world and has been clearing UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) in Lao PDR since 1994. Our UXO Visitor Information Centre on the Mekong River in Vientaine provides visitors with the complete UXO story.
The Starfish Project
Starfish is a unique grassroots project operating in Sihanoukville and neighboring provinces, assisting families and individuals to become independent through housing, community and water projects, and medical and livelihood assistance. It also has a number of businesses, including The Starfish Bakery Café run by disabled Khmer people, to support the project.
Veterans International - Cambodia Rehabilitation Program
Veterans For America (VFA) is an international humanitarian organization that addresses the causes, conduct and consequences of war through programs of advocacy and service for victims of conflict around the world. VFA operates in Cambodia as Veterans International (VI).
My Library
Studying languages, learning new skills - typing, using different software, recording your own music, growing teak - talking about your culture or mastering English in order to get a job... whatever it is, it's all happening @ My Library.
Vang Vieng Organic Farm
Our farm, in Phoudindaeng village was founded in 1996 to introduce organic farming methods in an area where chemicals and deforestation were ruining the land. Leading by example, we aim to show that organic methods can be profitable as well as healthy. Our mission is to "preserve ecological diversity and provide locals with accessible and sustainable technologies to earn a living".
Isanborei Craft Hut
Isanborei Craft Hut was established to revive the ancient art of craft making using traditional materials, reduce poverty, and encourage the conservation and development of the monuments of Sambor Prei Kuk which are older than the famous Angkor Wat. Travellers can check out the variety of local products available for sale at the Hut.
World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization working to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities in poverty. Through our partnership with local communities, the government and other stakeholders, we seek to develop the capacity of the poor to improve their lives through sustainable development. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
National Center for Khmer Ceramics Revival
The National Centre for Khmer Ceramic Revival (NCKCR) and its young Khmer students are passionate about reviving the ancient skill of creating traditional, high quality, Khmer ceramics that once thrived during the Khmer Empire from 802 to 1432. NCKCR was created in 2006 to revive this knowledge.
AAR
The Association for Aid and Relief Japan (AAR) is a non-government organization providing emergency aid, assistance and support to people with disabilities. Since 2000, we have been working with the National Rehabilitation Center's Wheelchair Workshop to improve their productivity in manufacturing wheelchairs and tricycles.
Lao Cotton State Enterprise
Established in 1984 by the Lao Government and the United Nations Development Program to help women to capitalize on their traditional weaving skills, our goal is create job opportunities for Lao women and improve their well being. Since 1996, we have operated as an independent business, organizing ten women's weaving groups providing 200 looms throughout Laos.
UXO Laos
The mission of the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Program is to reduce the number of civilian casualties caused by UXO and to increase the amount of land available for food production and other socio-economic development activities.
OckPopTok
Established in 2000, this self-financed initiative both produces and designs textile handicrafts. Ock Pop Tok in Lao means east meets west; the initial concept is of bringing people together through textiles to exchange knowledge and ideas.
Ock Pop Tok now provides livelihoods for nearly 200 people both in Luang Prabang and six northern provinces.
COPE
In Laos, if you need an artificial limb (prosthesis), a limb support device (an orthosis), a walking aid or a wheelchair, you go to COPE (Co-operative Orthotic & Prosthetic Enterprise). COPE is currently the main source of these devices in the country and serves those injured by unexploded ordnance (UXO) as well as in traffic and other accidents.
Home for the Elderly
The Home for the Elderly provides a much-needed shelter, support and care to elderly people in Danang and surrounding areas. While funding shortfall allows it to looks after less people than it can accommodate, the Home welcomes any contribution, including visiting its residents to brighten up their day.
Rehab Craft Cambodia
Run by and for disabled Cambodians, Rehab Craft Cambodia is a not-for-profit, non-religious, non-government organisation providing long-term and sustainable employment opportunities for Cambodians with physical disabilities. A fair trade organisation, it produces and markets quality handicrafts made by disabled artisans. Travellers can tour the workshops and see producers at work.
Lao Red Cross
The Lao Red Cross Society was founded in 1955 and began working in Luang Prabang Province in 1993, with on-going support from the Swiss and the Austrian Red Cross. Our vision is to prevent and alleviate human suffering and to improve living conditions at the village level and the health of the most vulnerable sections of society.
Lao Magic Carpets
Carpet making is one of the oldest known crafts. Its roots lie in the heart of Central Asia where it developed and flourished before reaching its peak in quality in the 16th and 17th centuries. Magic Lao Carpets was set-up to introduce carpet weaving to Laos, where there is an established tradition of weaving intricate textiles. Through the skilful hands of local weavers and the use of local silk, the ancient craft of carpet weaving is taking a new direction in Laos.
Rugby in schools
Rugby has come a long way in the Lao PDR since it was reborn in the late 1990's. The Lao Rugby Federation now has associate International Rugby Board (IRB) Status, full membership of the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) and most importantly, has been recognised by the National Sports Committee of the Lao PDR since May 2004.
Sangkheum Center for Children
The Sangkheum Center for Children is a joint project between the Italian NGO Progetto Continenti and the Khmer Angkor Development Organisation (KADO). In the Khmer language, Sangkheum means ‘hope’. Since 2001, we have provided hope for over 274 orphaned, abused or neglected children.
Les Artisans Lao
Les Artisans Lao provides apprenticeships in the production of original handicrafts made from recycled wood or non-timber forest products such as coconut and bamboo. Our goals are to promote contemporary handicraft design using materials and technologies appropriate for the local context and promote recycling and use of renewable materials.
Krousar Thmey
Krousar Thmey (New Family) gives material, educational and social support to abandoned and orphaned children, street children and victims of trafficking. It has created a Khmer version of Braille and sign language, and adapted vocational training for students with sight and hearing disabilities while its centres provide a much needed home for the children.
Phare Ponleu Selpak
Originating from simple drawing workshops at a refugee camp on the Thai border, Phare Ponleu Selpak (meaning the brightness of art) now has over 1,000 pupils, providing social and educational help to children through the revival of Khmer culture. Travellers can enjoy circus performances, participate in drawing workshops and tour the center.
Bunong Information Centre
The Bunong Information Centre (BIC) is a non-profit venture located within “The Middle of Somewhere” café. Replete with authentic Bunong décor, it is located along the main road in Sen Monorom near the market.
Camory Premium Cookie Boutique
Founded in 2006, Camory brings a local twist to cookies. We infuse local agricultural products such as cashew nuts, sesame seeds and local spices into our cookies. By doing so, we hope to introduce visitors to Cambodia's agricultural produce and their untapped potential as ingredients in quality products.
Osmose
Osmose's pilot conservation and development project in the Prek Toal area of Tonle Sap Lake links the preservation of endangered waterbird colonies to the sustainable development of local communities. The project is beneficial to over 100 families, providing alternative employment to former bird collectors through conservation, education and ecotourism.
Tam Lay Lao
Tam Lay Lao is a self financed Laotian Textile Company. Our Vientiane workshops develop 100% silk and cotton products, mixing traditional expertise and creativity with special attention brought to the finish. Created in 2004, Tam Lay Lao was formerly an association based in Luang Prabang.
Tum Tum Cheng
Our Cooking School was established in 2001. Certified Chef Khoun Chandra Vongsaravanh, assisted by Ms Linda Vongsaravanh and Mr Laan Phouttasack, teach traditional cooking techniques based on more than 30 years of experience in Asia and Europe, including variations of the recipes of Phia Sing, the Luang Prabang Chef to the Royal Family.
Handicap International - Belgium
Every year, landmines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) from the recent civil war kill or maim more than 500 Cambodians. Handicap International-Belgium provides a range of support activities to the disabled, many of which are landmine victims. It has established rehabilitation centres and community outreach and sport projects and runs programs to prevent disabilities.
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut links community architects and designers to housing and infrastructure projects in informal, resource poor and marginalized communities who are willing to help themselves. Travellers are encouraged to get involved in the projects, make donations or just relax at the Epic Arts café in Kampot.
Xe Pian Ecotourism Project
Xe Pian National Protected Area (NPA) spans 240,000 hectares across the Champassak and Attapeu Provinces on the southern tip of Laos. This hilly lowland and extensive flatland habitat is a mosaic of rivers and wetlands, semi-evergreen and mixed deciduous forests. At least 25 endangered mammal species and a number of rare bird species like the Woolly-necked Stork are found in Xe Pian NPA.
M’Lop Tapang
A charity dedicated to reintegrating street children back to society, M'Lop Tapang currently reaches over 600 children through a range of support services, outreach programs, a drop-in center, community shelters and a mobile library. Travellers can enjoy an evening of entertainment by the children, from traditional Apsara dances to Chai Yam drumming.
Sovanna Phum
Sovanna Phum (meaning Golden Era) is an independent and self-financed Khmer art association working at the forefront of performing arts in Cambodia. First established in 1994, Sovanna Phum offers real opportunities for Cambodian artists to make a living through their art by organising performances as well as nurturing, preserving and promoting the treasures of Cambodian culture through various projects.
Senteurs d’Angkor
Senteurs d'Angkor uses the finest ingredients from all over the country - its Kampot pepper is well-known - to produce high-quality handicrafts such as silk products, hand-made soaps and massage oils, and exotic sculptures. It prides itself on sourcing all its products in Cambodia, from raw ingredients to the packaging materials and focusing on keeping jobs and incomes within the country. Travelers can either visit the boutique or workshop - both in Siem Reap - to discover more.
Smateria
Smateria is a small handicraft workshop and store which designs and sells fashion accessories and costume jewellery. Here, local artisans shape various materials into new forms and ideas every day. All of our products are made from basic materials. Some are recycled and all are sourced locally.
Fair Trek
Fair Trek, a joint project between Luang Prabang Provincial Tourism Office, seven rural villages, SNV and Tiger Trail Outdoor Adventures, is designed to build community involvement and the philosophies of fair play and sustainable tourism into the tourism industry in Luang Prabang.
Cuc Phuong National Park
Established in 1962, Cuc Phuong is the oldest national park in Vietnam. It boasts magnificent limestone mountains, ethnic minorities and a rich ecosystem with some of Asia's rarest species, drawing researchers, naturalists, enthusiasts and conservationists alike.
Hoi An Center for Street Children
Hoi An Center for Street Children is a non-government organisation (NGO) that provides food and shelter for orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children in the Quang Nam area until they turn 18. Since its inception, the Center has helped turn the lives of over 100 children who have found jobs and are now leading independent lives.
Caruso Lao
The timeless skills of Caruso Lao's carvers, turners, silversmiths and weavers transform the natural treasures of Laos into exquisite, handcrafted furnishings and fashion accessories with an international aesthetic. Every piece in this sumptuous, high quality collection of Lao silk brocades and ikats, wood and silver is an individual work of art created by Lao artisans and many took months to complete.
Rachana Handicrafts
Rachana Handicrafts is a local, non-profit organization involved in the production and marketing of handicrafts and has developed a number of income generating activities for women and the disabled. Travellers can visit Rachana's workshop to see how the handicrafts are produced, or stop by at the retail shop to browse the products.
Artisans Angkor
Established in 1999 to help young people find work in their home villages, the self-financed Artisans Angkor's aim is to revive traditional craft skills. It has so far created over 1,000 jobs for both artisans and non-craftsmen in rural Cambodia. A visit to the workshops will take travellers from raw materials to splendid craft-wares.
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre
The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is a museum dedicated to the ethnic cultures of Laos. The Centre is housed in a heritage building, and exhibits ethnic clothing, household objects, religious artefacts, and handicrafts, with information in English and Lao languages. Our objective is to help locals and foreigners learn about the different ethnic groups of northern Laos.
NYEMO
NYEMO aims to provide vulnerable women with the necessary means to regain their dignity and participate actively in the development of their country. Every year, around 800 women who are abused, trafficked, sick, affected by HIV/AIDS and/or abandoned by their families or husbands receive support from us, in addition to around 700 orphans and vulnerable children.
ART+Foundation
Art+Foundation is a German Foundation in Cambodia. Established in 2003, we firmly believe that the performing arts, in particular classical music, have the potential to shape and change our world through creativity, the sharing of common values, learning and communicating.
The Cyclo Centre
Despite their iconic status, cyclo drivers are the poorest of urban poor in Phnom Penh. We provide a space for them to meet and access a range of services including educational, medical and social activities, all provided free-of-charge. We also organize fundraising cyclo rallies and cyclo tours for travelers who want a novel way to see the city.
Tamnak Lao
We established our restaurant 10 years ago to share with people our unique Lao cuisine. We specialise in offering authentic Luang Prabang-style cuisine. Many of our recipes are handed down from mother to daughter over numerous generations.
Cheung Kok Ecotourism Village - AMICA
For those traveling through the province of Kompong Cham, a must-see place is the Cheung Kok Ecotourism Village, developed with support from Assistance Médiation Internationale (AMICA). Travellers can visit the village and take part in activities to experience village life. Profits from tourism go towards re-investment into long-term projects.
Yok Don National Park
Established in 1992, Yok Don National Park covers over 115,000 hectares in western Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands. It is bisected by Srepok River, one of the major tributaries of the Mekong, and borders Cambodia to the west.
LDWDC
The Lao Disabled Women's Development Center was established in 2002 to provide disabled women in Laos with the support, knowledge and skills they need to be self-sufficient, productive members of the community. Located 20kms from Vientiane, past the Friendship Bridge on the way to Buddha Park, we are one of the few vocational training centers that welcome young women with a disability. Before our Center was established no training institution in Laos considered the specific needs of disabled women.
Angkor Association for the Disabled
Angkor Association for the Disabled assist landmine survivors and people with disabilities around Siem Reap, by raising funds to purchase carts or tricycles equipped to carry postcards, books, etc. Income from sale of the products keeps the cart owner away from a life of begging. Future projects include craft training, literacy training, and TV and motorbike repairing.
Singing Tree Cafe
In the growing hustle and bustle of downtown Siem Reap, the Singing Tree Café provides a welcome and memorable experience – a large and serene garden café where you can relax, surf the Internet for free or read while we serve you a delicious selection of light, wholesome and nutritious meals.
Mulberries
Mulberries is a not-for-profit company that seeks to create income generating opportunities for Lao people in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Our company, in partnership with over 200 village families, specializes in the production of naturally-dyed, handmade Lao silk. We foster traditional silkworm rearing, reeling, weaving, and natural dyeing in villages, while providing training, tools and a market for sale and distribution.
Wildlife At Risk (WAR)
WAR is dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of Vietnam by combating the illegal wildlife trade, raising environmental awareness and promoting the conservation of endangered species and their habitats. Travellers can visit the first and only multi-species rescue centre in the south of Vietnam, near the Cu Chi tunnels.
Tamarind
Tamarind is a local restaurant established to promote greater understanding of Laos by serving the country's unique cuisine and providing information, cooking classes and demonstrations of Lao food and customs. We also arrange group feasts and banquets, sell local food products, educate diners through our information packed menu and provide personal explanations of the dishes we serve.
Cambodia Landmine Museum & Relief Facility
Opened in 1999 to raise awareness of landmines in Cambodia to both tourists and locals alike, the Landmine Museum provides training, education, livelihood support and for child landmine survivors, a home and school. Travellers can learn more about landmines and UXO as well as historical information on the country's tumultuous past.
Ekkalak Lao Gallery
The Ekkalak Lao Gallery in Vientiane markets the work of several associations of Lao artisans, promoting local handicrafts from over 30 different producers, mostly members of the Lao Handicrafts Association.
Nam Ha Eco Guides
The Nam Ha Eco Guide Service, set up in 2000 in Luang Namtha Province with assistance from UNESCO and the Lao National Tourism Administration, offers community-based ecotours that include forest trekking, river trips and village homestays.
East Meets West
The mission of the East Meets West (EMW) Foundation is to transform the health, education, and communities of disadvantaged people in Southeast Asia by building partnerships, developing opportunities, and creating sustainable solutions.