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Scroll down to read an overview of the tour and testimonials from our Thailand and Laos travellers
Thailand and Laos Textiles & Handcrafts
27 Nov – 10 Dec 2024
Hmong batik, embroidery and weaving; Karen back-strap loom weaving; Lisu patchwork, appliqué and basketmaking; kheuapiad (jungle vine) fibre craft; indigo and natural dyeing; eco-printing; Tai Lue silk weaving; Kmhmu basketry; traditional ethnic costumes, a private textile collection, textile galleries, fabulous textile markets, artisan studios, textile villages, temples, spectacular scenery, a Mekong River cruise, delicious local cuisine and much, much more!
retreat|recreate is delighted to offer this 14 day/13 night women’s tour exploring northern Thailand and Laos through the lens of their superb and varied traditional textiles and handcrafts.
Our journey begins in Chiang Mai, the buzzing capital and “rose” of Northern Thailand and takes us to several tiny less-known handcraft villages off the tourist trail, past riverside towns as we take a slow-boat along the Mekong, through landscapes featuring soaring mountains and craggy karsts, to beautiful, UNESCO World Heritage listed Luang Prabang, the centre of Buddhism in Laos.
We are privileged to participate in SIX hands-on handcraft workshops: we’ll stitch traditional motifs with Hmong embroiderers and try our hand at Hmong batik, take an eco-printing class with a social enterprise that offers handcraft training to women and young people, explore natural dyeing with the Tai Lue, weave a silk placemat using traditional supplementary weft techniques and work with bamboo to create a Kmhmu-style basket.
Visit the handcraft villages of several culturally diverse ethnic minority groups, engage directly with local artisans and craftspeople in their homes and workshops, observe artisans as they demonstrate their skills and expertise, be inspired by traditional designs and motifs, marvel at the range of superb handcrafts and textiles, deepen our knowledge at textile galleries and cultural museums, shop at fabulous, colourful textile markets, explore serene temples and fascinating cultural sites along the way, be in awe of breath-taking landscapes, experience wonderful local culture, savour delicious cuisine and be humbled by the gentle and generous hospitality for which Thailand and Laos are known.
This immersive foray into the stunning textiles and handcrafts of northern Thailand and Laos is not to be missed! We do hope you’ll join us!
Here’s what our Thailand and Laos travellers had to say about this trip:
An excellent tour – enjoying many locations, delightful scenery and a variety of crafts. A comprehensive itinerary of many hidden gems, thoughtfully planned for those who delight in cultural experiences, textiles and handcrafts. Bernice – Thailand and Laos, November 2023
I joined the Thailand & Laos textile tour on the recommendation of a friend. We have travelled often together and I value her advice. It was not misplaced! This was a fabulous tour travelling to places that tourists do not usually go, experiencing grassroots life, craft and watching skilled women create beautiful weaving. We stayed in places where we could gather and chat or head off to explore. All the participants were engaged in learning and exploring. Our guides were top notch and brought laughter and learning to us all. Can’t recommend this tour highly enough. Robin – Thailand and Laos, January 2023
Whether you like to travel with a group of fun, like-minded women or like me, think you prefer quietly exploring the world alone, you will absolutely love travelling with retreat|recreate. The Thailand-Laos Textiles Tour of 2023 was my fourth tour. There were so many highlights. Every day there was at least one! The workshops were also amazing. I never had any expectations that I’d find the different crafts easy to execute and I didn’t, but it was wonderful to learn… to see how local fibres were utilised in such a skilled way to create items and textiles so rich in colour and imagery. Being able to explore often remote villages and meet skilled artisans, whether well or less-well known who are largely inaccessible tourists across so many places has been remarkable. I am hugely grateful to retreat|recreate for all the deeply rich, inspiring experiences that I have been privileged to enjoy with them and like-minded fellow travellers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul! Louise – Thailand & Laos, January 2023
This was a WONDERFUL, well planned tour. It was very educational, fun and interesting. The tour guide was amazing. Highlights included a day on a slow-boat on the Mekong River, the workshops, meeting the other women on the tour and of course seeing the incredible textiles and watching them be made. We saw and did so much! Deborah – Thailand and Laos, January 2023
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