The Altruistic Traveller
  • Home
  • Destinations
    • Africa
    • Cambodia
    • Colombia
    • Europe
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • Malaysia
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Mexico
    • Nepal
    • Philippines
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
  • Travel Resources
    • What is Responsible Tourism
    • How to be a Sustainable Traveller
    • What is Community-based Tourism
    • Responsible Volunteering
    • The Rise of Impact Travel
    • Ethical Animal Encounters
    • The Importance of Fair Trade
    • Responsible Travel Websites
    • Sustainable Tourism Podcasts
    • Travel Insurance (that covers COVID-19)
  • About Me
    • The Altruistic Traveller Story
    • Personal Stories
    • Podcast Interviews
  • Media
    • Featured In
    • Work with me
    • Submit a Guest Blog Post
    • Book a Podcast Interview
  • Support
  • Contact Me

The Altruistic Traveller

Banner
  • Home
  • Destinations
    • Africa
    • Cambodia
    • Colombia
    • Europe
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • Malaysia
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Mexico
    • Nepal
    • Philippines
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
  • Travel Resources
    • What is Responsible Tourism
    • How to be a Sustainable Traveller
    • What is Community-based Tourism
    • Responsible Volunteering
    • The Rise of Impact Travel
    • Ethical Animal Encounters
    • The Importance of Fair Trade
    • Responsible Travel Websites
    • Sustainable Tourism Podcasts
    • Travel Insurance (that covers COVID-19)
  • About Me
    • The Altruistic Traveller Story
    • Personal Stories
    • Podcast Interviews
  • Media
    • Featured In
    • Work with me
    • Submit a Guest Blog Post
    • Book a Podcast Interview
  • Support
  • Contact Me
Community DevelopmentLaosResponsible Tourism

Stay at a Fairstay in Vang Vieng and Help to Support Local Community Projects

by Bianca Caruana March 9, 2016October 7, 2018
written by Bianca Caruana March 9, 2016October 7, 2018
Stay at a Fairstay in Vang Vieng and Help to Support Local Community Projects

Tucked away in a quiet street behind the small-yet-lively town centre of Vang Vieng lays the house of FruitFriends, an organisation in Laos that specialises in educational and agricultural projects that help the local community. FruitFriends welcome visitors from all over to participate in their fairstay and get a taste of local life while supporting their cause.

 

Vang Vieng Mountains

 

FruitFriends was founded in 2012 by a Belgium couple, both of which are members of the Belgium NGO Laat Laos Leren, an organisation that, in 2011, had assisted with the construction of a primary school in one of the local villages here in Vang Vieng. After the success of the first school the couple decided to set up a social enterprise as a way to generate income to build and maintain a Secondary school in the same village, and so FruitFriends was founded.

The aim of FruitFriends is to generate income to facilitate not only the construction of the school, but also ongoing educational and agricultural projects in the community. Their current successes include providing employment to local people, providing English lessons to students and developing fair relationships with local farmers in the community. They have also recently completed their own organic farm with the aim to educate farmers about sustainable farming methods that will maximise their crops for a beneficial future.

Not only is the aim of FruitFriends to assist the projects financially, they also hope to invite travellers into the community and give them a taste of Laos, the local way. While in Vang Vieng you are invited to spend some time at the FruitFriends fairstay, a concept similar to a homestay whereby you will be able to stay in the house with the long-term volunteers, eat with them, assist them with their activities and become a part of the FruitFriends family.

 

Fairstay room

 

The fairstay package includes accommodation in a pleasant room with a fan and western bathroom, and 3 meals daily cooked by the lovely Boun, the house’s resident chef. She has a knack for local food and each day will cook up a range of meals to satisfy anyone’s taste buds. Each day you will eat the traditional Laos way, sitting together around a small table, passing around the sticky rice and exchanging words in different languages. It’s not too long before you feel like you’re at home, while also supporting a great cause.

 

Food Image : fruitfriendslaos.org

 

Ask people about Vang Vieng and you may get reference to the town’s infamous backpacker scene, involving days tubing down the Mekong and nights spent at the raucous bars that line the riverbanks. Peel those stereotypes away however and you’re left with a relatively quiet town, located in one of the most scenic areas of Laos, tucked away between luscious, green mountain ranges.

By choosing to stay at the fairstay you can spend your time in this attractive town with many activities to suit any traveller, while helping to provide education to those who need it most. There is even the opportunity to assist the volunteers with some teaching at the school, or gardening at the beautiful organic farm located outside of town if you like, the choice is yours.

 

Fruit Friends Garden The Fruitfriends Garden

 

I spent two lovely days with the people at FruitFriends and would highly recommend their fairstay to anyone passing through this lovely city. You can find out more information on their website.

 

Fruitfriends School Children Image: fruitfriendslaos.org

 

 

0 comment
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditStumbleuponEmail
previous post
5 Organisations Empowering Women this International Women’s Day
next post
7 Photos That Will Make You Want To Visit Laos

You may also like

Travel and help to rehabilitate Cambodia’s injured wildlife

August 12, 2015

An Ethical Guide to Travel in Battambang

January 14, 2016

An ethical guide to travel in Kampot Cambodia

April 16, 2019

An altruistic guide to travel in Sihanoukville

December 11, 2015

Chi Phat Cambodia – How community based tourism...

December 7, 2015

6 Responsible Travel Blogs to Follow This Year

March 31, 2019

Teaching English In The Remote Jungle Villages Of...

March 21, 2016

7 Photos That Will Make You Want To...

March 20, 2016

5 Organisations Empowering Women this International Women’s Day

March 7, 2016

A Responsible Guide to Travel in Vientiane Laos

March 5, 2016

About Bianca

About Bianca

The Altruistic Traveller

I am a freelance journalist, blogger & podcast host specialising in stories that ignite thoughts surrounding compassion, ethics and the happiness of all beings. I travel the world as a digital nomad with the aim to promote ethical values and give a voice to those who are making the world a better place.

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Linkedin

This Travel Insurance Covers COVID-19

incurance-that-covers-covid-19

House Sit & Travel The World

trusted-housesitters

The best undies for zero-waste travel

Responsible Travel with I Like Local

I-like-local

Become a NGB! Ambassador

NGB! ambassador

Stay in a Local Village

duara-travels

Local experiences with Backstreet Academy

backstreet-academy

Book Eco Accommodation

See Thailand Like a Local

TakeMeTour Banners

See Europe By Rail



Find Ethical Food Venues

fair-food-forager

The Wanderluster’s Mind Podcast

Listen to my latest podcast interview with Abby Lewtas, speaking about responsible tourism and accessing inner wisdom.
TWM - Social Bianca TAT

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

FOLLOW ME

Tweets

"We thought we were getting Woodstock. Instead we'll be getting Prozac Nation 2.0" https://t.co/fOxYFiSH4n #Psilocybin

08-Jan-2021

Reply Retweet Favorite
My thoughts are with those who put their lives on the line to uphold peace. I wish for only peace for the US, but b… https://t.co/qaONgxeVSO

06-Jan-2021

Reply Retweet Favorite
I've spent my summer looking after adorable pets with the @Housesitting app. Learn how you can budget travel with T… https://t.co/VNDvP1XFhW

05-Jan-2021

Reply Retweet Favorite
This is Seminyak, #Bali today. #Plastic is still a massive issue for our oceans. Thank you @OceanMimic for organi… https://t.co/QJ1FigndpJ

03-Jan-2021

Reply Retweet Favorite
How do you successfully #crowdfund for the causes you care about? I explore this topic in my conversation with Tom… https://t.co/YgxjR9aXf4

29-Dec-2020

Reply Retweet Favorite

LATEST TRAVEL TIPS

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • Email
  • Soundcloud
  • Spotify
  • RSS

@2021 - The Altruistic Traveller. Developed by Cybernite Technologies.
The Altruistic Traveller uses affiliate links. If you make a purchase using a link we may receive a commission. Such revenue helps keep this website running, and allows us to keep the content free for readers like you.
This website uses cookies. To learn more or opt-out please visit our Privacy Policy.


Back To Top