the pakxeng dormitory is complete!

If you’re playing along at home, you might know that Huckleberry Travel is committed to using travel to do good in the world. After all, travel changes us. It informs the way we view the world around us. It gives us insight into the human condition, and provides opportunities to marvel at the natural beauty on our planet. That’s why we started “Huckleberry Travel Gives Back” — an initiative to use our position as a leading travel company with a focus on luxury and experiential travel to do some good in the world.

You may recall that back in 2020, we learned of an important project in Laos that had stalled. Our preferred partner for custom Asia itineraries — Discova — was supporting the building of a dormitory for students at PakXeng High School. Many students lived in the mountain, very far from the school, and they had to take a bus or trek a long way to get to school. Since it was one heck of a commute to go back to their villages in the mountains, most students stayed in the small bamboo huts at the school during weekdays. There were 114 small bamboo huts being used as the school dormitory. They were getting extremely overcrowded.

Living conditions for students prior to construction of the new dormitory.

Since the world stopped traveling in 2020, the completion of the new dormitory had stalled. We felt like it was an important project, so we reached out to our Huckleberry Travelers about the project, and contributed to the fundraising effort.

The plan to construct the new dormitory.

We are very excited to share that the building of the PakXeng Dormitory is finally complete! The journey to completion was no easy feat and it was even more complicated when Covid caused the village to shut down to outsiders and there was a massive shortage of building materials. 

The dormitory will see its first residents this March when school terms starts and the students returrn.

We’re so happy to have played a small part in helping to give these students a clean and safe place to say, while they learn. And it’s one reason that we choose to book our clients’ travels with companies like Discova that spearhead projects like this.

If you’re interested in traveling sustainably, in voluntourism efforts, or in supporting worthwhile non-profit organizations attached to the travel and tourism industries, we’d love to talk to you more about it. Just let us know!