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“Always explore the valleys before climbing to the peak. Rushing to the summit may cause your head to spin and give you little appreciation of the journey.” – Drew Campbell

 

What you experience

Trek, cycle, kayak, boat trips, elephants...

Adventure travel is all about taking a step into the unknown, discovering new environs and returning enlightened for the experience. For some, that may be the exhilaration of daring to summit a mountain. For others, the simple pleasures of a day out walking, through a hill tribe village, witnessing the locals carry out their daily affairs. Sure, the intensity levels vary, but the self-achievement is the same!

With any Inner Journey Expedition (IJE), you can choose from a wide range of adventures from easy to challenging. If you want to conquer a mountain, summit Mount Fansipan, Indo-China’s highest peak. If that’s too extreme, take a gentle walk through Vietnam’s Mai Chau valley and rice paddy fields. For water lovers, experience peace and quiet as you kayak hidden lagoons in, the UNESCO World Heritage listed, Halong Bay. And, for the cyclists, why not take the challenge and ride a mountain bike along the riverbank of the Mekong Delta. Watch the world go by in colourful Laos, as you travel by long boat up the Ou and Mekong Rivers. Or, learn how to wash and care for an elephant in a two-day Elephant Trainer Course. If you are willing to take yourself out of your comfort zone, then you are in for a great adventure!

 

Homestays... a real cultural adventure

Adventure travel is about taKING a step into the unknown and learning from the experience.

Some of our adventures take you to rural destinations where you are a guest in a village or in a small family-run guesthouse. Such experiences provide real opportunities to observe family life in countries like Vietnam and Laos. There is no better way to immerse yourself in local culture than sitting in the family kitchen watching the daily activities. Not only is this a wonderful cultural exchange, it offers the visitor great respect for how people live without all the

comforts and appliances of the West. By staying with a family we

ensure that the economic benefits of our travel filter down to the

villages and families that most need it.

Tantalise your taste buds with the local cuisine

Eating is a major past time in Asia and trying new foods is all part of your adventure. In the villages you eat what the locals eat and enjoy fresh delicious food ranging from simple noodle soups to tasty spring rolls. In the more populated towns, there is a greater choice of restaurants to explore the regional delicacies and in some destinations we can even arrange a cooking class through a local restaurant. There is plenty to eat for vegetarians, but please let us know, prior to your trip, if you have any special dietary requirements.

 

Stay another day

You may have an extra day to wait for a flight or you simply want to discover a new destination. This website has a wide range of day trips in Vietnam’s Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang in Laos. Choose a Laos cooking class in a renowned restaurant or, for a night out, enjoy Hanoi’s famous Water Puppet Theatre followed by dinner. For history buffs’ who want to learn more about the Vietnam War (the Vietnamese call it the American War) the Cu Chi Tunnel Tour outside of Ho Chi Minh City is a must see! 

 

 

Charity events

Visit a school in Vietnam

Some of our trips visit local schools where you may meet the teacher, children or head of the village to donate pens, pencils, books and much needed school materials. This creates an opportunity to interact with the community and learn about the challenges they face in rural living. It also provides the personal reward of knowing you have directly assisted the community through your experience. You can visit a school in Vietnam’s northern hill tribe district, Pu Luong Nature Reserve and in Halong Bay. School materials are included in the price of these tours.

Elephant park project in Laos

Laos was once called the “Land of a million elephants”. As the forests disappears due to the increase in logging, hydro electricity and farming industries, today there are only around 2000 elephants left. Thankfully, projects like the Elephant Camp, Xieng Lom, have been created to protect the Asian elephant in Laos giving these beautiful mammals a brighter future. An important part of maintaining Xieng Lom is tourism; not only does it help fund the project and support the local community, but also raises awareness of the plight of the Asian elephant. Inner Journey Expeditions offers three tour options that include an adventure component with the opportunity to ride an elephant into the jungle. A percentage of your tour price goes towards the conservation of these elephants and invests in community-based programs for nearby villages.

“Fair Trek” community-based trekking program in Laos

The “Fair Trek” program is a community-based initiative uniting government, NGOs, private business and villages. Launched in 2007, “Fair Trek” aims to deliver tourism trekking and village experiences that are positive for the host village, the tourist and the environment. The program generates jobs in low income areas, promotes remote and new destinations and provides tourism training for villagers on how to accommodate international tourists. “Fair Trek” is not mainstream tourism. It is based on sustainable tourism practices where a percentage of your tour price goes towards a village fund and re-forestation fund. Inner Journey Expeditions offers two “Fair Trek” programs that depart Luang Prabang in Northern Laos.

Personalised itineraries & service

For individuals, couples, group of friends, families..

If you want to do more than 'sightsee' on a set departure date with a group of strangers, then IJE could be your style of travel. IJE organises private trips for individuals, couples or a group of up to eight friends. Travelling in your small group ensures the service is personal and just as importantly, this minimises our impact on the environment and local cultures we visit.

Trips are also suitable for families with older children or teenagers who are at an age where they can appreciate different cultural experiences and be challenged by physical activities. Family adventures approached with the right frame of mind can be rewarding, educational and a lot of fun!

For special interest groups..

 

If you are a member of a sporting team, gym, bushwalking, mountain biking or kayaking club, you can choose an adventure to challenge you and your members. Or, if you are a business seeking a team building incentive, Inner Journey Expeditions will help you plan your adventure to meet the needs of your employees.

 

Join a small group adventure in Laos 

 

If you want to meet new friends and travel in a small group of between two and eight like-minded people, why not join an overland tour in Laos. This action packed trip combines trekking, kayaking, river-boats, caves and even an elephant ride as you travel from Laos’ capital, Vientiane, to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang. Departing once a month, this 14 day Laos Overland is lead by experienced local guides.

 

 

How to use this website

Activity and adventure, trekking, cycling or culture and history... whatever your interests, you can create it all from this website. Simply choose the itineraries that suit your interests, amount of activity and time frame, combine them together and “hey presto” you have created your own itinerary. It’s that easy!

For example:

Sapa Homestay & Eco Lodge - Moderate (6 days)
+
Kayak & Cruise Halong Bay - Easy (3 days)
+
Mekong Delta Highlights - Moderate (4 days)

= Vietnam Adventure - Easy to Moderate (13 days)

 

IJE itineraries range from one to 14 days giving you the flexibility to mix and match tours together. If that’s too organised, we can arrange an adventure to suit your specific needs, interests and time frame.

Have a look at the trip grades at the bottom of this page to get an idea of how each itinerary is graded according to fitness levels and amount of activity.

Once you are ready to put your Inner Journey Expeditions' holiday plans in place, we strongly recommened you contact your travel agent to assist with your flights, visas, travel insurance and health regulations.

Call 1300 43 10 69 for assistance in planning your next adventure.

 

 

Your tour guide

There is an experienced local guide to accompany all our IJE adventure trips. Our well-informed tour guide leads you through wilderness areas, shows you the local sights and takes care of all your needs ensuring you have a relaxing, fun vacation. Travelling with a local tour guide offers insight into the daily life of the country you are visiting.

Tour guiding is seen as a highly respected profession in Vietnam and Laos. Our tour guides take great pride in sharing their homeland, history and culture to visitors. All guides speak English (in fact, some speak multiple languages) to bridge the communication gap between local communities and visitors creating a greater understanding and appreciation of the local culture. As an IJE adventure traveller, you are providing valuable employment opportunities for local guides, some who have studied many years to gain the necessary accreditation.

 

Equipment

For your convenience, all the equipment you require on your IJE adventure is provided. Let us know if you have any special needs or unusual sizing requests prior to departure so we can do our best to look after you. Or, if you prefer, you can bring your own equipment! Please, let us know before hand if you are planning on bringing your own mountain bike.

 

 

Hotels & transport

Itineraries allow for enough free time so you can independently explore a new destination.

Taking the road less travelled can be hard work. You really need to research before you go. If you have limited time, you don’t want to spend your trip with your head in a guidebook reading about it and missing the experience. All IJE itineraries are thoroughly researched catering to different special interests such as trekking, cycling, historical tours and there's even a kung fu class in Hanoi!

The hotels we use in towns and cities are chosen for their comfort and are closely located to shops, restaurants and tourist attractions. They have private bathroom facilities, breakfast is included and some even provide free Internet access. Homestays and guesthouses in rural villages are simple and clean. Accommodation and amenities are shared and each guest is provided with a mattress, clean sheet, pillow, sleeping bag and mosquito net. Some itineraries also offer unique accommodation like the Xieng Lom Elephant Camp in Laos, where you stay in either a traditional Lao-style luxury bungalow or a beautifully restored 100 year old farm house converted into five apartment rooms.

Private vehicles are used for road journeys. Not only is this more comfortable, but it gives you the freedom to stop and take photos along the way. Entrance fees are included for all sites, parks and activities listed in your itinerary. Most custom-made itineraries include airport transfers so you don’t have that new country, strange airport stress and can arrive at your hotel feeling totally relaxed!

 

 

Choose an adventure that suits you

At IJE, we are into active travel! All trips are graded by fitness level, however, it is important that you read the 'Trip notes' and be realistic about your physical abilities, experiences and interests. If you are unsure or have any questions about the nature of the tour and its suitability for you, please contact us.

 

EASY
Soft adventures enjoyed by just about anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. Walks and mountain biking are generally on good tracks and rarely exceed five hours in a day. Ideal for families. 

MODERATE
If you are seeking fun and adventure and you like active travel, this is for you. A mixture of long and shorter activity days of four to seven hours duration. A good level of fitness is required.  

CHALLENGING
Ideal for people with a great sense of adventure. Previous trekking or mountain bike experience is preferred as we travel remote areas over hilly terrain for up to eight hours a day, (occasionally more). A high level of fitness is required.

 

Activity symbols

Each itinerary uses quick reference icons to identify the types of activities you will experience. These include:

Trekking / Walking / Hiking

Kayaking / Rafting

Elephant Rides

Village Homestays

Mountain Biking

Family Tour

Day Tour

Use these icons in conjunction with the trip grade icons as a general indication of the physical nature of the adventure.

 

Call 1300 43 10 69 today to start planning your adventure.

Inner Journey Expeditions (IJE) organizes adventure tours and holidays to South East Asia’s Vietnam and Laos. Specializing in small group private tours for independent travelers, we offer customized tours or tailor-made holidays including transport, accommodation, local guides and outdoor adventure activities like village home stays, trekking, hiking, mountain biking, cycling, kayaking, boat trips and elephant rides in rugged and wilderness landscapes. From a cooking class to a relaxing massage, from art galleries to museums discover the history and culture of Vietnam and Laos. Ideal for independent travelers, families with children, sporting and social clubs, you choose your own travel dates and your own activities that best suit your ability, experience and interests. IJE’s website also provides a Vietnam and Laos Travel Guide offering basic facts for the visitor, responsible travel advice and handy travel tips for traveling Indochina.

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